Degrees
The College is authorized to offer four types of associate degrees, each requiring a minimum of 60 semester credit hours, and three types of baccalaureate degrees, each requiring a minimum of 120 semester credit hours as follows:
Associate in Applied Science – A.A.S.
This degree, intended to be used primarily for occupationally oriented curricula, may at times be appropriate as a transfer degree to certain types of specialized baccalaureate programs such as Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Engineering, or Bachelor of Engineering Technology.
The course of study will be an organized curriculum with a minimum of 20 semester credit hours drawn from the liberal arts and sciences areas comprising of work distributed in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. The 20 semester credit hours will be distributed with balance among the three major areas. Not less than 30 semester credit hours will be concentrated in an area appropriate for employment at a sub-professional or middle-management level in a recognized group of occupational fields.
Associate in Science – A.S.
This degree may be used for certain occupationally oriented curricula but is primarily designed to serve science- or professionally-related programs which lead to transfer to a baccalaureate degree program.
The course of study leading to this degree should be an organized curriculum composed of courses in the liberal arts and sciences. At least 30 semester credit hours will be offered in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. The exact balance within these 30 semester credit hours is not specific, but there must be a reasonable distribution of work in the three categories as well as appropriate depth in one.
Associate in Arts – A.A.
This degree will be used primarily for transfer programs which lead to a baccalaureate degree program.
The course of study leading to this degree will be an organized curriculum composed primarily of courses in the liberal arts and sciences. At a minimum, there will be 48 semester credit hours taken in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. The exact balance within the 48 semester credit hours among these three major fields is not specified, but there must be a reasonable distribution of work among these three categories as well as depth in one.
Associate in Occupational Studies – A.O.S.
The course of study leading to this degree should be an organized curriculum of post-secondary level education leading to occupational competence. The program requires two academic years (or a minimum of 60 semester credit hours) for completion and may consist solely of course work in the specialized area and related work thereto. General education may be optionally included but will not be considered to contribute toward program registration. Such programs should have a distinct identity of their own, independent of courses of study leading to the Associate in Applied Science degree.
Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech.)
This degree is intended to prepare students for careers in a variety of professions and serves both freshmen and transfers from the Associate in Applied Science degree programs.
The course of study leading to this degree will be an organized curriculum leading to a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, 30 of which must be in the liberal arts and sciences. Upper division courses must comprise of 45 semester credit hours, 24 of which must be taken within the major.
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
This degree is intended to prepare students for careers in a variety of professions and serves both freshmen and transfers from the Associate in Applied Science degree programs.
The course of study leading to this degree will be an organized curriculum leading to a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, 30 of which must be in the liberal arts and sciences. Upper division courses must comprise of 45 semester credit hours, 24 of which must be taken within the major.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
The course of study leading to this degree will be an organized curriculum leading to a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, 60 of which must be in the liberal arts and sciences. Upper division courses must comprise of 45 semester credit hours, 24 of which must be taken within the major.