This General Studies certificate from Tompkins Cortland Community College is designed for students who intend to pursue a bachelor's degree, but are unsure about their career and transfer plans.

The program aims to develop students' college-level communication and critical-thinking skills, present a broad understanding of the liberal arts and sciences to heighten global awareness, provide opportunities for the student to develop creative capacities, and to allow for the exploration of education and career options. 

In the first semester, all Exploratory Studies Sequence majors complete FSS 131 Self and World. This course is designed to introduce students to the intellectual, social, and practical aspect of college life. Working within a diverse community of learners, students will explore how their lives shape and are shaped by the complex world in which they live.