Associate in Arts Degree
Associate in Arts Degree
The Associate in Arts (AA) degree is equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program and is offered for those students planning to transfer to a four-year institution or to remain at Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) to complete the last two years of a bachelor’s degree program. Although the number of credits and specific courses required for a bachelor’s degree may vary across four-year institutions, The State of Florida has a statewide articulation agreement between Florida College System (FCS) institutions and State University System (SUS) institutions. Please see the Florida Statewide Articulation Agreement for AA Degree section of the Catalog for additional information. Students pursuing the AA degree should work closely with a Student Success Navigator to select the appropriate courses that meet their long-term educational goals.
Graduation Requirements for the AA Degree
The AA degree curriculum requires the following.
- Complete a minimum of 60 college credits per the following distribution:
- Complete 36 credit hours of general education courses distributed appropriately across the Communications, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and General Education Elective categories presented in the AA Degree General Education Requirements.
- Complete 3 credit hours of an eligible Speaking-Across-the-Curriculum course.
- Completion of two sequential credits in high school foreign language, a minimum of 6 credit hours in one foreign language at the college level or an appropriate score on an approved CLEP examination.
- Complete 24 credit hours of college credit electives. Students should consult with a Student Success Navigator to select the electives most appropriate to their intended baccalaureate program.
- Meet the Gordon Rule (FAC Rule 6A-10.030) minimum grade and writing requirements:
- Attain a grade of “C” or higher in each Gordon Rule writing course (any general education course from the Communications or Humanities categories, and those designated as Gordon Rule in the Social Science category) whether credits in such courses are earned at NWF State College or transferred for credit from other institutions.
- Attain a grade of “C” or higher in each Gordon Rule Mathematics course (any course from the Mathematics category that is used to meet AA general education requirements), whether credits in such courses are earned at NWF State College or transferred for credit from other institutions.
- Meet the Civic Literacy Competency. In accordance with Rule 6A-10.02413, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Civic Literacy Competency, as required by section 1007.25(4), Florida Statutes (F.S.), beginning with students enrolled in an AA or baccalaureate program under the 2021-2022 Catalog must demonstrate civic literacy competency prior to graduation through successful completion (with a grade of “C” or higher) of POS 1041 or AMH 2020 and by achieving a passing score on an assessment outlined in the table below.
| Assessment |
Standard Score |
| AP Government and Politics: United States |
3 |
| AP United States History |
4 |
| CLEP: American Government |
50 |
| Florida Civic Literacy Exam |
60% |
Transferring to another Four-Year College or University within the State of Florida:
NWFSC will gladly assist students in achieving a smooth transfer to other institutions in Florida. NWFSC partners with several universities across the state, with university liaisons making regular visits to campus to meet directly with students and answer transfer questions. Students may contact Student Success Navigation at 850-502-2895 or studentsuccess@nwfsc.edu for the names of the liaisons and dates of upcoming visits. In addition, Common Prerequisite Manuals for the Florida State University System are available at https://www.floridashines.org/succeed-in-college/plan-your-path/common-prerequisites.
It is important that students transferring to a four-year institution plan their program so that common prerequisites can be completed for the upper-division transfer school for their major. It is best for the student to complete the entire two-year degree program prior to transfer, as AA graduates who transfer to one of the SUS institutions have articulation agreements certain protections under the statewide articulation agreement. Please see the Florida Statewide Articulation Agreement for AA Degree section of the Catalog for additional information.
NWFSC is proud to offer the necessary prerequisites for most of the State of Florida University Baccalaureate Programs. Students are encouraged to consult a current catalog from the four-year institution where they plan to transfer and to speak with a college advisor or faculty member at that institution to acquire an official program plan of study for their intended major. Students should work closely with both a Student Success Navigator at NWFSC and an advisor at their intended four-year institution to ensure a smooth transfer.
Special Foreign Language Requirements for Entry into Upper-Level Florida Universities:
Effective August 1, 1990, according to requirements of the Florida Board of Regents, new applicants to any of the state universities must have completed two sequential credits in high school foreign language, a minimum of 6 credit hours in one foreign language at the college level or an appropriate score on an approved CLEP examination. There are two exceptions to this requirement: 1) students who received an AA degree prior to September 1, 1989, or 2) students who enrolled in a program leading to an AA degree prior to August 1, 1989, and maintained continuous enrollment. Students who are not exempt but fail to satisfy the requirement, may be admitted to the university as part of the allowable admissions exceptions group but will be required to meet the foreign language requirement prior to graduation. Students transferring into the Florida SUS without the AA degree or fewer than 60 transferable credits must meet this foreign language requirement before going on to the upper division. NWFSC offers the necessary coursework in French, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL) to meet the Florida SUS admission requirements. Students should contact their intended SUS institution for specific information related to its foreign language admissions requirement.
