Arts, Sciences, & Education
Purpose & Philosophy
The Division of Arts, Sciences, and Education (ASE) at OTC offers the Associate of Arts and three tracks of the Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees. ASE also offers transfer-to-degree classes that allow students to earn credit toward a four-year degree. In addition, the division provides the general education component of the technical programs. Finally, ASE offers a basic skills program for students needing work at the pre-college level.
The College has established its general education program and courses in conjunction with the following philosophy that was adopted by the OTC faculty.
Ouachita Technical College prepares students with the general and technical education necessary for successful careers or for further higher education. General education is recognized as the area that is common to all fields of study and imparts the knowledge, concepts, and attitudes that every educated person should have. Since general education is a driving force of this institution, the College is dedicated to emphasizing general education skills across the curriculum.
Arkansas Course Transfer System
The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) contains information about the transferability of courses within Arkansas public colleges and universities. Students are guaranteed the transfer of applicable credits and the equitable treatment in the application of credits for the admissions and degree requirements. Course transferability is not guaranteed for listed in the ACTS as “No Comparable Course.” Additionally, courses with a “D” frequently do not transfer and institutional policies may vary. ACTS may be accessed on the Internet by going to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education website and selecting Course Transfer (http://adhe.edu).
Transfer Information
Many students plan to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree at a senior college or university. In most cases, OTC students who complete the Associate of Arts or Associate of Arts in Teaching degree requirements with a grade of “C” or better should readily transfer 60-62 credit hours to most public four-year college or university in Arkansas. However, students planning to transfer to a four-year institution should provide their advisor with a degree plan from the senior institution they plan to attend as curriculum requirements differ at each college.Students planning to transfer individual courses must have completed each course with a grade of “C” or better. Most colleges and universities require a minimum 2.0 GPA for admission; however, a higher GPA may be required for specific programs within the colleges and universities. In addition, OTC requires degree-seeking students with 45 or more credit hours to participate in the Arkansas Assessment of General Education by taking the CAAP exam.