Dec 12, 2024  
2023-2024 Course Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Course Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Associate in Arts Degree (AA)


Students planning on transferring to a four-year college/university may complete their freshman and sophomore requirements at Des Moines Area Community College. Since requirements vary at senior institutions, students should become familiar with the specific course requirements of the four-year institution to which they plan to transfer.

More information on Liberal Arts degrees.

AA Degree Requirements


To receive an AA degree, students must:

  1. Maintain a 2.0 grade point average on all work applicable to the AA degree.
  2. Earn a minimum of 1/3 of the semester credit hours applicable to the degree being pursued at DMACC. No more than 43 transfer semester credit hours may be applied toward the degree.
  3. Complete a minimum of 64 semester credit hours.
  4. Include at least 46 semester credit hours of Core courses:
    • Communications 9 credits
    • Social & Behavioral Sciences 9 credits
    • Math & Sciences 9 credits
    • Humanities 9 credits
    • Distributed Requirements 10 credits (includes SDV 108)
  5. Include at least 18 semester credit hours of elective credit.
    1. Students may include 16 semester credit hours of vocational/ technical credit.
    2. Students may have up to 8 semester credit hours of Independent Study Courses; up to 4 semester credit hours of Independent Study may be earned in any single semester.
  6. Complete 3 semester credit hours to satisfy the Diversity Requirement with a minimum grade of “C.” The Diversity Requirement does not increase the number of credits required for graduation. The course used to fulfill the Diversity Requirement may also be used to fulfill three credits of Core requirements in Communications, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Humanities or Distributed Requirements, providing the diversity course is listed as fulfilling Core requirements in Communications, Social & Behavioral Sciences or the Humanities. If the course does not fall under any of the Core groups, the course used to fulfill the Diversity Requirement may count as an elective.

Courses that satisfy the Diversity Requirement at Des Moines Area Community College may or may not satisfy diversity requirements at other academic institutions. Students planning to transfer should contact their transfer institutions to verify the transferability of courses.

Semester 1


  • Credits: 1
  • AA degree Core Communications  Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Social & Behavioral Science Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Humanities Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Math Credits: 4
  • * DMACC Elective Credits: 3

Semester 2


  • AA Core Communications Credits: 3
  • AA Core Math/Science (may need to take more than one course) Credits: 5
  • AA Core Distributed Credits: 3
  • * DMACC Electives (may need to take more than one course) Credits: 6

Semester 3


  • AA degree Core Communications Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Social and Behavioral Sciences Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Humanities  Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Distributed Credits: 3
  • * DMACC Elective Credits: 3

Semester 4


  • AA degree Core Social and Behavioral Sciences Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Humanities  Credits: 3
  • AA degree Core Distributed Credits: 3
  • * DMACC Elective (may need to take more than one course) Credits: 6

Total AA Degree Requirements - 64 Credits


* Students may include no more than 16 semester credit hours of Vocational courses.


 

Communications - 9 Credits


Students must take three courses:

One speech course from the following list:


Social & Behavioral Sciences - 9 Credits


NOTE: Students must complete at least 3 courses. Each course must be from a distinct discipline (reflected by a distinct acronym).

Mathematics & Sciences - 9 Credits


  1. Students must take one laboratory science course from BIO, CHM, ENV, PHS or PHY AND one MAT course listed below.

Humanities - 9 Credits


Distributed Requirement - 10 Credits


  1. SDV 108  or HON 101 [Inactive] (1 credit)
  2. Students must select the remaining 9 credits from any of the courses in categories of Communications, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Math & Sciences, and Humanities.

Electives - 18 Credits


  1. Students may include no more than 16 semester credit hours of Vocational courses.
  2. Students may include no more than 8 semester credit hours of Independent Study courses; no more than 4 semester credit hours of Independent Study may be earned in any single semester.

Diversity Requirement


One course is required, but this course may count in the areas above. Students must earn a grade of “C” or above for the course that is used to fulfill the Diversity Requirement. The courses marked with an asterisk (*) will satisfy the Diversity Requirement and will also fulfill requirements in Communications, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Humanities or Distributed areas above. The courses that are not marked with an asterisk will satisfy the Diversity Requirement and will count as electives.