Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.) - Transfer

SCF offers one Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. A total of 36 credits is required in the general education area and a minimum of 24 credits is required in the elective area.

Associate in Arts [1058] This curriculum classification is for students who, upon graduation from SCF, transfer to a public or private college/university to earn a bachelor’s degree in a specific area of study. Many areas of study are available at Florida public and selected private colleges/universities for which students may prepare while completing the A.A. degree at SCF. Academic advisors are available to assist with program planning so that the proper academic program prerequisites are taken before successful transfer to the university/college from SCF.

Undecided [1052] This curriculum classification is for students who are undecided about their career and/or university/college major. Advisors will ensure that students are provided a broad academic background and the opportunity to focus on a wide array of academic and/or career goals.

Programs Paralleling State University Lower Division 

SCF offers areas of study leading to the A.A. degree. Usually referred to as the university parallel or transfer degree, it is designed for students who plan to complete the equivalent of their first two years of college work at SCF and then transfer to a senior institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree. 

The bachelor’s degree, offered by four-year colleges (including SCF) and universities, is defined by a total minimum of 120 term credits: 60 credits at the lower division plus 60 credits at the upper division. At the lower division, students enroll in general education courses and courses to prepare for the major. At the upper division, students declare the major and enroll in specific courses that constitute the major. The A.A. degree is parallel to the first 60 credits of the lower division. 

The A.A. degree includes a minimum of 36 credits of general education requirements in the areas of communications, mathematics, social science, humanities and natural science. An additional 24 credits are required in course work to prepare students for their majors at the upper division of a university or four-year college. Included in the A.A. degree of 60 credits is the requirement that students complete SCF’s international/intercultural requirement and Gordon Rule writing and mathematics requirements. Students who do not complete all the international/intercultural and the Gordon Rule courses within the 60 credits must complete additional courses to fulfill A.A. degree requirements. No substitution of courses can be made without approval of the appropriate administrator(s). 

Students who complete the A.A. degree and are planning to transfer to a state-assisted senior institution have transfer guarantees based on the State Articulation Agreement (SBE Rule 6A-10.024, FAC). General education requirements are considered met when SCF awards the A.A. degree, and no further general education courses will be required by state universities. When students include the state prerequisites for university majors within the A.A. degree, they are guaranteed successful transfer within Florida’s State University System, except to majors that have selective admissions or limited access. 

Students attending on a part-time basis will require more than two years to complete the 60 A.A. credits. Developmental (D) credits and courses carrying only Associate in Science (A.S.) credits cannot be applied to the A.A. degree. 

Students who place into one or more developmental courses are strongly encouraged to enroll in SLS 1101 Strategies for College Success (three credits) before completion of the first 15 degree-term credits. 

For information about SCF bachelor’s degree programs, visit SCF.edu/Bachelors. 

Helpful Web Links

Florida’s State Universities

	Florida A & M University	famu.edu
	Florida Atlantic University	fau.edu
	Florida Gulf Coast University	fgcu.edu
	Florida International University	fiu.edu
	Florida Polytechnical University	floridapolytechnic.org
	Florida State University	fsu.edu
	New College of Florida	ncf.edu
	University of Central Florida	ucf.edu
	University of Florida	ufl.edu
	University of North Florida	unf.edu
	University of South Florida	usf.edu
	University of West Florida	uwf.edu

Other Popular Transfer Colleges and Universities

	Barry University	barry.edu
	Charter Oak College	cosc.edu
	Eckerd College	eckerd.edu
	Everglades University	evergladesuniversity.edu
	Goshen College	goshen.edu
	Hodges University	hodges.edu
	Lynn University	lynn.edu
	National Louis University	nl.edu
	St. Leo University	saintleo.edu
	St. Petersburg College	spcollege.edu
	University of Tampa	ut.edu

Helpful transfer sites

collegesource.com

college source information

collegeview.com

college search service

flvc.org

guidance assistance tool

mycollegeguide.org

provides college and scholarship search

universities.com

links to more than 7,500 colleges

usnews.com

provides a college search and comparison tool

yahoo.com

links to colleges, departments and student clubs

Postsecondary Civics Literacy

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2018-19 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. Prior to the award of an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree, first-time-in-college students entering a Florida College System institution in the 2018-19 school year, and thereafter must demonstrate competency in civic literacy through one of the following options prior to graduation:

(1) Successfully passing either POSX041 American Government or AMHX020 Introductory Survey Since 1877. Each of the courses must include the following competencies:

(a) Understanding of the basic principles and practices of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government;

(b) An understanding of the United States Constitution and its application;

(c) Knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-government; and

(d) An understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases, landmark legislation and landmark executive actions and their impact on law and society.

(2) Achieving the standard score on one of the following assessments:

Assessment                                                                             Standard Score

AP Government and Politics: United States                                      3

AP United States History                                                                   4

CLEP: American Government                                                          50

Prerequisites for State University Majors 

Students working toward an A.A. degree are encouraged to include their university premajor requirements within the A.A. The state universities in Florida offer more than 500 majors. To maximize transferability to a specific university major, students are advised to choose an area of study as early as possible while attending SCF. Students who have not met the universities’ foreign language requirement in high school (two years of the same foreign language) should include eight credits of foreign language within the A.A. degree. 

Students need to take responsibility for determining the core prerequisites of the institution to which they plan to transfer as some university requirements may vary. 

Students who are undecided about the area of study are urged to work closely with student development advisors and the CRC. Many careers require degrees in specific majors, and setting career goals can clarify the educational path for many students.

The state’s articulation coordinating council has helped to identify and publish state prerequisites for each major. Common prerequisite listings of university majors are used by student development advisors and students in developing individual program plans. These listings are available from Florida Virtual Campus, flvcc.org. 

In addition to the articulation agreement between Florida community and state colleges and state universities, SCF has developed transfer agreements with private colleges and universities to assist SCF graduates with smooth, seamless transfers to the upper divisions of these institutions. Students are urged to work with SCF student development advisors to identify and select appropriate transfer colleges. 

As SCF is a regionally accredited institution, SCF credits transfer successfully to other accredited colleges. However, students considering transfer to private institutions or to out-of-state institutions that do not have agreements with SCF should be aware that requirements vary at private colleges and out-of-state universities. Students should contact the transferring institution for guidance in selecting courses that will provide the needed preparation for the chosen majors. 

Below are programs that identify the state university majors for which students may prepare while completing the A.A. degree. The information is used by student development advisors and students in program planning so that the proper university prerequisites are completed before transferring. Advising assistance is available at SCF and online through Florida Virtual Campus, but students are responsible for determining not only the common prerequisites for a university major but also any additional university-specific requirements and deadlines.

 

Accounting

Advertising

African-American Studies

Anthropology

Art - General

Art History and Appreciation

Art - Studio/Fine Art

Astronomy/Atmosphere Science/Meteorology

Biology/Ecology/Clinical Chemistry/Biomedical Science/Pre-Medical Studies

Marine Biology/Plant Pathology

Business Administration and Management/Business/Business Managerial Economics/Finance/Hospitality Management

Chemistry

Chemistry Science

Civil Technology

Community Health

Computer and Information Engineering

Computer and Information Science

Criminal Justice Studies

Dietetics/Nutritional Services

Dramatic Arts (Theatre)

Economics - Business

 

EDUCATION MAJOR REQUIRED COURSES

(It is strongly advised that all education majors see an SCF academic advisor for appropriate course selection.)

Education - Art

Education - Biology - Secondary

Education - Chemistry - Secondary

Education - Drama

Education - Earth/Space - Secondary

Education - English

Education - Foreign Language

Education - Health

Education - Home Economics Teacher

Education - Mathematics - Secondary

Education - Music

Education - Physical Education/Teacher/Coaching

Education - Physics - Secondary

Education - Science - Middle School

Education - Social Sciences

Education - Special/Elementary/Pre-Elementary/Early Childhood

Education -Trade and Industrial - Vocational Industrial/Occupational Specialist Training/Technical Education

Electrical/Electronics Engineering

Engineering

English - General/Literature

Forensic Science

French

Geography

German

Health Administration

Health Information Management

Health Professions Administration

History

Human Services

Humanities

Independent Studies

Information Sciences and Systems

Journalism

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Magazine Production

Mass Communications

Mathematics/Statistics

Microbiology

Motion Picture & TV/Recording Art/TV Technology

Music General/Performance/Composition/

Theory/Jazz Studies/History and Appreciation

Nutrition and Dietetics

Paralegal/Legal Assisting

Pharmacy

Philosophy

Philosophy and Religion

Photography

Physics

Political Science and Government

Psychology - General

Public Administration

Radio and TV Broadcasting

Radiologic Technology

Rehabilitative Services

Religious Studies

Rhetorical Speech and Communication

Social Sciences - General

Social Work - General

Spanish 

Associate in Arts Degree Requirements Summary

1. Satisfactory completion, with a grade of C or better, on all requirements for the A.A. degree.
2. Satisfactory completion of at least six term credits of International/Intercultural education.
3. Satisfactory completion of all courses necessary to meet the requirement of the Gordon Rule (SBE Rule 6A-10.030).
4. Satisfactory completion of at least 60 A.A. term credits of academic work exclusive of developmental courses and courses applicable only to an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree.
5. Associate of Arts Foreign Language Requirement: Pursuant to s. 1007.25, F.S., and Rule 6A-10.02412, students who first enroll in the fall 2014 term or later must demonstrate foreign language competency as specified in s. 1007.262, F.S. All modern and classical languages can be used to demonstrate competency as well as American Sign Language (ASL). This includes, but is not limited to, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Languages not in this list may be considered and approved by the chair of the Language and Literature department. Students may meet this requirement by demonstrating competency via five options: 1) successful completion of two years (four semesters) of the same foreign language officially documented on a high school transcript; or 2) successful completion (grade C or better) of two semesters of the same foreign language at a college or university officially documented on a college/university transcript; or 3) one year of high school foreign language plus one semester of the next level of the same foreign language on the college/university level as documented on official high school and college/university transcript; or 4) education completed outside the United States as documented on an official foreign high school transcript that reflects a primary language other than English; or 5) successful completion of two foreign language equivalents through Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), UEXCEL exam, or the Language Testing International (LTI) exam. One or more of these exams can be in combination with successful completion of college/university credit in the same foreign language subject area. Official transcripts from a high school, college and/or university and/or official examination results must be submitted to the Educational Records office.

 Associate in Arts Degree General Education Requirements

General education is the curricular component common to all degree programs. The purpose of the general education requirements is to develop and integrate the student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences so that the student can engage effectively in a lifelong process of inquiry and decision-making. The knowledge and academic experience gained from general education courses are designed to prepare students with the 21st century skills necessary to be productive, involved and contributing citizens. The following are the specific areas addressed by the general education core:

Area of Communication:

• Communication Skills: Students demonstrate reading comprehension, effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills, including teamwork.
• Information Literacy Skills: Students access, evaluate and use information sources in an ethical manner for research and problem solving, and demonstrate the ability to retrieve and manage information using digital technology.

 Area of Humanities:

• Cultural Literacy Skills: Students exhibit an understanding of cultural and aesthetic expressions through humanities, literature, the arts and/or philosophical world views in historical and contemporary contexts.   
• Community Skills: Students discuss important issues and the interconnected nature of diverse and or international people/societies.

Area of Mathematics:

• Quantitative Reasoning Skills: Students apply mathematical reasoning to analyze mathematical models and use the results to solve real world problems.
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Students apply critical thinking and problem solving skills across the curriculum.

 Area of Natural Sciences:

• Scientific Reasoning Skills: Students apply scientific methods of reasoning to analyze and interpret data and use the results to solve real world problems.    
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Students apply critical thinking and problem solving skills across the curriculum.

    Area of Social Sciences:

•  Social Sciences Skills: Students will demonstrate the ability to examine behavioral, social and cultural issues from a variety of points of view. Students will demonstrate and understanding of basic social and behavioral science concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavioral, social and cultural issues, past and present, local and global.