Associates of Arts Degree (A.A.)
Program Overview
The Associate of Arts degree promotes inclusion, diversity, and cultural competency courses in General Education suitable for transfer to universities, with a wide variety of courses on campus, online, and in hybrid modality. The Associate of Arts degree is considered a general education transfer degree and does not include a major or minor course of study. To receive an Associate of Arts degree, students must:
- successfully complete all lower-division general education requirements with a letter grade of C- or better;
- earn a minimum of 60 credits, at least 30 of which must be from UM;
- and maintain an institutional cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all UM courses taken for a traditional letter grade (A-F).
Matriculating students may begin coursework in the autumn, spring or summer. Courses numbered below 100 do not count toward the 60 credit requirement or general education course requirements, but do fulfill financial aid credit load requirements.
Students planning on completing a baccalaureate degree are encouraged to select specific general education courses and electives that meet the requirements for that future major. Students work with their advisor to develop an AA degree plan to best prepare them to transition to a four-year degree.
Pathways
The Associate of Arts Degree map is provided to students to guide decision making around what courses are required and when such courses should be taken. This is a recommendation based on full-time enrollment (15 credits per semester). Your academic advisor can assist you in personalizing this pathway to meet your individual needs regarding class load, summer term, dual enrollment, transfer credit, etc.
Associate of Arts Degree Pathways:
Meta Major: Social Sciences
Meta Major: Natural Sciences
Meta Major: Business & Technology
Meta Major: Health Sciences
Associate of Arts Degree Catalog
Career Opportunities
Associates of Arts Degree holders can pursue careers in a number of industries. Those looking to further their education can transfer their Associate of Arts Degree to pursue a Bachelor's degree at a 4 year institution. The following are recognized baccalaureate tracks within the AA degree: Business, Chemical and Addiction Studies, Communication Science and Disorders, Education, Environmental Studies, Healthcare Informatics, Health & Human Performance, Health IT, Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management, Police Science/Sociology, Psychology, and Sociology.
General Requirements
Although the AA degree does not include a major or minor courses of study, students may elect to choose coursework that is part of a specific area of interest. Baccalaureate tracks are specific plans of study designed to help students earn an AA degree while simultaneously working towards UM baccalaureate degree requirements. UM Bitterroot has worked with individual UM Departments to forge agreements to ensure that students completing baccalaureate tracks will enter into the major with numerous major requirements already fulfilled.
Recognized baccalaureate tracks within the Associate of Arts degree include:
- Business
- Chemical and Addiction Studies (by pursuing this emphasis, students complete both a general Associate of Arts degree and the preparatory coursework required to become a licensed addictions counselor.)
- Communication Science and Disorders
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- Environmental Studies
- Healthcare Informatics
- Health and Human Performance
- Health IT
- Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management
- Police Science/Sociology (for individuals attending the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, a specialized Associate of Arts degree is offered through a collaboration among Missoula College UM, the University of Montana Department Of Sociology, and the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in Helena, MT.)
- Psychology
- Sociology
Here at UM Bitterroot we offer a few different concentrations in the social sciences. Concentrations are meant to help students focus on a specific area of interest. Unlike areas of emphasis, these concentrations are recorded on the student's transcript as a concentration of the AA degree itself with the goal of providing students with an opportunity to receive an AA degree with a focus on an area that is of increasing demand to employers.
Associate of Arts Degree Concentrations -
- Communication Studies
- Professional Communication
- Psychology
- Speech Language Pathology Assistant