General Education Mobile (GEM) Program
Complete Your General Education Requirements Through the Air Force and Space Force GEM Program
Thomas Edison State University is a participating institution in the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) General Education Mobile (GEM) program.
The University’s participation in the program enables Airmen and Guardians to complete up to 15 credits of their general education requirements at Thomas Edison State University that may be applied directly to a student’s Associate in Applied Science degree at CCAF or a degree at Thomas Edison State University. By earning the general education requirements in a single block of courses from one institution, students will benefit from greater continuity and be able to complete their degree more quickly. With online courses, students can continue their education without interruption, regardless of whether they go on temporary duty or deploy.
TESU undergraduate course cost for military students is $250 per credit. Undergraduate courses run in 12-week long terms.
Steps to Enroll in the GEM Program
- Develop your Education Goal Develop your Education Goal in your Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) account.
- Complete the TESU Application If you are not already a student with TESU, you must apply to the University.
If you are only taking GEM courses to complete your CCAF degree and do not wish to pursue a degree with TESU, please follow these steps:- When creating your New Student Profile, enter “Undergraduate Non-Matriculated” under the drop-down box for “Please select your Program”.
- In TESU Application, once you have entered your current military service information as “Air Force” and “Active” duty status, select “Yes” under the question: “Are you participating in the GEM (General Education Mobile) program?”.
- Complete the application. The $50 application fee is waived for all military-affiliated students. You will receive an email once your application has been processed and you have been accepted to the University.
- If you wish to pursue a degree with TESU, in addition to taking your GEM courses to complete your CCAF degree, please select your desired degree and program of study on the New Student Profile creation page and application.
- Once you receive your acceptance email from TESU via email with your student ID#, you may register for courses.
- Register for Courses Students are encouraged to confirm the courses they choose are approved by a CCAF counselor prior to registration.
After you have chosen your course(s), you will need to register for them through TESU’s Online Student Services Portal. - Apply and Submit Tuition Assistance Forms Apply for Tuition Assistance (TA) online in the AFVEC and choose TESU as your GEM Institution.
Once the TA has been approved, please submit via the TA Upload Form. - Order your Textbooks and Course Materials You can search for required textbooks for your course, and order them online through our bookstore.
TESU courses approved for GEM Program
Online courses listed below offered by Thomas Edison State University may be used to satisfy up to 15 credits of general education requirement for an Associate in Applied Science degree at the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) through the Air Force General Education Mobile (GEM) Program. Students are required to complete one course from at least one of the general education areas, depending on the requirements remaining to complete their Community College of the Air Force degree.
| CCAF General Education Requirements | Credits | TESU Online Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communications | 3 | ENC-1010 Writing for Success ENC-1020 Writing for Success II |
| Mathematics | 3 | MAT-1150 Intermediate Algebra MAT-1050 Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics MAT-1210 College Algebra MAT-1290 Precalculus |
| Social Sciences | 3 | PSY-1010 Intro. to Psychology SOC-1010 Intro. to Sociology SOC-2100 Marriage and the Family PSY-2110 Developmental Psychology HIS-1010 Western Civilization I HIS-1130 American History I POS-1100 American Government ANT-1010 Intro. to Anthropology ECO-1110 Macroeconomics GOG-2300 World Geography |
| Humanities | 3 | HUM-1010 Intro. to the Humanities I: Philosophical Thought ART-1000 A World of Art LIT-2050 American Literature I PHI-2860 Contemporary Ethics FIL-1100 Exploring American Cinema SPA-1010 Elementary Spanish I |
| Oral Communications | 3 | COM-2090 Public Speaking |