General Requirements for the Associate in Arts (AA) Degree

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The Associate in Arts Degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a senior institution to complete a program of study in a liberal arts area. The outline below provides the general guidelines from Board Policy and is used by the college to design specific degree programs. A student pursuing this degree program should be aware that certain variations may exist for Areas I, II, III, and IV depending on the student’s Area V concentration. A student pursuing an AA degree must follow the specific requirements for the program as outlined in the catalog.

Area I: Written Composition 6 Credit Hours
Area II: Humanities and Fine Arts 12 Credit Hours
  • Must complete at least three semester hours in Literature.*
  • Must complete at least three semester hours in the Arts.

The remaining semester hours are to be selected from Humanities and/ or Fine Arts. Humanities and Arts disciplines include but are not limited to: Area/Ethnic Studies, Art and Art History, Foreign Languages, Music and Music History, Philosophy, Ethics, Religious Studies, Theater and Dance.

Area III: Natural Science and Mathematics

 11 Credit Hours
  • Must complete at least three semester hours in Mathematics at the Pre-Calculus Algebra or Finite Math level or higher.

Must complete at least eight semester hours in the Natural Sciences which must include laboratory experiences. Disciplines in the Natural Sciences include: Astronomy, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geology, Physical Geography, Earth Science, Physics, and Physical Science.

Area IV: History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences

12 Credit Hours
  • Must complete at least three semester hours in History.*
  • Must complete at least six semester hours in other disciplines in the Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Social and Behavioral Sciences include, but are not limited to: Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Area I-IV: General Education Requirements

4l Credit Hours

Area V: Pre-Professional, Pre-Major, and Elective Courses

**19-23 Credit Hours
  • Courses appropriate to the degree requirements and major of the individual student and electives.

Students completing courses that have been approved for transfer by the AGSC and are appropriate to their major and/or degree program may transfer these courses with credit applicable to their degree program among two-year and four-year colleges and universities
Total Hours Required **60-64 Credit Hours

*Must complete a six-semester-hour sequence either in Literature or in History. The sequences in Area II and IV in Literature and History need to follow the sequence requirements according to the student’s major and transfer plans.

**Respective programs of study for baccalaureate degrees at Alabama public and private universities range from 120 to 128 semester credit hours in length. Colleges are only authorized to provide 50 percent of that total (60-64, depending on the total hours allocated for the bachelor’s degree).