New degrees offered

Citrus College students now have two new academic options: an associate’s degree in English literature or science.

The degree options were developed during the English Department’s and Science Department’s six-year program reviews.

After considering how the college’s honors program attracts many English and science majors, the faculty concluded that they could aid students in their pursuit of degrees in either field.

An associate’s degree in science or English is already offered at many of the surrounding community colleges, including eight colleges in the Los Angeles College District, as well as with Glendale College, Pasadena City College, and Cerritos College.

“Due to its proximity to our campus, we specifically considered Pasadena’s English degree in developing our own,” English professor Gina Hogan said. “We found that in their A.A. degree’s curriculum, the emphasis is for students to be given an appreciation of literature and increased skills in written communication, and we used that as a basis to create a rigorous yet effective sequence of courses.”

To be awarded an associates degree in either department, a student must meet the college’s general education and proficiency requirements, which include completing 20 to 39 units of general education courses, combined with successful completion (grades of “C” and above) of the major requirements: 12 units from the required sequence of courses and six units from the optional sequence of courses for a total of 60 units.

“The Science Department faculty wants to emphasize our programs more,” biology professor Arnold Kondo said. “Students who complete this program will be better prepared for a more advanced degree and their B.A. degree in science from a four-year institution.”

The programs are designed for students intending to transfer or desiring to complete a degree in English literature or science. They also provide students with a strong foundation for a four-year program, as well as for work in the field.

The two new additions to the curriculum at Citrus have not replaced any existing programs. The English literature associate’s degree will share a number of limited courses with the language arts associate’s degree program.

“Because of the state budget situation, we have not been able to add classes leading the English degree,” said Samuel Lee, dean of language arts and enrollment management.

“Nevertheless, this new program is not expected to generate increased enrollment since it is composed only of existing courses. In the future, when Citrus begins to once again to add programs, we will focus on adding sections to expand the number of students completing their English degree.”

To get more information about the associate’s degree in science or English literature, meet with a counselor in the Transfer Center and develop an education plan that is appropriate for your intended academic goals.