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What is the Associate in Arts Degree Program Curriculum?

To earn an Associate in Arts (AA) degree you must complete a planned program of study that comprises a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 65 semester hours of college transfer courses and emphasizes competencies in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical skills, and basic computer use.

If you complete this program with a grade of “C” or better in each course and an overall GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, you will, upon admission to a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina, receive at least 64 hours of academic credit at that university.

The AA program comprises the general education core plus a minimum of 20 semester hours' credit of college transfer general education, elective, and/or pre-major courses.

The general education core of the AA program includes 44 semester hours' study in the areas of English composition, humanities and fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics:

  • English Composition—6 semester hours' credit
  • Humanities/Fine Arts—12 semester hours' credit comprising four courses—at least one of which must be a literature course—from at least three of the following discipline areas: music, art, drama, dance, foreign languages, interdisciplinary humanities, literature, philosophy, and religion. (Three semester hours' credit in Speech/Communication may be substituted for 3 semester hours' credit in Humanities/Fine Arts.)
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences—12 semester hours' credit comprising four courses—at least one of which must be a history course—from at least three of the following discipline areas: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
  • Natural Sciences—8 semester hours' credit comprising two courses, including accompanying laboratory work, from the biological and physical science disciplines.
  • Mathematics—6 semester hours' credit comprising two courses, one in introductory mathematics and one from among other quantitative subjects such as computer science and statistics.

Note:

Students also must meet the foreign language and/or health and physical education requirements, if applicable, prior to or after transfer to the senior institution.

The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the North Carolina Community College System and The University of North Carolina ensures transfer of 64 semester hours credit to students who earn AA degrees. One additional hour may be included in a student's AA degree program but transfer of this 65th hour is not ensured.

View the North Carolina Community College System Associate in Arts Curriculum Standard.