The Associate of General Studies (AGS) program is designed to fit your needs. This customizable degree empowers you to take courses tailored to your specific goals and interests—whether your goal is to transfer or join the workforce. Students graduate with essential, transferable skills in critical thinking, information literacy, and communication that can be used in both the classroom and the boardroom.
You’ll get to choose from a variety of courses in:
Public speaking
Written communication
Mathematics and reasoning
Life sciences, chemistry, and physics
History and sociology
World languages
Music and arts
Professional and transfer electives (explore courses from other Ivy Tech programs such as psychology, education, fine arts, business, technology, and health care)
The AGS was designed to meet you where you are in your academic or professional journey.
Maybe you’re hoping for a promotion and looking to earn an associate degree to help get you there. Perhaps, you’re looking to transfer to a four-year college or university and want a customizable associate degree that can maximize your success down the road. Or, you could be joining the workforce and want to increase your chances of landing a great first role. Wherever you are in your journey, the AGS could help you reach your destination. The degree establishes a solid foundation for future educational and career pathways.
As a General Studies student, you’ll have the opportunity to earn additional certifications from various areas based on your selected 22 elective credits. Reach out to an academic advisor to review your goals and create a custom degree plan.
Associate Degree – Transferable or Career-Ready
The Associate of General Studies provides a well-rounded curriculum across subjects. You may think of the courses as "Gen Ed" classes, a term that may sound familiar. While you can take your general learnings from this degree into the workforce, the most common use for the AGS is to transfer into a bachelor's program.
The Associate of General Studies degree program is designed for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree. You can save upward of $10,000 by completing your first two years at Ivy Tech and then transferring!
Our General Studies program currently has partnerships with fourteen schools so you can seamlessly transfer without losing your credits or time:
Talk to our transfer advocates for information about continuing your education after completing your associate degree at Ivy Tech. You are also encouraged to contact the university to which you plan to transfer. Note that admission is not guaranteed just by enrolling in the General Studies program. You will need to be admitted to the institution you intend to transfer to.
Our General Studies program provides students with a strong foundation for careers in entrepreneurship, information technology, business, logistics, public health, and other fields.
Our Associate of General Studies degree can provide graduates with a competitive advantage in the job market and help them advance to higher-paying positions.
Speak with your local Ivy+ Career Link team to learn more about Ivy Tech's employer connections and tips for the job interviewing process.
Time to Complete
An Associate of General Studies degree can be achieved in four semesters, or about two years.
Required Courses
AGS graduates must complete a total of 60 credit hours:
A completion guide provides the recommended path to graduation, broken out by eight-week terms. For students taking fewer classes at a time, the courses are numbered to show the overall number that will be taken.
The General Studies program teaches students important professional skills, like communication and problem-solving, while preparing them for work in several industries. Wondering if it’s the right program for you? Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you still considering your career options and want to sample various pathways?
Do you enjoy learning about a wide array of subjects?
Are you interested in a degree program that can be customized?
Are you looking for an associate degree to supplement existing work or academic experience?
Sound Like You?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, the AGS program could be for you. Take the next step to get started or speak with your local advisor to learn more.
You do not have to complete any prerequisites before enrolling in the General Studies program.
No Expiration of Credits
There is no expiration date for course credits that were earned in previous years from Ivy Tech Community College.
Transfer Credits
Courses completed at colleges other than Ivy Tech will only be considered for general education selection points if transfer credit has been awarded and courses appear on the Ivy Tech transcript prior to the application deadline.
TR grades are not recognized by the online application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that transfer credit has been awarded and that TR grades are updated to transfer letter grades (TA, TB, TC) on their Ivy Tech transcript.
It is recommended that college transcripts be submitted to the Registrar’s office for evaluation and transfer credit at least four weeks prior to the program application deadline to ensure adequate time for processing.
General Studies Courses
Descriptions of General Studies courses can be found in our online course catalog:
See when specific courses will be offered by searching our course list in Schedule Builder. First, select the semester you’re looking for and then enter the name of the course in the search bar.
If you’re a current student, upcoming courses are easy to find in Schedule Builder in MyIvy.
Course Formats
General Studies courses are offered both in person and online.
Big Dreams? Go for Honors
If you're motivated and want a more robust, personalized academic experience, consider enhancing your associate degree in General Studies by pursuing an Honors pathway. Honors courses are fully virtual with opportunities to meet and network with honors students and faculty across the state. The coursework is designed to support a student’s spirit of inquiry and intellectual growth, as well as foster multicultural awareness and leadership. View eligibility requirements
Graduating with a General Studies degree with an Honors pathway can help you stand out as a high-achieving college student, boost your resume, and help you land an acceptance letter to a top four-year college or university.
The Ivy Tech application is free and easy—you don’t need a certain test score, GPA, or class rank to get started at Ivy Tech. Applying takes about 10-15 minutes and can be completed entirely online.
No Application Deadlines
Ivy Tech does not have a deadline for admission. Our 8-week class sessions start throughout the year—in January, March, June, August, and October—and there is no hard deadline for applying for any of the start dates. It's important, though, to apply early enough that you'll be able to complete all the degree planning, financial aid, and registration activities that need to happen before your first day. We recommend you apply about one month before you intend to start classes. See upcoming start dates
Steps to Apply
(1) Apply to Ivy Tech
If you’ve never applied to Ivy Tech Community College before (or if it’s been two years since you last attended classes here), your first step is to apply to Ivy Tech. You can apply online or in person. To apply in person, reach out toyour local admissions team and arrange a meeting. Or, stop by any campus on any Tuesday for Tuesdays@TheTech to receive personal assistance with applying and registering for classes.
After you submit your application, you'll be asked to upload documentation—such as SAT/ACT/PSAT scores or high school and college transcripts—that can assess your readiness for college-level coursework and help us make sure you are taking classes that are the right fit for you. How to upload assessment documents
If you don't have your scores or transcripts at your fingertips, don’t worry. Go ahead and submit your application. You can go back to upload assessment documents at any time until the end of the term for which you applied.
(3) Look for a Confirmation Email
Once your application is processed, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address provided on your application. Typically the email will arrive within 1-2 business days of submission, but during peak processing periods (April-June) could take up to 5-10 business days.
The email will contain instructions on how to register for classes, as well as important information regarding your Ivy Tech student portal (MyIvy account), tuition, payment options, and more.
(4) Create an Account in MyIvy
MyIvy is Ivy Tech's online student portal. Students use MyIvy to check e-mail, register for classes, pay tuition, manage financial aid, get the latest news and announcements, and much more. MyIvy also contains "QuickLinks" to the Ivy Tech websites and online tools you will use most often. Learn more about MyIvy
Before you can register for classes you will need to submit documentation or complete an assessment test. Your test scores can help us determine the best English and math starting classes for you. See the Test Score Course Placement Chart
If you submitted assessment documentation during the application process, your advisor will likely be able to work with those documents to determine course placement and you won't need to take any further steps. If you don't have any of those documents or the scores don't meet minimum thresholds, don’t worry! Your advisor will direct you to complete our freeKnowledge Assessment to help develop your customized learning path to better prepare you for courses.
(6) Register for Classes
Once you have completed the steps above, you may register for classes. Ivy Tech students register for courses using the Schedule Builder tool which can be accessed withinMyIvy. If you are a new, first-time Ivy Tech student, we recommend that you meet withyour advisor who will help you develop your Academic Completion Plan and help you sign up for courses that are the best fit for you.
For a complete list of registration steps, including detailed registration steps, deadlines, and information about holds, withdrawals, waitlists, and refunds, visit our Registration 101 page.
(7) Pay Your Tuition
After registering for your courses, your bill can be viewed in yourMyIvy account > Student Dashboard- > View/Pay Balance. Payments can also be made in your MyIvy account. For complete information about payments, including payment options, payment plans, how to make immediate payments, due dates, information about refunds, and more, visit our Payments page.
Amanda M. Purcell, M.Ed. Associate Professor & Program Chair of Education, Liberal Arts, General Studies, & Student Success Acting Dean, School of Arts, Sciences, & Education (812) 537-4010 ext. 5235 apurcell15@ivytech.edu
Madison Advising Center
590 Ivy Tech Drive
Madison, IN 47250
Fax 812-265-4028
Zoom Video Calls Available by appointment only. Call 812-256-2580, ext. 4502 to make an appointment.
Advising Team Tricia Miracle 812-265-2580 ext. 4137 tmiracle2@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 812-510-3844 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Wednesdays 9:00-1:00pm & Thursdays 2:00-5:30pm Zoom Link
Lisa Kelley 812-265-2580 ext. 4163 lkelley3@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 502-414-1597 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Tuesdays 1:30pm-5pm & Thursdays 8:30am-12pm Zoom Link
Starting Oct. 28th Tuesdays: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other days by appointment from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. **Special Saturday December 7 @ 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
1 Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage estimates: Indiana.(2022). Lightcast™, lightcast.io. Occupational Overview for Indiana, 2022-2023
2 Associate degree cost is determined by tuition for an in-state, full-time student. Certificate and technical certificate costs are determined by tuition for an in-state, part-time student. Additional fees may be applied. Visit the Tuition & Fees page to learn more.
