Oct 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
  
2024-2025 Catalog

Degree, Certificate & General Education Information



Cecil College offers programs of study that lead to associate degrees and program certificates. Students may enter a program designed for transfer to a four-year institution; one that prepares them for immediate entry into the workforce; or a program that helps them upgrade skills in their current career.

Degree Programs

There are six associate’s degrees:

Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Recognizes mastery in the liberal arts (humanities, social sciences and similar subjects) and in the fine arts. The associate of arts degree transfers to appropriate baccalaureate programs and provides for career exploration and skills upgrading.

Associate of Science (A.S.)
Recognizes a curricular focus in science, mathematics, or technology. The associate of science degree transfers to appropriate baccalaureate programs and also provides for career exploration and skills upgrading.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Recognizes a curricular focus in a specific occupational area. The associate of applied science degree is designed primarily for immediate employment or career mobility and is identified with a specialty designation, e.g., computer technology, law enforcement, etc.

Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)
Designed for transfer to a Maryland four-year institution to obtain a baccalaureate degree and teacher certification.

Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Designated for transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a baccalaureate degree.

Associate of Science in Engineering (A.S.E.)
Designated for transfer to a four-year institution for continued study in engineering Associate degree programs consist of general education courses, program specific courses, and electives. To qualify for an associate’s degree, students must complete the minimum number of credit hours required in their programs and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in college-level courses (A.A.T. programs require students to earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and they must pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) test). In addition, students must meet other graduation requirements and general education requirements.

Certificate Programs

The College offers certificate programs for those who wish to gain a credential for acquired knowledge, skills and abilities focused in specific discipline areas. Most certificate programs are designed to assist students with goals for upgrading skills for immediate application in employment. Many certificate programs are designed as units within associate degree programs and can be acquired in the process of seeking an associate’s degree. Certificate programs require the completion of 12 credits or more. Students must complete 50 percent of their course work at Cecil College and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in college-level courses, and meet all other graduation requirements.

Programs to Meet Diverse Educational Needs

To meet the educational needs of the community, Cecil College offers programs in general education, college or university transfer, career education, continuing education, and student development services.

  1. The general education program provides all students with writing, speaking, reading, critical thinking and computing skills and knowledge to function as educated citizens in a complex world.
  2. College transfer programs prepare students for further learning by providing courses in specific disciplines and general education that parallel the first two years at a four-year institution.
  3. The career education program prepares students for immediate employment in technical and business fields and allows students to continue studies at four-year institutions.
  4. The non-credit division of the College provides non-credit courses and skills which allow individuals to upgrade their abilities, prepare for state licensure or certification, re-train for new occupations, enrich cultural backgrounds, and develop specialized interests. It also provides contract training for business and industry.
  5. Student Services and Institutional Effectiveness provides students with a variety of resources, including academic advising and support, multicultural affairs, job placement and career management services, financial aid services, student development activities, and intercollegiate athletics.

General Education - Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning across the curriculum is measured by the expected student learning outcomes for General Education. Through the General Education core requirements, all curricula are designed so that students demonstrate college-level competency in:

  1. Critical Thinking
  2. Arts and Human Cultures
  3. Written and Oral Communication
  4. Information Literacy
  5. Technological Skills
  6. Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning

The College characterizes a general education as one that develops the skills, knowledge and abilities essential to all students completing a degree to enter the workforce or transfer to an advanced degree regardless of chosen majors. Cecil College defines general education competencies as follows:

  1. Graduates will have the ability to apply Critical Thinking
  2. Graduates will illustrate knowledge of Arts and the Diversity of Human Cultures
  3. Graduates will be able to illustrate appropriate Written and Oral Communication
  4. Graduates will be able to apply Information Literacy
  5. Graduates will be able to illustrate Technological Skills
  6. Graduates will be able to apply Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning

In the College’s General Education Student Learning Outcomes, the College states that knowledge of the diversity of human cultures is an essential characteristic of general education.  In response, the College has identified the following list of courses in which students will be introduced to this material.  Each associate degree program includes one of these courses as a requirement.

Course Number

Course Name

Credits

ART 141  

Survey of Art History (H)

3

ART 150  

Museum Studies

3
ART 178  

Art Appreciation

3

ART 242  /

HST 242  

Survey of Modern Art

3

BIO 135   Human Biology (S) 3
CHM 107   Introduction to Chemistry in Society (SL) 4
CRJ 111  

Police and Society

3

EDU 101  

Foundations of Education

3

PSY 207   

Educational Psychology

3

EGL 102  

Composition and Literature (H)

3

EGL 203  

British Literature I

3

EGL 204  

British Literature II

3

EGL 205  

American Literature I

3

EGL 206  

American Literature II

3

EGL 210  

Topics in World Literature (H)

3

ESP 201   Contemporary Issues in Esports 3
GEO 102  

Cultural Geography (SS)

3

HST 110  

World History I

3

HST 111  

World History II

3

HST 201  

US History I (H)

3

HST 202  

United States History II (H)

3

HUM 101  

Introduction to Critical Inquiry (H)

3

HUM 110  

Introduction to Gender Studies (H)

3

LPN 211  

Clinical Lab III: Care of Childbearing/Childrearing Families

1

LPN 215  

Clinical Lab IV: Medical, Surgical, Psychiatric

1

MUC 122   

Music Appreciation

3

MUC 135  

History of Rock

3

MUC 136  

World Music

3

NUR 114  

Clinical Lab I: Nursing Fundamentals

2

NUR 115  

Clinical Lab II: Medical/Surgical

4

NUR 211  

Clinical Lab III: Care of Childbearing/Childrearing Families

4

NUR 214  

Clinical Lab IV: Medical, Surgical, Psychiatric

4

PHI 201  

Contemporary Moral Issues

3

PSY 201  

Human Growth and Development (SS)

3

PSY 228  

The Helping Relationship: Intro to Theory and Technique

3

PTA 104  

Fundamentals of PT Practice I

2

PTA 211  

Fundamentals of PT Practice II

2

SOC 101  

Introduction to Sociology (SS)

3

SOC 105  

Perspectives in Human Diversity (SS)

3

SPM 201   Sports in American Culture 3

 

 

General Education and Institutional Requirements

General Education Requirements and Institutional Requirements for Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.), Associate of Science (A.S.), and Associate of Science in Engineering (A.S.E.) Degrees (minimum of 28 general education credits)

The College defines general education as the portion of the curriculum devoted to the development of the skills, knowledge and abilities essential to all students, regardless of chosen majors. The course distribution is intended to ensure that students have mastered and demonstrated a familiarity with core knowledge basic to all college-level work.

Arts and Humanities

  • 6 semester credit hours in the arts and humanities general education courses

Biological and Physical Sciences

  • 7-8 semester credit hours in biological and physical sciences general education courses One of the courses must be a laboratory science course

English Composition

  • 3 credits in College Composition (EGL 101 )

Mathematics

  • 3 semester credit hours in a mathematics general education course

Social and Behavioral Sciences

  • 6 semester credit hours in social and behavioral sciences general education courses

General Education Electives

  • Additional general education courses to complete a minimum of 28 semester hours (general education courses must be selected from the general education list)

Institutional Requirement

General Education Requirements and Institutional Requirements for Associate of Applied Sciences (A.A.S.) and Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.) Degrees (minimum of 18 general education credits)

Arts and Humanities

  • 3 semester credit hours in the arts and humanities general education course

Biological and Physical Sciences

  • 4 semester credit hours in biological and physical sciences general education course
  • Course must be a laboratory science course

English Composition

  • 3 credits in College Composition (EGL 101 )

Mathematics

  • 3 semester credit hours in a mathematics general education course

Social and Behavioral Sciences

  • 3 semester credit hours in social and behavioral sciences general education course

General Education Electives

  • Additional general education courses to complete a minimum of 18 semester hours (general education courses must be selected from the general education list)

Definition of General Education Competencies for Cecil College

Written and Oral Communication

Cecil College defines college-level writing competency according to the Standards for a “C” Paper as approved on March 3, 1998, by the Maryland Statewide English Composition Committee and on April 21, 1998 by the Inter-segmental Chief Academic Officers of Maryland’s two- and four-year institutions of higher education.

College-level oral communication is defined as improved oral expression, listening, critical thinking, and message analysis, and enhanced appreciation and understanding of various forms of expression/communication.

Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning

Cecil College defines college-level competency in scientific reasoning as students’ ability to articulate the elements of the scientific method, and the application of such elements to the analysis and the practice of science. Students should be able to collect, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and present data.

College-level quantitative reasoning is defined by the following approved statewide attributes:

  1. Interpret mathematical models given verbally, or by formulas, graphs, tables, or schematics, and draw inferences from them.
  2. Represent mathematical concepts verbally, and where appropriate, symbolically, visually, and numerically.
  3. Use arithmetic, algebraic, geometric, technological, or statistical methods to solve problems.
  4. Use mathematical reasoning with appropriate technology to solve problems, test conjectures, judge the validity of arguments, formulate valid arguments, and communicate the reasoning and the results.
  5. Estimate and check answers to mathematical problems in order to determine reasonableness.
  6. Recognize and use connections within mathematics and between mathematics and other disciplines.

Critical Analysis and Reasoning

Cecil College defines college-level proficiency in critical analysis and reasoning to include, but not limited to, the following: application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem solving, and decision making, as well as creative thinking, meta-cognition, and productive habits of the mind.

Technological Competency

Cecil College defines college-level technological competency as the students’ ability to engage in technology collaboration; use and create structured digital documents; perform technology-enhanced presentations; use technology tools for research and evaluation; use databases to manage information; use technology tools for analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; use graphical and multimedia representational technologies; demonstrate familiarity with major legal, ethical, privacy and security issues; demonstrate a working knowledge of hardware and software applications; and create an HTML web page.

Information Literacy

Cecil College defines college-level information literacy as the students’ ability to recognize the need for information; identify what information is needed; find that information; evaluate information critically for relevance and credibility; use information to solve problems or answer questions; and use information legally and ethically.

General Education Course Codes

The following codes are used in the course descriptions to identify courses that satisfy the General Education Core Requirements:

Course Code Interpretation
E English Composition
H Arts and Humanities
I Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues
M Mathematics
SL Science with the Lab
S Science
SS Behavioral and Social Sciences

Computer Literacy Across the Curriculum

Computer Literacy Across the Curriculum is an approach to academic instruction that exercises skills which students will need to be computer literate in the future and to effectively use computer terminology, software, and hardware.

Students pursuing a degree program at Cecil College must fulfill a computer literacy requirement for graduation.

The associate degree programs at Cecil College include the general education credit hours required by the state of Maryland. If a degree program directs students to choose general education courses from specific categories, those courses must be selected from the approved courses listed below.

Approved General Education Courses by Category

The associate degree programs at Cecil College include the general education credit hours required by the state of Maryland. If a degree program directs students to choose general education courses from specific categories, those courses must be selected from the approved courses listed below.

Important! Transfer students should consult with an academic advisor when choosing general education courses from the approved list since each transfer institution has slightly different requirements.

Course Code Course Title Credits
English (E)
EGL 101   College Composition 3
Arts and Humanities (H)
ART 101   Fundamentals of Design 3
ART 110   Color 3
ART 130   Drawing I 3
ART 140   Painting I          3
ART 141   Survey of Art History 3
ART 150   Art Appreciation and Museum Studies 3
ART 152   Sculpture I 3
ART 160   Beginning Ceramics 3
ART 178   Art Appreciation 3
ART 180   Basic Photography 3
ART 181   Introduction to Movie Making 3
ART 194    Wheel Thrown Ceramics 3
ART 201   Three-Dimensional Design 3
ART 230   Drawing II 3
ART 240   Painting II 3
ART 242   Survey of Modern Art History 3
ART 260   Intermediate Ceramics 3
COM 101   Introduction to Communication Studies      3
EGL 102   Composition and Literature 3
EGL 203   British Lit. to 18th c. 3
EGL 204   British Lit. 18th c. to Present 3
EGL 205   American Lit. to 1865 3
EGL 206   American Lit. 1865 to Present 3
EGL 210   Topics in World Literature 3
EGL 215   Introduction to Creative Writing 3
HCD 270   Ethical Issues in Healthcare 3
HST 101   Western Civilization I 3
HST 102   Western Civilization II 3
HST 110   World History I 3
HST 111   World History II 3
HST 201   History of the United States I 3
HST 202   History of the United States II 3
HST 242   Survey of Modern Art History 3
HUM 101   Introduction to Critical Inquiry 3
HUM 110   Introduction to Gender Studies 3
MUC 122   Music Appreciation 3
MUC 135   History of Rock 3
MUC 143   Music Fundamentals 3
PHI 101   Introduction to Philosophy 3
PHI 201   Ethics - Contemporary Moral Issues 3
PHI 205   Philosophy of Religion 3
PHI 270   Ethical Issues in Healthcare 3
RUS 101   Russian I 3
RUS 102   Russian II 3
SPH 121   Interpersonal Communications 3
SPH 141   Public Speaking 3
SPN 101    Introductory Spanish I 3
SPN 102    Introductory Spanish II 3
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (I)
AGR 103   Introduction to Agriculture 3
CIS 101   Introduction to Computer Concepts 3
CSC 104   Computer Science Fundamentals 3
CSC 105   Geographic Information Systems 3
ENV 106   Introduction to Environmental Science 3
GIS 101    Geographic Information Systems 3
HEA 130   Healthful Living 3
HEA 173   Human Sexuality 3
HST 135   History of Rock 3
HST 141   Survey of Art History 3
MUC 128   Introduction to Audio Technology 3
Mathematics (M)
MAT 110   Topics in Mathematics Literacy 3
MAT 125   Applied Calculus 4
MAT 127   Introduction to Statistics 4
MAT 128   Introduction to Statistics II 4
MAT 191   Precalculus              4
MAT 201   Calculus I w/ Analytical Geometry 4
MAT 202   Calculus II w/ Analytic Geometry 4
MAT 203    Multivariable Calculus 4
MAT 236    Discrete Structures 3
MAT 240   Introduction to Linear Algebra 4
MAT 246   Introduction to Differential Equations 3

Physical and Biological Sciences (S and SL)

AGR 103   Introduction to Agriculture 3
AST 103   Principles of Astronomy 4
BIO 101    General Biology1 3
BIO 103   Introduction to Zoology1 3
BIO 104   Botany: Introduction to Horticulture1 3
BIO 123   Foundations of Nutrition* (no lab) 3
BIO 130   Principles of Biology I1 3
BIO 132   Principles of Biology II1 3
BIO 135   Human Biology (S) 3
BIO 200   Microbiology1 3
BIO 208   Human Anatomy and Physiology I1 3
BIO 209   Human Anatomy and Physiology II1 3
BIP 101   Introduction to Biotechnology 4
BIP 102   Biotechnology Laboratory Techniques

4

BIP 201   Introduction to Bioprocessing 4
BLS 101   Biological Laboratory Skills 3
CHM 103    General Chemistry I1 3
CHM 104   General Chemistry II1 3
CHM 107   Introduction to Chemistry in Society 4
CHM 109   Chemistry and Art 4
ENV 106   Introduction to Environmental Science1 3
PHY 103   Physics Today     4
PHY 181   Introductory College Physics I w/ Lab 4
PHY 182   Introductory College Physics II w/ Lab 4
PHY 217   General Calculus Physics I w/Lab 4
PHY 218   General Calculus Physics II w/Lab 4
PHY 219   General Calculus Physics III w/Lab 4
PSC 105   General Physical Science w/ Lab 4
PSC 120   Physical Geology 4
PSC 125   Essentials of Weather 4
PSC 135    Introduction to Climate Science w/Lab 4
PSC 140   Introduction to Ocean Studies w/ Lab 4
PSC 220   Meteorology 4
Must be combined with a lab course to meet the lab science requirement.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (SS)
ANT 101   Cultural Anthropology 3
ECO 221   Economics - Micro 3
ECO 222   Economics - Macro 3
GEO 101   Physical Geography 3
GEO 102   Cultural Geography 3
POS 101    Introduction to Political Science 3
POS 201   American Government 3
PSY 101   Introduction to Psychology 3
PSY 201   Human Growth and Development 3
SOC 101   Introduction to Sociology     3
SOC 102   Social Problems 3
SOC 103   Marriage and the Family 3
SOC 105   Perspective in Human Diversity 3
SWK 200   Introduction to Social Work 3