Liberal Arts, Associate in Arts
Program Description
The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Liberal Arts is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university. The degree program includes 45 credits of General Education courses plus elective courses for a minimum total of 60 credits. General Education courses must be selected from the official list of Approved General Education Courses. All students must complete STSC 150, Student Success Seminar, during their first year of enrollment. When selecting electives, students may take courses that interest them. The Liberal Arts degree can include no more than 6 credits of business courses (ACCT, BUSN, HRTM, and LAAW).
Specific Areas of Interest Available to AA in Liberal Arts Students
The Liberal Arts degree does not require an academic major. While attending OCC, students may begin to explore specific areas of interest that they may pursue at a four-year institution. Areas of interest include the following:
- Economics
- Exercise Science / Sports Medicine / Sports Management
- Film Studies
- Health and Human Performance
- Languages
- Mathematics
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Political Science
- Social Science
- Sociology
- Speech and Theater
Transfer Information
Students pursuing the Liberal Arts degree can transfer into a wide range of degree programs, such as Sociology, Political Science, and Communications. Students are encouraged to work closely with OCC faculty and The Advising and Transfer Services Office. Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution in NJ can explore the “Transfer Programs” feature on NJ Transfer www.njtransfer.org.
Career Information
The Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science Degrees are designed to provide students with the coursework needed to transfer to a four-year institution and pursue a bachelor’s degree. The curriculum provides students the knowledge and skills needed to pursue various career pathways, while providing a credential beyond the high school degree. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with OCC faculty and Career Services as they begin to explore career options. OCC students can also utilize Focus2 Career, a resource provided by OCC, to explore degree programs and corresponding careers. To get started, log in through Ocean Connect.
Students are encouraged to keep track of degree requirements by using the “My Progress” screen on Student Planning. Student Planning can be accessed via logging into Ocean Connect.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | ||
| ENGL 151 | English I | 3 |
| ENGL 152 | English II | 3 |
| COMM 154 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| History | ||
| History Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| History Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Humanities Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Humanities Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Humanities Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Science | ||
| Social Science Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Science Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Diversity | ||
| Diversity Gen. Ed. Requirement | 3 | |
| Mathematics-Science-Technology | ||
| Mathematics, Lab Science, and Technology Gen. Ed. Requirement 1 | 12 | |
| Program Requirement | ||
| Any STSC - Student Success Seminar course 2 | 2 | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Electives to meet 60 credits | 13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Students must select one math course, one lab science course, and one technology course and complete the 12 cr. Requirement with any additional math or science course from the List of Approved General Education Courses.
Students may attempt to ‘test out” of the technology requirement. If they succeed, they must take an additional course(s), in math or science from the List of Approved General Educational Courses.- 2
A variety of STSC -Student Success Seminar courses are available. Please speak to your academic advisor for assistance when selecting.