Pathway Degree with Business Concentration, A.A.

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Academic Program Code: P01

The Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree Pathway with a concentration in Business is designed for those students who are still deciding which specific area within this Pathway they would like to study or for those who intend to transfer in a business related area for which GRCC does not offer an academic program of study. Students who have decided on an academic program within the Business Pathway offered at GRCC should select that program and follow the coursework plan outlined in that program.

Students who graduate from this program will earn an Associate of Arts degree from GRCC and may be eligible to earn the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) credential. The coursework needed to complete this program is listed below. The highest priority courses are listed in order and are organized to give students both an opportunity to explore the field and complete general education requirements for the degree. The open elective coursework allows students the opportunity to work with a GRCC advisor or faculty member to select courses and create an individualized transfer plan. Transfer plans are created by identifying an academic program at a 4-year institution, and choosing general education and elective courses that will allow the student to complete the first two years of that academic program at GRCC. It is recommended that students select an academic program and/or transfer institution as early as possible to minimize taking unnecessary coursework.

Academic Placement

Students with academic placements should follow these guidelines when selecting coursework for Priority I.

College Readiness: Strategies for College and Life Success (PY 100 ) must be taken in the first semester at GRCC.

Math: Math courses should be selected based on ALEKS placement score.

Reading/Writing: Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) courses should be taken in the first semester at GRCC. See the table below for courses that can be taken with IRW courses.

IRW 97:	COM 131
IRW 98:	COM 131, COM 135, BA 103
IRW 99/EN 101:	COM 131, COM 135, BA 103, BA 256, BA 257, BA 270, BA 283
EN 101:	COM 131, COM 135, BA 103, BA 207, BA 256, BA 257 , BA 270, BA 283, EC 251

Priority I

Students should select courses from the Priority I list based on the number of credits they wish to take during the semester. If students are unable to schedule Priority I courses they should move to and select from the list of Priority II courses.

When selecting a math course, students should consider the requirements at GRCC or their transfer institution.

EN 101 - English Composition I Credit Hours: 3
Mathematics General Education - Elective (Must meet MTA requirements) Credit Hours: varies by course

Priority I Elective Options

Select two (2) of the following courses.

BA 103 - Introduction to Business Credit Hours: 4
BA 256 - Principles of Accounting I Credit Hours: 4
BA 270 - Marketing Credit Hours: 3
BA 283 - Business Management Credit Hours: 3

Priority II

After completing the Priority I courses, students should consider if this Pathway Program still meets their education and career
goals.

If students wish to move into a specific academic program or to a different Academic Pathway, they should initiate this change using the Declaration of Academic Program in the student Online Center and begin taking the courses in the academic program.
Students who wish to remain in this Pathway Program or who are still deciding on an academic program should take the Priority II courses listed below. If students are unable to schedule Priority II courses, they should prioritize taking the remaining general education course requirements needed for this program.
Students should review progress toward degree completion in MyDegreePath.

When making the decision to select EN 102 , COM 131 , or COM 135 , consider the program requirements at GRCC or transfer institution.

EN 102 - English Composition II Credit Hours: 3
OR
COM 131 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking Credit Hours: 3
OR
COM 135 - Interpersonal Communication Credit Hours: 3
Humanities General Education - Elective Credit Hours: varies by course
EC 251 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credit Hours: 3
OR
Social Sciences General Education - Elective Credit Hours: varies by course

Priority II Elective Options

Students should select two (2) of the courses below, based on their education and career interests. Course selection must be different than Priority I.

BA 103 - Introduction to Business Credit Hours: 4
BA 207 - Business Law I Credit Hours: 3
BA 256 - Principles of Accounting I Credit Hours: 4
BA 257 - Principles of Accounting II Credit Hours: 4
BA 270 - Marketing Credit Hours: 3
BA 283 - Business Management Credit Hours: 3

Priority III

After completing the Priority II courses, students should consider if this Pathway Program still meets their education and career
goals.

At this point, it is very important that students work with a GRCC advisor or faculty member to get help with course selection and to map out their future coursework based on their academic and career goals.
If students wish to move into a specific academic program or to another Academic Pathway, they should initiate this change using the Declaration of Academic Program in the student Online Center and begin taking the courses in the academic program or Academic Pathway Program.
If students want to remain in this Pathway Program or are still deciding on an academic program they should:
- Review progress towards academic program completion in My Degree Path.
- Complete the General Education requirements for this program (listed under Degree Completion & Graduation).
Once the coursework in Priorities I and II, and the General Education requirements for this program are completed, any courses may be taken to complete this degree. The remaining number of courses will depend on the number of credit hours needed to reach the 60 credits required for graduation. For students intending to transfer to a 4-year institution, remaining courses should be selected based on the identified program or major at the college or university they plan to attend.

If students did not select BA 207 in Priority II, it should be taken with the Priority III coursework.

BA 207 - Business Law I Credit Hours: 3

Degree Completion & Graduation

In order to fulfill the GRCC General Education requirements for this degree, students must complete at least 30 credit hours of coursework through the following course requirements:

EN 101 English Composition I;
EN 102 English Composition II OR COM 131 Fundamentals of Public Speaking OR COM 135 Interpersonal Communication;
2 Humanities General Education Electives from two (2) different subject areas;
2 Social Sciences General Education Electives from two (2) different subject areas;
1 Mathematics General Education Elective (must meet MTA requirements);
1 Lab Sciences General Education Elective and one (1) Lab or Non Lab Sciences General Education Elective. Must be from two (2) different subject areas.

Once students have completed the general education and course requirements outlined in Priorities I, II, and III, they should take the following steps:

Review progress towards academic program completion in My Degree Path.
Ensure they have declared the correct academic program and have the correct catalog year.
Work with a GRCC faculty member or advisor to identify and complete the remaining requirements and open elective coursework needed to graduate from GRCC and to transfer to a 4-year institution.
Apply to graduate.