INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS -- Degree Requirements

 

	Degrees
	A.A.	A.S.	A.A.A.	A.A.S.
1Written & Oral Communication	9	9	6	6
2Humanities	6	6	3	3
3Foreign Language	6	-	-	-
4Social Sciences	12	94	6	6
5Mathematics	6	6	0-3	0-3
6Natural Sciences	8	8	0-3	0-3
7SDV Elective	1	1	1	1
8Physical Education/Wellness	2	2	2	2
9Elective & Major Area Requirements	7-16	16-22	41-48	44-48
10Total Credits*	60-63	60-63	65-69	65-69

*Minimum credits required for each degree program as specified by the Virginia Community College System.

¹Written and Oral Communication. For A.A. and A.S. degrees, ENG 111-ENG 112, College Composition I-II are required. A 3-credit speech course is also required.

For A.A.A. and A.A.S. degrees, 3 credits in English composition (ENG 111, College Composition, ENG 115, Technical Writing, or ENG 131, Technical Report Writing) and a speech course are required.

See the following “General Education Electives” section for a list of approved general education courses.

²Humanities. Humanities requirements may be met by selected courses in art (ART), 200-level literature (ENG), humanities (HUM), music (MUS), philosophy (PHI), religion (REL), American Sign Language (ASL), foreign languages, and the history (HIS) courses specified under Humanities Electives on page 38.

See the following “General Education Electives” section for a list of approved general education courses.

³Foreign Language. If you are in an A.A. program, you must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate (201-202) level, which is consistent with the lower division requirements for most B.A. degrees. Waivers or credit by exam (through CLEP) for previous experience may be available for some languages.

⁴Social Sciences. The social science requirement may be met by selected courses in economics (ECO), geography (GEO), history (HIS), political science (PLS), psychology (PSY), and sociology (SOC). Where the social science is listed as an elective in a curriculum, you may select from courses in any of these areas.

Only 6 semester hours of social/behavioral sciences are required for engineering majors who plan to transfer to a baccalaureate degree engineering program that requires 6 or fewer hours in this category, provided that the college/university publishes such requirements in its transfer guide.

See the following “General Education Electives” section for a list of approved general education courses.

⁵Mathematics. A.A. and A.S.: A minimum of 6 credits in mathematics at or above MTH 151 is required. The General Studies A.S. degree requires only 3 credits of mathematics.
A.A.A. and A.A.S: A minimum of 3 credits must be earned in mathematics/natural sciences. In degrees that have a science requirement, the mathematics course may be fewer than 3 credits.

See the following “General Education Electives” section for a list of approved general education courses.

⁶Natural Sciences. A.A. and A.S. degrees require 8 credits in courses in the natural sciences that include laboratories. Courses may be chosen from biology (BIO), chemistry (CHM), geology (GOL), natural science (NAS) (non-science majors only) or physics (PHY). Some four-year degree programs require a two-semester sequence in a single laboratory science.

A.A.A. and A.A.S. degrees may or may not require a natural science, depending on the curriculum.

See the following “General Education Electives” section for a list of approved general education courses.

⁷SDV Elective. A one-credit Student Development course is required. All Student Development courses cover topics related to academic success, responsible decision making, and college information. Some sections address additional topics. First-time NOVA College students are required to take an SDV course before enrolling for their 16th semester hour at the College.

⁸Physical Education/Wellness. The 2-credit physical education/wellness requirement may be met by one of the following options:

• PED 116, 1 credit, and a PED activities course, 1 credit
• PED 116, 2 credits
• PED 116, 1 credit, and an RPK activity course.
• PED 220, 2 credits

⁹General Elective and Major Area Requirements. Not all courses will transfer or meet the requirements of a four-year degree. You should see a counselor or faculty advisor prior to registering for general electives. If your primary goal is to transfer to a four-year degree program, you should become familiar with the requirements of your intended transfer institution and select electives that meet that institution’s requirements.

¹⁰Total Credits. The total credits in A.A.S. degrees are between 65 and 69 credits, with the exception of the programs in Allied Health and Veterinary Technology that may have as many as 72 credits.

Note:  Students no longer are required to demonstrate computer competency as a requirement for graduation apart from their regular course requirements.