Liberal Arts, AA

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Program: 11000

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree program is intended for students interested in pursuing a four-year baccalaureate degree. Programs of study leading to the AA degree consist of a common core of General Education courses, specific program requirements (if applicable), and elective courses. First-time-in-college students must also complete the three-credit class, SLS 1122 First-Year Seminar, as a graduation requirement. Students may complete only one AA degree. Those already holding associate in arts or baccalaureate degrees are not eligible to enroll in an AA degree program.

The program requirements to enter specific majors within the State University System are quite varied. Each student is encouraged to declare an upper-division major upon admission to Polk State College; the individual is required to do so after earning 12 credit hours. After declaring a major, he or she should follow the prescribed course requirements for the college or university. The student should meet with an advisor to assist in the selection of both General Education core courses and recommended electives to prepare for the chosen upper-division major. Although each student must select an upper-division major, the degree earned is an Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Polk State College.

Although the State articulation agreement assures transferability of the AA degree into the State University System, specific prerequisite courses for intended majors must be taken at Polk State in order to avoid course or credit deficiencies after admission to a four-year college or university. For this reason, each student must meet with an advisor for information and assistance in creating a course schedule of lower-division courses that are applicable to the particular program chosen.

The AA degree requires a General Education component of 36 credit hours plus 24 other credit hours, including the three-credit SLS 1122 First-Year Seminar course (a graduation requirement), for a total of 60 credits. The public universities and colleges in Florida agree that once students are certified by Polk State as having completed the General Education requirements, no further General Education courses are required of them when they transfer.

Some courses designed for use in Associate in Science (AS) degree programs are not applicable in AA degree programs. AA students should not take these courses and should consult with an advisor prior to registration to avoid taking unnecessary or inapplicable courses.

AA General Education Requirements

Polk State College requires AA students to earn 36 credit hours of General Education coursework in specified areas. Some upper-division majors have modified General Education requirements. Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine the General Education and elective requirements of their chosen upper-division major.

Pursuant to Florida Statute Section 1007.25(3) and SBE Rule 6A.14.0303, students must complete at least one course from a list of courses that are common to all state colleges and universities for each of the General Education subject areas: Communications, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The options outlined below ensure that students who earn a degree at Polk State meet this statewide requirement.

Communications (6 Credits Required)

Mathematics (6 Credits Required)

One course must be from List A; the other can be from List A or B.

List A
MAC 1105 - College Algebra
MGF 1106 - Topics in Mathematics
MGF 1107 - Explorations in Mathematics
MAC 1114 - Trigonometry *
MAC 1140 - Precalculus Algebra *
MAC 1147 - Precalculus Algebra/Trigonometry *
MAC 2233 - Applied Calculus I
MAC 2311 - Calculus I
STA 2023 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics
* Students who take MAC 1147 cannot take MAC 1114 and/or MAC 1140. Students who take MAC 1114 and/or MAC 1140 cannot take MAC 1147.
List B
MAC 2312 - Calculus II

Humanities (9 Credits Required)

Social Sciences (6 Credits Required)

Two courses are required. Students must select one course from List A; the second course can be from List A or List B.

List A

List B

Natural Sciences (9 Credits Required)

Health and Wellness (Choose One)

Biological and Physical Sciences (7 Credits Required)

One course must be from List A; the other can be from List A or B. One of the two courses must have a lab component.

Foreign Language Proficiency

In addition to earning 36 credits of General Education courses as delineated above, AA graduates must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through any of the following means: completion of two years of high school instruction in the same foreign language, completion of a college-level course at the Elementary-2 level (or higher) in a foreign language or in American Sign Language (ASL) (e.g., SPN 1131 First Year Spanish II, FRE 1131 First Year French II, or ASL 1150 American Sign Language II), achievement of minimum scores on a foreign language proficiency exam approved by the Registrar’s Office, achievement of a score of three (3) or higher on the Advanced Placement exam in a foreign language, or completion of a high school diploma from a foreign country where the student studied in a language other than English.