General Arts and Science - Liberal Studies Foundation

Description

The General Arts and Science - Liberal Studies Foundation program will introduce you to a diverse range of subjects from the humanities and social sciences. Through a combination of subjects, diverse learning methods, and exploration of contemporary local and global issues, you will foster the critical thinking and analytical skills to broaden your knowledge and worldview. This program sets the stage for the transition into further post-secondary studies, whether at college or university, through excellent credit transfer opportunities and articulation agreements. You'll gain confidence in your academic abilities while gaining essential and transferable employability skills, all of which will prepare you to thrive in your chosen path.

Career Opportunities

While most students choose General Arts and Science - Liberal Studies Foundation as a pathway to further studies, some graduates are sought after for employment in occupations requiring liberal studies and critical thinking with organizations that prefer to administer their own training program. Program courses provide students optimum transfer credits to other college and university programs. The certificate from this program is recognized by several Ontario, national and international colleges and universities.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. use interdisciplinary frameworks and concepts to solve problems and explore the relationship between the self and society;
2. express ideas in writing and other modes of communication to correspond with others in an educational and/or employment setting;
3. use critical and systems thinking skills to identify content relevance, validity, and implications needed for decision making;
4. examine local and global issues and challenges to further develop a sense of personal and social responsibility as a citizen of the world;
5. assess the effects of personal decisions on the communities and the environment to identify opportunities for positive change;
6. explore indigenous ways of knowing and being to challenge established viewpoints and recognize the ongoing impact of colonization;
7. examine the influence of identity, intersectionality, power, and privilege to determine effects on one's interactions with social structures, systems, and institutions.

Program Progression

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026

Winter Intake

• Sem 1: Winter 2026
• Sem 2: Summer 2026

Articulation

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program co-ordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option. Additional information can be found on our website at https://www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Graduation Requirements

8 Program Courses
1 Communications Course
2 Program Option or General Education Courses 
1 General Education Course

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
HUMN 1006	Exploring Literature	42
HUMN 1017	Critical Thinking Foundations	42
PSYL 1022	Psychology 1	42
SOCL 1003	Sociology 1	42
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
Program Option or General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration or contact the program co-ordinator about option courses.		42
	Hours	252
Semester 2
Program Courses
HUMN 1015	Interpreting Literature	42
HUMN 1018	Interdisciplinary Thinking	42
PSYL 1023	Psychology 2	42
SOCL 1004	Sociology 2	42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
Program Option or General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration or contact the program co-ordinator about option courses.		42
	Hours	252
	Total Hours	504

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of one year (as stated above) may take a maximum of two years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.