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What is the Associate in Science Degree Program Curriculum?

To earn an Associate in Science (AS) 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 AS program comprises the general education core plus a minimum of 20 semester hours' additional credit, at least 14 of these additional hours must be earned in college transfer mathematics, natural sciences, or computer science courses.  The remainder may be selected from general education, pre-major, or elective courses.

The general education core of the AS 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 comprising two courses, Expository Writing plus one of the following three courses:  Argument-Based Research, Literature- Based Research, Professional Research and Reporting.
  • Humanities/Fine Arts—9 semester hours' credit comprising three courses—one of which must be a literature course—from at least three of the following disciplines: art, drama, dance, foreign languages, interdisciplinary humanities, music, 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—9 semester hours' credit comprising three courses—one of which must be a history course—from at least three of the following discipline areas: anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology.
  • Natural Sciences—8 semester hours credit comprising a minimum two-course sequence from the following courses: General Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, College Physics I and II, General Physics I and II.
  • Mathematics—12 semester hours' credit comprising one course in mathematics at the precalculus algebra level or above, one course at either the higher mathematics level or from other quantitative subject areas such as computer science and statistics, and six semester hours' credit from courses designated as Natural Sciences/Mathematics general education transfer courses.

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 AS degrees.  One additional hour may be included in a student's AS degree program but transfer of this 65th hour is not ensured. 

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