Collin College - Academic Programs

associate of arts (aa), associate of in teachinG (aat) and of science (as) deGrees

The Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching and Associate of Science degrees are designed for students planning to transfer course credits to a baccalaureate degree program at a college or university. The curriculum suggested in this catalog will satisfy the requirements of most colleges and universities.

Students should visit with an academic advisor to ensure that they take the correct courses for their Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching or Associate of Science degree program at Collin in addition to the major for their chosen transfer college or university. The selection of science, math and elective credit courses is often based on the requirements of the specific transfer college or university.

core curriculum

The Texas Education Code, as a result of Senate Bill 148, requires all public colleges and universities to have a core curriculum. Core curriculum is defined as “the curriculum in the liberal arts, humanities, sciences, and political, social and cultural history that all undergraduate students of a particular Texas institution of higher education are required to complete before receiving an associate or bachelor’s degree.”

The purpose of the core curriculum is to provide the skills, knowledge and perspectives that help define the educated person. The courses included in the core curriculum will contribute to the acquisition of these skills and perspectives and to a basic core of knowledge.

The core curriculum is predicated on a series of basic intellectual competencies - reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking and computer literacy - that are essential to the learning process in any discipline. Although students can be expected to come to college with some experience in exercising these competencies, they often need further instruction and practice to meet college standards and, later, to succeed in both their major field of academic study and their chosen career or profession.

Collin will designate core curriculum courses completed by a student on the official Collin transcript. If a student satisfies all component areas, the message “Core Curriculum Completed” will appear on the transcript. Students who make substitutions in the core curriculum may not be core complete. Contact a degree plan/graduate associate for more information.

The AS core curricula follow:

Associate of Science Core Curriculum 1

Communications 9 credit hours

English 6 credit hours

ENGL 1301 and 1302

Speech – 3 credit hours

Select one course :

SPCH 1311, 1315, or 1321

Humanities 3 credit hours

Select one course:

ENGL 2322, 2323, 2327, 2328, 2332, 2333, 2342, or 2343

FREN 2303 or 2304

HUMA 1301

PHIL 1301, 1304, 2303, 2306, 2307, or 2321

SPAN 2321 or 2322

Mathematics 3 credit hours

Select one course:

MATH 1314, 1316, 1342, 1414, 2305, 2312, 2318 2320, 2413, 2414, 2415, 2417, or 2419

Natural Sciences 8 credit hours

Select two courses (course sequence recommended):

BIOL 1406, 1407, 1411, 2401, 2402, 2406, 2416, 2421, or 2428

CHEM 1411, 1412, 2401, 2423, or 2425

ENVR 1401 or 1402

GEOL 1403 or 1404

PHYS 1401, 1402, 2425, or 2426

Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours

Select one course:

ANTH 2346 or 2351

ECON 2301 or 2302

PSYC 2301

SOCI 1301

Social Sciences 12 credit hours

Legislative Mandate - Students must take BOTH of the following courses:

GOVT 2301 (Texas) and GOVT 2302 (U.S.)

Legislative Mandate - Students must take TWO of the following courses:

HIST 1301, 1302, or 2301

Visual/Performing Arts 3 credit hours

Select one course:

ARTS 1301, 1303, or 1304

DANC 2303

DRAM 1310, 2361, or 2362

MUSI 1306 or 1307

Institutional Options 4 credit hours

Students must select one course in each of the following areas:

COSC 1300 or BCIS 13052,3 (or higher level computer transfer course as determined by student’s area of emphasis)

Any PHED/DANC Activity Course (1 credit hour) or PHED 1338

AS Core Curriculum 45 credit hours

AS Graduation Requirement* 3 credit hours

Electives/Areas of Emphasis 12 credit hours minimum

Total 60 credit hours minimum

AAT Graduation Requirements Complete the AS core curriculum
Complete 16-18 credit hours in required education courses and content area teaching fields/academic disciplines. For more information, visit the AAT site.

NOTES:

1 Some courses in the core curriculum may require prerequisites. Please check course descriptions in the back of this catalog.

2 It is possible for students to test out of COSC 1300 (Computer Science) and BCIS 1305 (Computer Information Systems); please contact the appropriate department chair for more information.

3 Students planning to go further in a business-related area of study should take BCIS 1305.

To complete an Associate of Science degree:

* One additional mathematics course (3 credit hours) is required for graduation.

AA, AS, and AAT Degree Requirements Review

The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees are awarded to students who meet the following requirements along with graduation requirements.

1. Earn a minimum of 60 credit hours (excluding developmental credit).

2. Complete the core curriculum of 45 credit hours.

3. Complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of recommended electives/areas of emphasis. See pages 55-75.

4. Complete the additional 3-credit hour course required for the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree.

5. Earn a minimum of 18 credit hours in residency at Collin.

6. Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

7. Complete TSI requirements.

The Associate of Arts in Teaching degree is awarded to students who meet following requirements (in addition to requirements 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 listed above).

1. Complete the AA or AS core curriculum of 45 credit hours.

2. Complete 16-18 credit hours in required education courses and content area teaching fields/academic disciplines. For more information, visit the AAT site.

Choosing a Catalog Year

Students who plan to transfer to a college or university have a choice to make regarding their requirements for graduation. Specifically, they may choose the catalog year under which they wish to graduate. This choice is subject to restrictions that are outlined in the college or university catalog. Students should consult their Collin academic advisor or the catalog of their choice to learn about any limitations.

Students who plan to transfer should keep a copy of the Collin Catalog from the year they choose, the college’s or university’s catalog and the transfer guide that was valid at the time they enrolled in Collin and selected a major. Course syllabi should also be kept.

Fields of Study

Mandated in Senate Bill 148, the Fields of Study (FOS) curricula are intended to facilitate the transferability of lower-division courses among Texas public colleges and universities. FOS courses are defined by SB 148 as “a set of courses that will satisfy the lower-division requirements for a bachelor’s degree in a specific academic major at a general academic teaching institution.” Receiving institutions may not require incoming transfer students to repeat courses with the same content as FOS courses. Collin offers FOS curricula for the Business, Computer Science, Communication, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Mexican-American Studies, Music, and Nursing areas of emphasis. Refer to the specific FOS curriculum in the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science sections of this catalog.