The Associate in Arts degrees shall be granted for planned programs of study consisting of a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 61 semester hours of approved college transfer courses with a grade of C or better in each course.

The Associate of Arts (AA) is intended for students who want to transfer to a four-year institution and are considering a major in business, psychology, sociology, history, social work, and many other non-science related majors. The AA degree is part of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) which allows students who complete their AA degree with a 2.0 or higher GPA, earning at least ‘C’s or higher in all courses, are able to transfer to one of the 16 University of North Carolina (UNC) System institutions and 30 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), with Junior status.

The Associate of Arts in Teacher Preparation (AATP) is intended for students who want to transfer to a four-year institution and pursue an education program major, in a non-science or math-related curriculum. AATP students who complete this degree, with at least a 2.7 GPA out of 4.0 scale, are able to complete a bachelor’s degree to become a teacher at any of the 15 University of North Carolina (UNC) system and 23 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) four-year institutions. For more information please review the AATP/ASTP to UNC System Educator Preparation Programs Uniform Articulation Agreement and AATP/ASTP to NCICU Educator Preparation Program Uniform Articulation Agreement.

Within the degree programs, the college shall include opportunities for the achievement of competence in reading, writing, oral communications, fundamental mathematical skills, and the basic use of computers.