What is an Associate Degree and what is required to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree?

An associate degree is a type of undergraduate degree requiring a minimum of 60 semester credits/units (for our purposes the terms credits and units are used interchangeably). The traditional AA/AS Degree program consists of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives.

Associate degrees are awarded by community, junior or technical colleges indicating that you have completed a program of study with a broad base in general education and a concentration in a specific area. Your degree may be in an occupational area such as Accounting or in Liberal Arts & Sciences with a concentration such as Science & Mathematics

Graduation Requirements:

Math— The student may satisfy the graduation requirement in mathematics in any one of the following four ways:
 1. Achieving a satisfactory score on the algebra placement   examination. The student may retake the test one time, no   earlier than three months from the original test date, if   she/he did not make a satisfactory score on the first date.   (Note: The student is advised to retake the test before the  last semester before graduation.)
 2. Completing with a grade of C or higher MATH 840, or ET  108B/CDEV 108B, or ET 50, or PSYC 5, or ECON 5, or   PHIL 12A.  MATH 850, MATH 855, MATH 860 and higher  level  mathematics courses also satisfy this requirement.
 3. Completing at an accredited college with a grade of C or   higher any mathematics course equivalent to MATH 840, or equivalent to a higher level CCSF mathematics course.
 4. Achieving a sufficient SAT or ACT score.

 

English— The current minimum graduation requirement for written composition is completion of English 96  with a grade of C or better. It is advisable for students considering transfer to a university to complete English 1A and 1B or 1C depending on the institution and the major intended (see ASSIST or your counselor for additional information).

English as a Second Language (ESL)— For ESL students to meet the minimum graduation requirement for written composition, they must complete ESL 170 with a grade of C or better.

Note: Students with Rights to an earlier catalog may be able to use lower-level courses to meet these requirements. For more information, see your counselor.

Area A-H from the CCSF Associate Degree Requirements worksheet. In addition to English and Math, a student must also complete a series of General Education (GE) Requirements. These requirements are listed as Areas A-H.

Area A—

Communication &Analytical Thinking (3 units)

Area B—

English composition Requirement (see above)

Area C—

Natural Science (3units)

Area D—

Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units)

Area E—

Humanities (3 units)

Area F—

United States History and Government (3 units)

Area G—

Physical Skills & Knowledge (1-3 units) NOTE: Area G is split into two parts; students must complete one course from Area G1 and one course from Area G2. It is also important to note that students may waive Area G upon successful completion of a competency examination (see department Chair - Cloud Hall-363)

Area H—

Ethnic Studies (H1), or Women's Studies (H2), or Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Studies (H3)-(3 units) NOTE: A course used to meet the Area H requirement can also be used to satisfy another area. Area H is the only section of the GE worksheet in which one class can be used to meet two area requirements.

For a complete listing of courses which satisfy these requirements, please visit- Catalog General Education Requirements

Units/Residency— To satisfy the Unit Residency requirement for CCSF a student must complete a minimum of 45 units at CCSF or complete their last 12 units at CCSF.

GPA-To satisfy the GPA requirement, a student must have a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all degree-applicable course work at the time of graduation.

Major: Effective with the 2008-2009 catalog, students petitioning to graduate must declare a major unless they have Rights to an earlier catalog. For more information, please meet with your counselor or visit- Catalog Associate Degree Requirements Overview

 

Petitioning for an Associates Degree

Guidelines are as follows: 

  • Discuss the curriculum requirements with your counselor to ensure that   all requirements are met and to receive their signature on your petition at the beginning of your final semester at CCSF. 
  • Submit your petition before the deadline indicated in the current College Catalog or Schedule of Classes. 
  • Please be aware that an official transcript, not a diploma, is the legal document to be presented as proof of graduation, if needed.