Associate of Arts (AA) Degree Requirements
The Associate of Arts (AA) degree is a general transfer degree that indicates a student has completed a course of study equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. This degree is not specific to any major or minor area of study.
An Associate of Arts degree from FVCC prepares students to transfer to any Montana University System school with the guarantee that the lower division general education core at the transfer school is complete.
To earn an AA degree, students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Completion of 60 semester credits in courses numbered 100 and above. A single course cannot satisfy more than one general education core or graduation requirement.
- Completion of a general education core curriculum (30 credits).
- Completion of the designated additional degree requirements: 3 semester credits of Fine Arts (F) and 3 semester credits of either Communications (C), Humanities (H), Social Sciences (A or B), or Writing (W).
- Final cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above. A grade of “C-” or better is required in all courses other than electives unless otherwise stated.
- At least 20 semester credits earned at FVCC.
- A limit of 15 semester credits graded “S” may count toward the associate degree, excluding AP or IB credits. Transfer students should check with the transfer institution regarding the acceptance of “S” grades.
To earn both the AA and the AS degree, requirements must be met for each degree plus completion of a minimum of 75 semester credits in courses numbered 100 and above. A single course cannot satisfy more than one general education core or graduation requirement.
| General Education Core Requirements* | Minimum Credits | Number of Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Communications (C) | 3 | 1 C |
| Humanities (H) | 3 | 1 H |
| Fine Arts (F) or Humanities (H) | 3 | 1 F or 1 H |
| Global Issues (G) | 3 | 1 G |
| Mathematics (M) | 3 | 1 M |
| Natural Science (NL) | 3 | 1 NL |
| Natural Science (N) or Natural Science (NL) | 3 | 1 N or 1 NL |
| Social Sciences (A) | 3 | 1 A |
| Social Sciences (B) | 3 | 1 B |
| Writing (W) | 3 | 1 W |
| TOTAL | 30 | |
| Additional Degree Requirements | ||
| Fine Arts (F) | 3 | 1 F |
| Communications (C) or Humanities (H) or Social Science (A) or Social Science (B) or Writing (W) | 3 | 1 A, B, C, H, or W course |
| TOTAL | 6 | |
| Electives | ||
| Courses chosen in specific subjects to prepare for transfer | 24 | |
| TOTAL DEGREE CREDITS | 60 |
*Refer to the General Education Core Curriculum for a complete list of courses meeting these requirements.