The Associate of Individualized Study (AIS) is a degree for students wishing to choose an area of concentration that is not offered by another degree awarded by the college. The AIS degree is appropriate for those students who may have earned credit hours in a variety of programs, possibly at multiple institutions, because of changing job opportunities, personal need or desire, or other circumstances.  The degree combines the existing educational disciplines at the college with a student’s educational history, college credits, and experience to create an area of concentration that best serves the need of the student, especially in connection with career or job objectives.

Unlike other majors at the college, this degree is personalized. Before students pursue this degree, they must have completed an application for the AIS degree, have their proposed curriculum approved by a team made up of three faculty members, and have the final permission of the department dean. For more information about the Associate of Individualized Study degree, contact the department dean.

The AIS Degree program is designed by and for the student. The degree is built on the student’s unique educational objectives. This AIS Degree is ideal for students who have a variety of college level courses but no specific degree or who have attended different colleges so they have multiple transcripts. EGCC advisors will work to combine these credits with EGCC classes to create an individualized degree. Students also may request credit for life experience in place of a course offered at EGCC. This request must be accompanied by a portfolio that clearly demonstrates that the student has achieved at least 70% of the course outcomes for which credit is requested. These credits may be applied to the AIS degree. The procedure for requesting credit for life experience will be explained to the student when he or she makes the request. Taking a class in assembling a portfolio is advised.

A series of steps and a three member advisory committee will be used to ensure the success of a student who is a candidate for the AIS degree.

1. The student will be required to complete an application for admission to the AIS program. This will be reviewed by the dean for business, engineering and information technologies.

2. One person from the college (in most cases a faculty member) must serve as a representative for the student’s concentration area. This will serve as an indication that the applicant has reviewed the proposed program with an appropriate advisory committee member.

3. An appropriate department dean also must sign off on the application form.

Each applicant will have an advisory committee comprised of three people to help ensure that the student is on track with degree requirements.

Upon successful completion of the AIS degree, the graduate will be able to:

• Demonstrate skills as original and critical thinkers, readers and writers.
• Describe the interaction of history, culture, literature, economics and science as studied within a broad liberal arts curriculum.
• Analyze and solve quantitative problems.
• Show evidence of breadth and scope of awareness of diverse approaches to knowledge.