Associate in Integrated Studies

Associate in Arts Academic Transfer DTA (Integrated Studies)

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90 credits 

The AIS degree prepares students to transfer to four-year college and universities with junior standing, having fulfilled all or most general education requirements. This 90-credit degree is most often an appropriate goal for students who intend to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The Associate in Integrated Studies degree is also the degree of choice for students who intend to transfer, but who are undecided about which baccalaureate institution they will attend. It is considered a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) because the AIS degree is designed to satisfy most (if not all) of the general education requirements of most public colleges and universities in Washington State.

By virtue of this agreement, students will generally transfer with junior standing and fulfill all or most general education requirements. It is not necessary to complete a degree at Cascadia to be eligible to transfer to a baccalaureate-granting college or university, but most baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities or programs within those colleges and universities give admission preference to transfer students who have completed the two-year transfer degree. Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor about appropriate course options for each of the distribution areas below to meet the requirements of their intended transfer institution.

Completion Requirements

Associate in Integrated Studies degree (AIS) is a direct transfer degree that requires at least 90 credit hours in college level courses (numbered 100 or above), a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average, a minimum of 25 credits in residence at Cascadia, and completion of all of the requirements for this degree. Students must meet with an advisor to complete and submit an application for graduation.

Business

Students in a Business and Accounting pathway who successfully complete this degree will be able to

  • Use technology to analyze data and create reports to facilitate business decision-making.
  • Create and analyze financial statements.
  • Interpret and critique economic policies and business laws.
  • Connect topics in Area of Interest courses to real world business cases.
  • Access outside opportunities to enhance classroom learning with hands-on experience.
  • Communicate professionally and ethically in oral and in written form for business

Communication, Creative Arts and Design

Students in a Communication, Creative Arts, and Design pathway who successfully  complete this degree will be able to: 

  • Employ user-centered design to compose for distinct audiences.
  • Analyze the creative work of others.
  • Use tools or combine media to create something new.
  • Practice curiosity, empathy, and inclusion
  • Listen to and communicate with a diverse public audience.
  • Collaborate in a thoughtful composition process.
  • Persevere in ambiguity.

Health and Wellness

Students in a Health and Wellness pathway who successfully complete this degree will be able to:

  • Enhance critical thinking and problem-solving abilities using systems thinking
  • Cultivate effective interpersonal communication and teamwork skills, collaborative problem solving and
  • Evaluate lived experiences and inequities present in healthcare
  • Understand information needs and the value of information
  • Practice essential skills, e.g., mimetic thinking, lab skills, metacognitive skills, communication

Earth Sciences, Sustainability and Environmental Studies

Students in an Earth Science, Sustainability and Environmental Studies pathway who successfully complete this degree will be able to:  

  • Understand living organisms’ dependence on ecosystem functions and sustainable systems
  • Explain how sustainable systems function
  • Explain the interactions and impacts of human culture on how natural systems function
  • Analyze biological, chemical, or physical attributes of systems
  • Collect and analyze quantitative or observational data independently and collaboratively 
  • Report research to various audiences
  • Use field and other applied research methods

Social Sciences, Human Services and Education

Students in a Social Science, Human Services, & Education pathway who successfully complete this degree will be able to:

  • Apply discipline knowledge and skills to engage with diverse communities and ideas
  • Understand differences between individuals, groups, communities, and the impact on interactions
  • Apply discipline knowledge and skill to lives, organizations, or communities
  • Use discipline knowledge or published research to critically evaluate claims or draw conclusions
  • Convey discipline knowledge using oral or written communication skills

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Students in a STEM pathway who successfully complete this degree will be able to:

  • Demonstrate proficiency with tools such as software or equipment appropriate to the STEM field
  • Engage in the analytical process, by making observations, designing, implementing, and evaluating the approach
  • Demonstrate proficiency with interpreting data and drawing evidence-based conclusions. 
  • Communicate complex ideas using written, verbal, and visual methods appropriate for a given audience
  • Recognize the responsibility to positively impact both local and global societies through sustainable and ethical practices.

General Education Core Courses

Foundations for College Success

Must be completed within the first 30 credits.

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
Sub-Total Credits
55
0
0
5

Communication

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
Sub-Total Credits
110
0
0
10

Quantitative or Symbolic Reasoning

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
Sub-Total Credits
55
0
0
5

Equity, Diversity, and Power Requirement

Students must complete a 150-series EDP course and at least one more additional EDP-designated course-- totaling ten (10) credits-- to meet the Equity, Diversity, and Power completion requirement. EDP courses in the 150-series ground students in the needed cognitive tools and background to critically analyze their position in our increasingly interconnected, complex, and diverse world so they can pursue further study and seek out their careers more intentionally. EDP designated courses may also apply toward Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, or General Elective distribution requirements as indicated. See the Cascadia catalog for the complete list of EDP-designated courses.

Integrated Learning Requirement

Students must include an Integrated Learning Experience in their course selections. This requirement can be satisfied through the completion of learning communities, linked classes, classes containing formal community-based learning, classes taken as part of an academic study abroad program, or classes with an academic internship. Through learning communities (LC) or other Integrated Learning Experiences (IL), students demonstrate their ability to integrate skills, concepts, information, and analytical and methodological frameworks from two or more areas of inquiry in a purposeful project or experience.

Humanities Distribution Requirement

Students must complete courses from at least two different disciplines. No more than five credits may be included from those courses designated HP as performance/skills, applied theory, or lecture/studio courses. Only 5 credits of a world language or ASL at the 100 level may be included. CMST 150, GS 150, HIST 150, or HUMAN 150 may be used to fulfill 5 credits of the Humanities Distribution requirement.

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
Sub-Total Credits
165
0
0
15

Social Sciences Distribution Requirement

Students must complete courses from at least two different disciplines. GS 150, HIST 150, or SOC 150 may be used to fulfill 5 credits of the Social Sciences Distribution requirement.

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
55.00
0.0
0.00
5
Sub-Total Credits
165
0
0
15

Natural Sciences Distribution Requirement

Students must complete courses from at least two different disciplines and include at least five credits of a lab course (LAB). 10 credits required in physical, earth, and/or biological sciences.

Course Code
Name
Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
Other Hours
Credits
Variable
Variable
0.00
5
Variable
Variable
0.00
10
Sub-Total Credits
0
0
0
15

Program Required Elective Credits

Students must complete sufficient elective credits in college level courses (numbered 100 or above) to bring the total credits for the AIS degree to 90. These credits may be selected from any combination of the distribution course lists. No more than 10 credits may be included from Restricted Electives List.

Sub-Total Credits
25
Total Credits
90

Pathways