Associate in Arts, A.A. - AA3
The Associate in Arts degree is designed for the student planning to transfer to a four-year program and for the student who wishes to broaden his or her general knowledge. The A.A. program is designed to prepare students who are seeking a four-year baccalaureate major in fields such as business, accounting, management, English, journalism, social work, education, nursing, music, psychology, history, pre-law, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences.
Electives depend on students’ educational goals. Students should consult their advisors for appropriate elective courses. The Associate in Arts program is available through a combination of traditional, hybrid, and online course offerings and can be obtained fully through the completion of online coursework. Faculty advisors are available to help students select appropriate courses to meet degree requirements and to prepare for transfer opportunities.
| Courses | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Courses | ||
| Communication and/or Literature | 9 | |
| Humanities/Fine Arts, and Social/Behavioral Sciences 1 | 12 | |
| Mathematics and/or Natural Sciences | 6 | |
| Subtotal | 27 | |
| Required Core Subject Areas | ||
| Communication/Fine Arts, and Social/Behavioral Sciences | 15 | |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Other Courses Required for Graduation | ||
| COL 103 | College Skills | 3 |
| Electives 2 | 15 | |
| Subtotal | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
with at least 3 SCH from Humanities/Fine Arts and 3 SCH from Social/Behavioral Sciences
- 2
courses to be chosen by the student under the guidance of his/her advisor, for the purpose of allowing the student to adapt the program to their individual goals
| Courses | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication/ Literature | ||
| ENG 101 | English Composition I (Required) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | English Composition II (Required) | 3 |
| ENG 201 | American Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 202 | American Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 205 | English Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 206 | English Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 208 | World Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 209 | World Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 235 | Southern Literature | 3 |
| SPC 205 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| Mathematical/ Analytical Reasoning | ||
| MAT 110 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MAT 111 | College Trigonometry | 3 |
| MAT 120 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| MAT 122 | Finite College Mathematics | 3 |
| MAT 130 | Elementary Calculus | 3 |
| MAT 140 | Analytical Geometry and Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT 141 | Analytical Geometry and Calculus II | 4 |
| MAT 220 | Advanced Statistics | 3 |
| MAT 240 | Analytical Geometry and Calculus III | 4 |
| MAT 242 | Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHI 105 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| Social/ Behavioral Science | ||
| ECO 210 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 211 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| HIS 101 | Western Civilization to 1689 | 3 |
| HIS 102 | Western Civilization Post 1689 | 3 |
| HIS 115 | African-American History | 3 |
| HIS 201 | American History : Discovery to 1877 | 3 |
| HIS 202 | American History : 1877 to Present | 3 |
| PSC 201 | American Government | 3 |
| PSC 215 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| PSY 201 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 203 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| PSY 210 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 212 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 205 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOC 206 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 210 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| SOC 220 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| Humanities/ Fine Art | ||
| ART 101 | Art History and Appreciation | 3 |
| ART 105 | Film as Art | 3 |
| ART 108 | History of Western Art | 3 |
| ART 122 | 3-D Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| ENG 201 | American Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 202 | American Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 205 | English Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 206 | English Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 208 | World Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 209 | World Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 235 | Southern Literature | 3 |
| HSS 105 | Technology and Culture | 3 |
| MUS 105 | Music Appreciation | 3 |
| PHI 101 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 105 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| PHI 110 | Ethics | 3 |
| REL 103 | Comparative Religion | 3 |
| SPA 107 | Hispanic Culture and Communication | 3 |
| THE 101 | Introduction to Theatre | 3 |
| Lab Sciences | ||
| AST 101 | Solar System Astronomy | 4 |
| AST 102 | Stellar Astronomy | 4 |
| BIO 101 | Biological Science I | 4 |
| BIO 102 | Biological Science II | 4 |
| BIO 210 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 211 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIO 225 | Microbiology | 4 |
| CHM 106 | Contemporary Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHM 107 | Contemporary Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHM 110 | College Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHM 111 | College Chemistry II | 4 |
| PHS 101 | Physical Science I | 4 |
| PHS 102 | Physical Science II | 4 |
| PHY 201 | Physics I | 4 |
| PHY 202 | Physics II | 4 |
| PHY 221 | University Physics I | 4 |
| PHY 222 | University Physics II | 4 |
| Concentration/ Required Core Electives | ||
| ART 101 | Art History and Appreciation | 3 |
| ART 105 | Film as Art | 3 |
| ART 108 | History of Western Art | 3 |
| ART 122 | 3-D Design Fundamentals | 3 |
| ECO 210 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 211 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ENG 201 | American Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 202 | American Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 205 | English Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 206 | English Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 208 | World Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 209 | World Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 235 | Southern Literature | 3 |
| HIS 101 | Western Civilization to 1689 | 3 |
| HIS 102 | Western Civilization Post 1689 | 3 |
| HIS 115 | African-American History | 3 |
| HIS 201 | American History : Discovery to 1877 | 3 |
| HIS 202 | American History : 1877 to Present | 3 |
| MUS 105 | Music Appreciation | 3 |
| PHI 101 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 105 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| PHI 110 | Ethics | 3 |
| PSC 201 | American Government | 3 |
| PSC 215 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| PSY 201 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 203 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| PSY 210 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 212 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| REL 103 | Comparative Religion | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 205 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOC 206 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 210 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| SOC 220 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| SPA 101 | Elementary Spanish I | 4 |
| SPA 102 | Elementary Spanish II | 4 |
| SPA 107 | Hispanic Culture and Communication | 3 |
| THE 101 | Introduction to Theatre | 3 |
| Recommended Electives | ||
| ACC 101 | Accounting Principles I | 3 |
| ACC 102 | Accounting Principles II | 3 |
| COL 103 | College Skills | 3 |
| CPT 101 | Introduction to Computers | 3 |
Electives depend on students’ educational goals and may show wide variety. Students should consult their advisors for appropriate elective courses. Electives may also be selected from any college transfer course.
Selected courses from the above listing are offered each term. Students should consult with their advisors before making selections and check the requirements of the college to which they plan to transfer.
Application and Advising
If you are ready to start your education, there are a few simple steps involved in enrolling at Piedmont Technical College.
Advising Information
The following information provides a guide for advisors who are helping students enroll in this program.
Program Notes
This program can be completed on a part-time or a full-time basis. Classes can be started any semester.
Students and advisors are encouraged to review the Transfer Guides. These guides give institution-specific information about courses required for individual majors, bridge programs, articulation agreements, etc. The "Requirements for Individual Majors" link will outline preferred courses to complete the associate degree while expediting the completion of a bachelor's degree.
- With an AA degree, graduates can transfer directly to any state-supported four-year institution in SC. Overall, credits from PTC are accepted at more than 23 institutions in SC and surrounding states. Refer to transfer guide links to see which PTC courses are equivalent to those required by the senior institution the student is planning to attend.
- The final decision as to the transferability of courses will be made by the senior institution at the time of transfer. For protection, the student should visit the senior institution and secure approval of all courses.
- Bridge programs have been established that will give students' benefits that vary by institution. Joining a bridge program is not required to transfer to any public four-year college.
- Depending on the senior institution, transfer credit of sciences may require completion of a series and may require enrollment in a face-to-face lab (not online).
- Students who transfer prior to AA/AS degree completion can transfer back credit to Piedmont Technical College and complete their Associate Degree while enrolled at the senior institution. See Student Records for more details.
Notes About Individual Classes
Every student should take ENG 101 and ENG 102. At some institutions, ENG 101 and 102 will transfer in as ENG 103. Please check the senior institution's catalog for more details.
When advising for SPA 101, we strongly recommend that students successfully complete ENG 101 (or have strong placement scores for ENG 101 and have demonstrated competency in English language skills) before attempting SPA 101.
Strong reading and study skills are needed for success in BIO 101 & 102.
Prerequisite for CHM 110 is MAT 110 or appropriate algebra placement score showing readiness for MAT 111. This course requires strong reading skills.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Purpose Statement
An Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree provides students a foundation in the liberal arts and is designed to transfer into a variety of Baccalaureate programs at a four-year institution.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
(General Education Student Learning Outcomes)
- Communicate effectively.
- Read with comprehension.
- Write with standard English.
- Apply mathematical skills appropriate to an occupation.
- Apply mathematical skills to solve problems.
- Perform computational skills.
- Read and interpret and draw conclusions.
- Employ effective processes for resolving and making decisions.
- Integrate information to solve problems.
- Summarize information and draw conclusions.
- Demonstrate the basic computer skills necessary to function in a technological world.
- Locate and retrieve information in digital environments.
- Adapt, apply, and construct information in electronic environments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)