Degree candidates at Cuyahoga Community College must be in good standing. An Associate of Arts degree will be granted to students completing the following requirements:
Comprehensive Graduation Requirements
An Associate of Arts degree prepares students to continue their education at the bachelor’s degree level. When selecting courses for this degree, students should choose courses according to the requirements of their intended transfer destination school and major. Undecided students may use the state-approved transfer module as a general guide for transferability.
The following degree requirements are intended to help ensure that students with an Associate of Arts degree have completed the first two years of a baccalaureate degree:
- The satisfactory completion of 60 semester credit hours at the 1000 level or higher. No more than three of the 60 credits can be completed in physical education.
- The achievement of a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 for all courses attempted at Cuyahoga Community College (with exceptions as provided under College policies for repeating a course, grade forgiveness and Fresh Start).
- The completion of a minimum of 12 credits of advanced coursework (exclusive of 1800-level special topics and independent study/research courses) of the 60 semester credits. Advanced coursework is defined as follows: 2000-level courses, MATH-1400 level and above, BIO-1500 level and above, CHEM-1300 level and above, and PHYS-1200 level and above.
- The completion of no fewer than 20 of the required 60 semester hours at the 1000 level or higher while in attendance at Cuyahoga Community College.
- Special topics, independent study/research and cooperative education courses may be applied to the general education and elective graduation requirements unless otherwise noted.
First Year Experience
All new, credit-earning students are required to satisfactorily complete the GEN-1070 First Year Experience course. Students are expected to take the First Year Experience course during their first semester of enrollment. Returning, Transfer, and current College Credit Plus Students are not required to take GEN-1070
- GEN-1070 First Year Success Seminar
Upon recommendation from a counselor, GEN-1022 Strategies for Success or GEN-1040 Career Exploration may be taken in place of GEN-1070 First Year Success Seminar. Learn more about the First Year Experience.
General Education Requirements Offered Online
Each of the College’s degree programs require students complete a set number of courses in the areas of general education, which include communication, mathematics and data analysis, natural and physical sciences, arts and humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. Students completing the general education requirements, along with the specific program requirements for a degree, will have achieved the College’s general education outcomes. The courses listed below are the approved general-education courses offered online. A full list of approved general-education courses can be found on the Associate of Arts Degree page.
Communication (9 semester credits)
The communication skills of reading analytically, writing fluently, listening critically and speaking articulately are essential. Students must complete the following to meet this requirement:
- ENG-1010 College Composition I or ENG-101H Honors College Composition I1
- ENG-1020 College Composition II or ENG-102H Honors College Composition II or ENG-2151 Technical Writing
- COMM-1010 Fundamentals of Speech Communication or COMM-101H Honors Speech Communication
| 1 | Students who transfer in credits for ENG-1020 without having credit for ENG-1010 will have ENG-1010 waived, but the required nine hours in communication must be earned. |
Mathematics and Data Analysis (3 semester credits)
The ability to integrate numerical, symbolical and spatial methods for scientific inquiry into the physical, natural or social and behavioral sciences is essential. Students must complete the following to meet this requirement:
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Three semester credits of mathematics at the 1000 level or higher, selected from the following courses:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours MATH-1100 Mathematical Explorations 3 MATH-1190 Algebraic and Quantitative Reasoning 3 MATH-1240 Contemporary Mathematics 3 MATH-1410 Elementary Probability and Statistics I 3 MATH-1420 Elementary Probability and Statistics II 3 MATH-1470 Modern Mathematics for Business and Social Science I 4 MATH-1480 Modern Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences II 4 MATH-1500 Business Probability and Statistics II 3 MATH-1530 College Algebra 4 MATH-1540 Trigonometry 3 MATH-1580 Precalculus 5 MATH-1610 Calculus I 5 MATH-1620 Calculus II 5 MATH-2310 Calculus III 4 MATH-2520 Differential Equations 3
Natural and Physical Sciences (6 semester credits)
The ability to undertake scientific inquiry in the physical and biological sciences is essential for students seeking an Associate of Arts degree. Students must complete the following to meet this requirement:
- Six semester credits selected from the following courses. This must include one laboratory course:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Anthropology ANTH-1210 Human Evolution 1 4 Biology BIO-1040 The Cell and DNA 3 3 BIO-1050 Human Biology 3 BIO-105L Human Biology Laboratory 2 1 BIO-1060 Environment, Ecology, and Evolution 3 3 Chemistry CHEM-1000 Everyday Chemistry 3 CHEM-100L Everyday Chemistry Laboratory 2 1 Earth Science ESCI-1030 Earth 3 3 ESCI-1050 Introduction to Ocean Studies 3 3 ESCI-1310 Physical Geography 3 3 ESCI-1410 Physical Geology 2 3 ESCI-141L Lab in Physical Geology 1 1 ESCI-1610 Geology of the National Parks 3 3 Physics PHYS-1010 Astronomy 3 3
| 1 | ESCI-141L Lab in Physical Geology and ANTH-1210 Human Evolution can be taken to meet the Ohio Transfer 36 Natural and Physical Sciences Laboratory requirement and are approved to be offered in a fully online format. |
| 2 | BIO-105L Human Biology Lab and CHEM-100L can also be taken to meet the Ohio Transfer 36 Natural and Physical Sciences requirement, but are currently approved to be offered in hybrid format only. Students will be required to come to campus during the term enrolled. |
| 3 | BIO-1040, BIO-1060, ESCI-1030, ESCI-1050, ESCI-1310, ESCI-1610, and PHYS-1010 are natural and physical sciences lectures offered online, and will fulfill the remaining credits to meet Ohio Transfer 36 Natural and Physical Science requirements. The corresponding labs are not offered online. |
Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 semester credits)
The opportunity to obtain a broader knowledge of the Social and Behavioral Sciences in order to understand, analyze and describe aspects of human behavior from diverse political, social, historical and cultural perspectives is an important part of a liberal arts education. Students must complete the following to meet this requirement:
- Nine semester credits, selected from the following courses, must be selected from two disciplines:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Anthropology 1 ANTH-1010 Cultural Anthropology 3 ANTH-2010 Peoples and Cultures of the World 3 ANTH-2110 Archaeology 3 Economics ECON-1210 Survey of Economics 3 ECON-2000 Principles of Microeconomics 3 ECON-2010 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 Geography GEOG-1000 Introduction to Geography 3 GEOG-1010 World Regional Geography 3 GEOG-1050 Africans in the Americas 3 GEOG-2030 Environmental Geography 3 History HIST-1010 History of Civilization I 3 HIST-1020 History of Civilization II 3 HIST-1510 United States History to 1877 3 HIST-151H Honors United States History to 1877 3 HIST-1520 United States History Since 1877 3 HIST-152H Honors United States History since 1877 3 HIST-1700 History of Africa 3 HIST-2070 African American Women-History 3 HIST-2150 African American History to 1877 3 HIST-2160 African American History 1877-present 3 HIST-2660 Women in American History 3 Political Science POL-1010 American National Government 3 POL-2030 Comparative Politics 3 POL-2060 Political Systems of Africa 3 POL-2070 International Relations 3 POL-2100 Constitutional Law 3 Psychology PSY-1010 General Psychology 3 PSY-101H Honors General Psychology 3 PSY-1050 Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology 3 PSY-2010 Child Growth and Development 3 PSY-2020 Life Span Development 4 PSY-2040 Social Psychology 3 PSY-2050 Psychology of Personality 3 PSY-2060 Adolescent Psychology 3 PSY-2080 Abnormal Psychology 3 PSY-2100 Introduction to Aging 3 PSY-2110 Educational Psychology 3 Sociology SOC-1010 Introductory Sociology 3 SOC-2010 Social Problems 3 SOC-2020 Sociology of the Family 3 SOC-2100 Aging and Society 3 SOC-2110 Death and Dying 3 SOC-2160 Introduction to Criminology 3 SOC-2410 Sociology of Gender 3 SOC-2510 Urban Sociology 3 SOC-2550 Race and Ethnic Relations 3 Urban Studies UST-1010 Introduction to Urban Studies 3 UST-2020 Urban Cultures 3 Women's Studies WST-1510 Introduction to Women's Studies 3 WST-2010 Women in the World 3 WST-2120 Women and Politics 3
| 1 | ANTH-1210 Human Evolution cannot be used to meet the social and behavioral sciences requirement. |
Arts and Humanities (9 semester credits)
The appreciation of achievements in the arts and humanities provides the ability to integrate learning within a complex global perspective, to gain an awareness of and respect for different cultures, and to integrate ethical decision-making in dealing responsibly with personal, family and community issues. Students must complete the following to meet this requirement:
- Nine semester credits, within the following courses, must be selected from two disciplines.
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Art ART-1010 Art Appreciation 3 ART-1040 Survey of Non-Western Art 3 ART-2020 Art History Survey: Prehistoric to Renaissance 3 ART-2030 Art History Survey: Late Renaissance to Present 3 Dance DANC-1100 Dance Appreciation 3 English 2000-level literature courses ENG-2310 American Literature I 3 ENG-2320 American Literature II 3 ENG-2350 British Literature I 3 ENG-2360 British Literature II 3 ENG-2410 Introduction to Literature: Poetry 3 ENG-2420 Introduction to Literature: Fiction 3 ENG-2510 African-American Literature I 3 ENG-2520 African-American Literature II 3 ENG-2601 Literature for Children and Adolescents 3 ENG-2700 World Literature 3 ENG-2710 Shakespeare 3 History HIST-2031 Islam to the Modern Middle East 3 Humanities HUM-1010 Introduction to Humanities 3 HUM-2020 Community Engagement Through the Humanities 3 Media and Journalism Studies MJS-1310 Film Appreciation 3 Music MUS-1010 Survey of European Classical Music 3 MUS-1020 Survey of Jazz 3 MUS-1030 Survey of Rock and Roll 3 MUS-1040 Survey of African-American Music 3 MUS-1050 Survey of World Music 3 Philosophy PHIL-1000 Critical Thinking 3 PHIL-1010 Introduction to Philosophy 3 PHIL-1020 Introduction to Logic 3 PHIL-2010 Comparative World Religion 3 PHIL-2020 Ethics 3 PHIL-2050 Bioethics 3 PHIL-2060 Business Ethics 3 Religious Studies REL-1010 Introduction to Religious Studies 3 REL-2010 Religious Traditions of Western Christianity 3 REL-2060 African-American Religious Experience 3 Theatre Arts THEA-1010 Theatre Appreciation 3 THEA-2210 History of Theatre and Drama I 3 THEA-2220 History of Theatre & Drama II 3
Elective Graduation Requirements (24 Semester credits)
The remaining semester credit hours needed to complete the required minimum total of 60 semester credits may be chosen from 1000-level courses and above, exclusive of developmental coursework. Courses taken for general education requirements cannot count toward fulfilling elective graduation requirements. Students wishing to maximize the use of credits toward a bachelor’s degree should select electives according to the requirements of their intended transfer destination school or major. The state-approved transfer module provides a general guide for transferability.
Cross-listed Courses
Cross-listed courses are identical courses offered in two or more subject areas. They differ only in subject area code and course number. Credit may be earned once for cross-listed courses.