Program Details
Uniform Certificate of General Studies
CertificateEastern Shore Community College
The Uniform Certificate of General Studies (Plan Code 695) is intended to provide students the opportunity to take courses to meet a subset of lower level general education requirements at a four-year college or university. The Certificate is not intended to represent a comprehensive general education core or to insure the same ease of transferability as the transfer degrees. Students enrolled in the Certificate program may apply all credits earned to the college’s Associate of Science degree in Education, Engineering, General Studies or Science. Students enrolled in Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts may also apply all credits earned to the UCGS. Under current guidelines, Federal financial aid cannot be used to enroll in the Uniform Certificate of General Studies program. Students intending to use financial aid should enroll in one of the college’s AS & AA transfer degree programs.
Outcomes
Students will be able to: Explore, interpret, and represent the human experience and cultural awareness through the arts and social sciences. Read, write and analyze effectively across a number of disciplines. Integrate and apply the fundamental principles of scientific inquiry, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
Program Overview & Guidance
| Program Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Considerations for Selecting Degree | The Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS) is a one-year college program in which 30-34 credits are transferable and satisfy lower-division general education requirements at any Virginia public institution of higher education. Passport is a subset of UCGS. |
| Considerations When Selecting Courses |
Students must select a course for each block from the official UCGS course list. Students should pick courses that align with their transfer program.
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| Program Requirements Beyond Specific Courses | All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. |
| Doing More With Your Degree | You are encouraged to continue on to the Associate Degree. The more credits you earn prior to transfer, the better your chances of completing a Bachelor's Degree. |
| Program Successes & Highlights | This guarantee applies to all Virginia students completing course work through a 2-year college, including Dual-Enrollment. |
Related Programs & Certifications
Program Credit Requirements
The table below provides the requirements to complete this program if you are not following a Transfer Guide. If you have an account and have created a Portfolio, the table includes the "Applied Credits" column. This column shows how the credits you earned based on the experiences you entered may be applied to satisfy these requirements. You can find schools where you can take courses that will transfer and apply to this degree using the Where Can I Find An Equivalent Course feature in the Transfer Tools menu.
A formal determination of credits awarded for your prior learning and their applicability to the degree requirements can only be made by the institution. The formal determination and resulting map may reflect higher or lower number of credits to be completed to achieve this program.
What If I Have An Associate Degree Or Credit For Prior Learning?
| Transfer Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Associate Transfer Degree Completion | Students must earn 25% of their credits at ESCC for an Associate degree from our institution. Students who transfer to ESCC with a completed Associate degree will be awarded SDV 100 and will have their transcript evaluated for other course transfer. Students who transfer to ESCC with a completed Bachelor degree from a U.S. college or university will be awarded SDV 100, ENG 111 and ENG 112. The transcript will be evaluated for other course transfer. |
Completion of Associate Degree Concurrent with High School | ESCC does not distinguish between students earning an associate degree concurrently, while in high school, or after high school graduation. |
| Credit for Prior Learning | https://es.vccs.edu/admissions-aid/credits/request-credit-for-prior-learning/ |
| Did You Know That... |
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College Level Information
| College Fit Guidance | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Is This College Right For Me? | YES! (Your Eastern Shore) is ESCC's culture of hospitality. YES! encourages students, teachers and staff to start from a positive perspective, develop personal YES!! visions and statements, and take proud ownership of the college and the Shore community. We invite you to discover your YES! at Your Eastern Shore Community College. |
| Transfer Student Catalog Year | Catalog year determined by first semester of attendance |
| First Year Student Catalog Year | The student's catalog year is determined by first semester of attendance. |
| Applying for Guaranteed Admissions | We offer five transfer degrees with Guaranteed Admission Agreements with all public and many private four-year institutions.; https://www.vccs.edu/transfer-programs/ |
Where Can This Degree Transfer
This program is a smaller package of courses (16 credits for Passport and 31-32 credits for UCGS) that are considered the foundation for Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and other transferable associate degrees. When completed following specific guidelines, both the Passport and UCGS are transferable to all public 4-year and most private 4-year institutions in Virginia and apply towards lower-level general education requirements. Explore Transfer Guides for guidance on which courses to take toward an associate degree that will seamlessly transfer to various bachelor's degree programs.
Careers Where This Degree Applies
This program's curriculum focuses on broadly-applicable professional skills and knowledge found in a variety of work settings. Explore career options to discover how this program can meet your career goals as you further your education.
Cost To Complete