An Associate's Degree is an ideal first goal for students who wish to continue their college studies toward a bachelor's degree, and the credits earned may be applied toward that degree. A student should complete one associate degree before applying for another.
UMUC offers the Associate of Arts degree in General Curriculum, with specialized curricula in Accounting, Business and Management, Computer Studies, Foreign Language Area Studies (Japanese or Korean), Management Studies, and Mathematics. Each degree has its own requirements. All provide ideal intermediate goals for students who will continue their studies toward a bachelor's degree, and credits earned may be applied toward that degree. Associate degree programs require the completion of General Education Requirements, designed to provide a solid cultural and intellectual foundation for the student's education.
Requirements
The Associate of Arts degree (AA) requires the completion of a minimum of 60 credits, at least 15 of which must be taken through UMUC. Of these 60 credits, 35 credits must be earned in courses that fulfill the general education requirements listed below. The remaining 25 credits must satisfy the requirements of the curriculum the student has selected.
A grade point average of 2.0 or higher in all courses taken through UMUC is required. A student should complete one associate's degree before applying for another. A student should pay special attention to continuous enrollment requirements as well as pre-requisite considerations when pursuing any degree program.
General Education Requirements (35 credits)
The general education requirements for the associate's degree are presented here. They generally correspond to those for the bachelor's degree with the following exception: The second computing course and the upper-level advanced writing course are not required for the associate's degree. With the exception of the laboratory science course and LIBS 150, all GER requirements must be met by courses that are at least 3 credits.
Curriculum Requirements (25 credits)
In addition to the general education requirements, students must take 25 credits of coursework related to their educational goals. Students may choose a general curriculum or a specialized curriculum with its own particular requirements. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all core or core-related curriculum courses. For the specialized curricula, at least 9 credits of coursework taken through UMUC must be earned in core or core-related courses for the chosen curriculum. Students who anticipate seeking a bachelor's degree should select courses that will advance that goal.
Degree Options
- General Studies
- General Studies with Accounting Curriculum
- General Studies with Business and Management Curriculum
- General Studies with Computer Studies Curriculum
- General Studies with Foreign Language Area Studies Curriculum – Japanese
- General Studies with Foreign Language Area Studies Curriculum – Korean
- General Studies with Management Studies Curriculum
- General Studies with Mathematics Curriculum
Degree Planning Worksheets
Curriculum planning sheets are available throughout UMUC's Asian Division.
Second Associate's Degree
It is not possible to earn two degrees concurrently at the same level (e.g., two associate’s degrees) using the same credit. However, students may wish to pursue a second AA degree after the award of the first AA degree.
A student who holds an associate's degree from UMUC or another regionally accredited college or university can earn a second, more specialized associate's degree by meeting the following requirements:
- Request an Official Evaluation for the second degree before enrolling in applicable coursework, but after completing the requirements for the first AA degree. Official evaluations are discussed earlier in this Catalog.
- Complete at least 15 credits of new coursework with UMUC (including at least 9 credits in the core or core-related area, depending on the degree). The 15 credits must be uniquely applicable to the second UMUC AA curriculum.
If the second degree is in the same field as the first, the second degree must focus on a more specialized subdiscipline of the field. For example, it is permissible to earn a second Associate of Arts degree in Business Management after earning the first Associate of Arts in Management Studies, but not the reverse.
Earning an Associate of Arts Degree after Earning a Bachelor's Degree
It is possible to earn an associate's degree concurrently with a bachelor's degree if all degree requirements have been met for both degrees and the student applies for both degrees. However, once the bachelor's degree is conferred, the student will be held to second degree rules for associate's degrees, which stipulate that 15 new credits must be earned.
