Associate in Applied Science Degree

Degree Requirements

(Total Minimum Credits Required: 64)

Each candidate for an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree shall:

  1. Select courses to complete the required credits from:
    1. general education core requirement courses,
    2. coursework in the Global/Multicultural Studies or Contemporary Life Skills category,
    3. specific program Career/Technical Education required courses, and
    4. additional coursework if necessary to a minimum of 64 credits, but due to external licensure and certification, programs may require more than 64 credits. 
  2. Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 18 credits in general education courses as specified below. (Refer to the Educational Opportunities page for a discussion of general education core requirements.)
    1. Communication - 6 credits
      Written
      ENGLI 1101English Composition I3
      or ENGLI 1105 Workplace Writing
      Oral
      Select one of the following:3
      SPEEC 1100
      		Fundamentals of Speech Communication
      SPEEC 1120
      		Small-Group Communication
      SPEEC 1150
      		Introduction to Business Communication
    2. Physical  and Life Sciences - 3 to 5 credits
      Select at least one course with a laboratory component.
    3. Mathematics - 3 to 5 credits
      Select a minimum of 3 credits (1000-level or above). Select MATH 1102 Mathematics for Health Sciences, MATH 1104 Mathematics for Horticulture, or MATH 1120 Mathematical Foundations for Diagnostic Medical Imaging Sonographers only where required in the degree program. Only one of the following three statistics courses will count toward overall degree requirement credit: MATH 1635 Statistics, PSYCH 2280 Statistics/Social & Behavioral Sciences, or SOCIO 2205 Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Only one of the following courses may count toward overall degree credit: MATH 1428 College Algebra With Applications or MATH 1431 Precalculus I.
    4. Humanities and Fine Arts - 3 credits
    5. Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 credits
  3. Complete at least 2 credits from the list of courses in the Global/Multicultural Studies or Contemporary Life Skills category.
  4. The minimum number of program-specific credits required for an A.A.S. degree varies with each program, but must total at least 20 credits.
  5. Satisfy graduation requirements for all associate degrees.
  6. Earn no more than 16 credits in courses numbered 1800 or 2800, 1840 or 2840, 1820 to 1829, and 2820 to 2829, or labeled as independent study, experimental/pilot, selected topics or field/experiential.
  7. Earn no more than 4 credits in Physical Education activity courses.
  8. Earn no more than 12 credits with a satisfactory/fail grade option.
  9. Earn no more than 42 credits by demonstrated competence through the Advanced Placement Program (AP), designated course-specific subject examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the College of DuPage Proficiency Through an Instructor Program.