General Education Options

General Education Options

Campus shot with ASVC booth

About General Education

General Education (GE) is one of the required components of all Associate degrees. At Ventura College, there are three General Education options available including the Ventura College General Education pattern, Cal-GETC , or the GE pattern of the intended transfer institution (including meeting Title 5 minimum requirements). The major and/or transfer path a student is pursuing will dictate the choices available to the student.

1. Ventura College General Education Requirements

Ventura College's General Education (VC GE) plan is based on Title 5 requirements in the California Code of Regulations and District policy. It is not intended to prepare students for transfer and cannot be used with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). Majors at Ventura College for which students may complete Ventura College's GE plan include: 

  • AA in General Studies with an Area of Emphasis, Pattern I
  • AA and AS Degrees in specific majors

2. California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)

Certified completion of the Cal-GETC transfer GE  pattern will fulfill the lower-division general education requirements of all CSU and UC campuses in most majors. Note: There are some majors or colleges within UC/CSU campuses for which Cal-GETC  is not the appropriate preparation. See Cal-GETC Rules by Campus and refer to your intended campus and major at www.assist.org and/or consult with a college counselor for guidance. Cal-GETC  will also satisfy GE requirements for local AA/AS Degrees.

Majors at Ventura College for which the Cal-GETC pattern is an option include:

​Additional majors are being developed. Please see a counselor for more information. For the latest information on Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs), go to www.icangotocollege.com

3. General Education Pattern of the Intended Transfer Institution (including meeting minimum Title 5 requirements) 

​​Students transferring to a four-year university in high-unit majors or where completion of Cal-GETC is not appropriate or advisable may choose to instead follow the GE pattern of their intended institution. This may include students transferring to private universities, out-of-state universities, or UC/CSU campuses within majors that have their own specific GE requirements. This applies to all AA/AS that are designed to prepare students for transfer. 

Majors at Ventura College for which the GE pattern of an intended Transfer Institution is the only option include: