Degrees, Diplomas & Certificates Offered
Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.)
The Associate in Arts degree is intended for those students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university to seek a Bachelors degree. The A.A. degree requires a minimum of 64 credits of college-level courses. At least 40 of these credits must be chosen from the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum and completed with a minimum 2.0 GPA (please refer to the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum section of the catalog for the specific breakdown of requirements). The other 24 credits may be comprised of any other courses, although a maximum of 16 credits may be chosen from occupational or technical courses. Requirements may vary for out-of-state institutions. Students should always check with their advisor or a counselor if there is any question about transferability of courses.
Associate in Science (A.S.)
The Associate in Science degree is awarded for the completion of a two-year occupational or technical program. It is designed for those students desiring employment at the paraprofessional level. Much of the course work may be transferable should you decide to continue your education at a later time; however, additional general education courses may be needed. This degree requires a minimum of 64 credits. At least 30 of these credits must be chosen from six areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. The balance of credits (34) would be comprised of courses in the student’s area of specialization.
Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.)
The Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded for successfully completing a program primarily intended to prepare a student for employment. An AAS degree is designed to transfer to a related baccalaureate major. The degree is awarded after the successful completion of a program of 60 to 72 semester credits and shall include a minimum of 25 percent of the total semester credits in Liberal Arts. Liberal Arts courses shall be selected from at least three of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
Diploma
A Diploma of occupational proficiency is awarded for successful completion of a program intended to provide students with either entry-level employment skills or upgraded employment skills in occupational/technical areas. Diploma programs should require 31-72 credits. These credits are not meant for transfer although some credit may be awarded depending on where you transfer.
Certificate
A Certificate of completion is awarded for successful completion of a specialized program of study. A certificate shall include 10 to 30 semester hours of credit.
