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THE ASSOCIATE IN ARTS DEGREEhumanities montage 

University Transfer Program 

The associate in arts (AA) degree is designed primarily to meet the requirements for a student to transfer to the upper division level of a college or university to continue to work toward a bachelor’s degree.  The coursework offered at Hillsborough Community College is taught by credentialed faculty and is equivalent in terms of rigor and learning outcomes to the freshman and sophomore coursework offered at public universities in the State of Florida.  Also, because classes are relatively small, students have greater access to faculty.

Students should be aware of the specific requirements for the AA degree imposed by state regulations and law.  For example, general education and elective credit requirements integrate requirements established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Florida’s Gordon Rule. 

Meeting graduation requirements for an AA degree from a Florida community college is not synonymous with meeting the specific course requirements to enter a specific program at a state university or private college belonging to the Independent Colleges of Florida. 

Students may pursue any combination of university transfer programs, but only one AA degree will be awarded.  Any transferrable course may be included and used as an AA elective, unless program restrictions apply.  

HCC prepares students for hundreds of possible transfer majors, each of which has a distinct listing of common prerequisite courses designated by the Florida University System. To ensure accuracy in selecting courses, students should refer to the student advising guides available online or in the counseling and advising offices. The following emphases represent examples of the majors students may pursue upon transferring to a university including, but not limited to the following.  Consult an academic advisor for information on any majors not listed. 

   

 AA Pre-Major Information

 Advising Guide

 Agriculture

 AA.AGR
 Architecture  AA.ARC
 Art  AA.ART
 Building Construction  AA.BCN
 Business Administration  AA.BUS
 Computer Information Systems  AA.CIS
 Computer Science (Engineering)  AA.COMP
 Dance  AA.DAN
 Dramatic Arts  AA.THE
 Education/Teacher Preparation  AA.EDU
 Engineering  AA.ENG
 Graphic Design  AA.GRA
 Hospitality Administration Management   AA.HOS.ADMIN.MGMT
 Liberal Arts and Sciences  AA.LA
 Mass Communications  AA.MMC
 Medical Sciences   AA.DENT, AA.MED, AA.VET
 Music    AA.MUSIC
 Pharmacy  AA.PHAR
   
To earn an AA degree, students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours with no less than 36 credits of specified general education courses and 24 credits in the university transfer program electives. Legislation may further affect the graduation requirement; therefore, students are advised to obtain more current information from the advising and transfer offices. 

The articulation agreement between Florida community colleges and state universities specifies that students who have been certified as having satisfactorily completed the general education requirements in a university transfer program are exempt from any additional general education requirements after transferring to a state university or community college. However, to be eligible for admission into a limited access program at a state university, students may be required to take specific prerequisite courses which may exceed the 60 credit hours and meet other requirements such as a minimum GPA, minimum ACT/SAT test scores or audition/portfolio. 

For a list of HCC approved general education courses and specific details regarding individual majors, consult the appropriate advising guide available from the HCC website at www.hccfl.edu or any campus advising office.