Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Information Studies and eSociety

Details

Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Information Studies and eSociety (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8131
Effective Term
Fall 2025

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS150 Social Media, Society, and Ourselves Critical course Gateway course SCB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. QNR 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS210 Digital Information and Access in a Global Society G, SB, SCB 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC 3
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS201 Information in a Post-Truth World L, SB, SCB 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Elective General Elective 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS213 Hacking and Open Source Culture H, SB, SCB 3
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
Elective General Elective 0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS150 Social Media, Society, and Ourselves Critical course Gateway course SCB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. QNR 3–6

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS210 Digital Information and Access in a Global Society G, SB, SCB 3
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS201 Information in a Post-Truth World L, SB, SCB 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IFS213 Hacking and Open Source Culture H, SB, SCB 3
Elective General Elective 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Elective General Elective 0–3

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Recommended:
COM263 Elements of Intercultural Communication
MKT110 Marketing and Social Networking
+ MCO120 Media and Society
POS210 Political Ideologies
PSY132 Psychology and Culture
PSY230 Introduction to Statistics
SOC241 Race and Ethnic Relations

Students may be required to complete a language course at the elementary or intermediate level or demonstrate proficiency through this level as indicated by assessment. Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.