Mar 19, 2024  
Catalog 2017-2018 
    
Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Planning Your Associate Degree



CCV offers students a choice of many different programs leading to associate of arts (A.A.), associate of science (A.S.), and associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degrees. Students work closely with CCV advisors to determine which degree program best fits their personal interests and career goals. CCV degree programs prepare students for a range of professional fields including business, technology, arts, allied health, and human services. Students who prefer a high degree of flexibility in course selection may take advantage of CCV’s Liberal Studies or STEM Studies degrees and choose from a broad array of courses in liberal arts or technical fields.

Students may enroll either full- or part-time in all degree programs, and the vast majority of our degree students attend part-time (or fewer than four courses per semester). Students are eligible for all services including financial aid counseling and academic advising, regardless of full or part-time status.

Requirements for the Associate Degree

CCV’s associate degree requires a minimum of 60 college-level credits. Depending on the degree program, students complete between 19 and 22 college-level courses. Each degree is made up of two components: the general education  requirements and the program concentration requirements. General education requirements are required for every CCV degree program and provide students with a strong foundation of academic skills across a range of disciplines. Program concentration requirements are different for each degree and help students build skills and knowledge for specific professional fields.

Associate Degree Requirements

General Education Requirements (24-33 credits)

Program Concentration Requirements (24-40 credits)

Electives (0-9 credits)

The objectives and course requirements for all programs are described here .

Additional graduation requirements are listed in the Degree Completion Policy, available at www.ccv.edu/policy.

General Education Requirements

The purpose of the general education program at CCV is to develop engaged, self-directed, and collaborative learners who demonstrate core competencies, recognize and apply strategies of inquiry, and embrace the challenge, complexity, and wonder of our interconnected world.

There are three areas of general education: core competencies, areas of inquiry, and integrative approaches.

Core Competencies are fundamental to academic learning and crucial for successful participation and decision-making in public, private, and professional work. Courses fulfilling the core competencies requirement introduce students to the framework of the four Vermont State College’s graduation standards and help students:

  • Develop written work with a clear thesis, organize supporting arguments, and employ correct syntax, mechanics, and disciplinary conventions.
  • Prepare, organize, support, and orally present ideas that engage an audience and employ appropriate tone, language, and delivery style.
  • Identify the information needed to approach a problem analytically; discover and evaluate academic resources using appropriate search strategies; and responsibly incorporate, represent, and cite source materials in student work.
  • Use quantitative models, methods, and tools to evaluate information, draw conclusions, and provide supporting evidence for applications across a variety of disciplines.
  • Identify and use appropriate technologies to locate, manage, and represent information electronically.

Areas of Inquiry provide a variety of intellectual tools to understand the world and our place in it. CCV broadly defines these areas as the study of the natural world through the scientific method, the study of human expression through the arts and humanities, and the study of human behavior through history and the social sciences.

Integrative Approaches help us explore the complexity of the natural and social world over time and with respect to others. As relations between individuals, societies, and their environments become more complex, educated individuals need to draw upon a variety of perspectives in order to guide the direction of their lives, live as informed and involved community members, and act creatively. Students can satisfy the integrative approaches requirement through successful completion of CCV’s required interdisciplinary capstone course, Seminar in Educational Inquiry, and a choice of one course that promotes global awareness and an understanding of the human and natural processes that impact the future of individuals, societies and environments across the globe.

Courses in Areas of Inquiry and Integrative Approaches prepare students to:

  • Apply an interdisciplinary approach to learning, drawing from various disciplines, such as science, humanities, and social sciences, to cultivate multiple perspectives on problems, issues, and topics.

General Education Requirements for AA and AS Degrees*

Core Competencies (18 credits total)
First Semester Seminar (3 cr)
Technological Literacy (3 cr)
Communication (3 cr)
English Composition (3 cr)
Mathematics (3 cr)
Research & Writing Intensive (3 cr)

Areas of Inquiry (9 credits total)
Scientific Method (3 cr)
Human Expression (3 cr)
Human Behavior (3 cr)

Integrative Approaches (6 credits total)
Global Perspectives & Sustainability (3 cr)
Seminar in Educational Inquiry (3 cr)

*View the General Education Requirements for Associate Degrees  for additional information including general education requirements for Liberal Studies and AAS degrees and a list of courses that meet the general education requirements.