An Associate of Arts (AA) degree is an undergraduate credential typically earned after two years of study at a community college or university. This degree provides students with a foundational education rooted in the liberal arts and humanities. Understanding the standard requirements for this degree, particularly the number of credits needed for completion, is the first step in planning an academic path. This article clarifies the typical credit requirements and details how those credits are structured within the degree program.
Understanding the Associate of Arts Degree
The Associate of Arts degree is a two-year undergraduate program designed to offer a broad background in subjects like the social sciences, humanities, and communication. It serves as an academic foundation, emphasizing critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and technological literacy. The AA is highly focused on preparatory coursework for further study.
The primary function of the AA degree is to serve as a transfer pathway into a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Students who earn an AA degree can transfer their credits to a four-year institution and begin their bachelor’s program with the first two years of coursework completed. This allows students to enter the university as a junior, streamlining their progression toward a baccalaureate degree.
The Standard Credit Requirement
The generally accepted minimum requirement for an Associate of Arts degree is 60 semester credit hours. This standard is upheld across various institutions and is equivalent to approximately 20 courses, as most college courses carry three credit hours. For institutions operating on a quarter system, this requirement translates to about 90 quarter credit hours.
While 60 credits represents the baseline, the exact number can vary slightly depending on state regulations or the awarding institution. Some programs may require a total of 62, 64, or 65 semester credit hours to meet institutional and program-specific mandates. This range reflects differences in the structure of general education or specialized course requirements.
A full-time student typically enrolls in 12 to 15 credit hours per semester. The 60-credit degree is designed to be completed in four full-time semesters over two academic years. Completing the AA degree within this timeframe satisfies the lower-division requirements common in a four-year bachelor’s degree program.
Structuring the Credit Load
The total number of credits required for the AA degree is organized into three categories of coursework. These categories ensure the student receives a broad liberal arts background while preparing them for upper-division study at a university. The largest portion of the degree is dedicated to the General Education requirements, also known as the core curriculum.
General Education courses develop foundational skills in areas such as communication, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences. These requirements typically account for about half of the total degree, often falling in the range of 30 to 40 semester credit hours. A common breakdown allocates 30 to 36 credits to the general education component.
The remaining credits are divided between courses specific to a student’s area of focus and elective courses. In a 60-credit program, this leaves around 20 to 30 credit hours for these final two categories. These credits are chosen to align with the intended major at the transfer institution, ensuring maximum applicability when the student moves on to a bachelor’s program.