Degrees and Certificates

The program-specific Associate in Arts and Sciences (AA) transfer degree is for students who are sure of the baccalaureate institution they wish to attend.  This may be a good option for students who plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in a professional field.  Students must work closely with their program advisor to design a program that will fulfill the transfer institution’s general admission and program entry requirements.  Students should expect to have courses evaluated on a course-by-course basis upon transfer to the upper division.  The LCC program advisor and the appropriate department chair must approve the intended program, and the student must file an intent to earn this degree when applying for graduation from LCC.

To earn an AA, you need:

• General Requirements for Earning an Associate Degree (above).
• Communications requirement—15 credits: ENGL& 101 English Composition I, ENGL& 102 Composition II or ENGL& 235 Technical Writing, and CMST& 220 Intro to Public Speaking or CMST& 230 Small Group Communication.
• Other: 70 credits minimum - approved by the program advisor and the appropriate department chair.

The Direct Transfer Agreement associate degree, sometimes called the Associate in Arts or Associate in Arts and Sciences degree, is the community college degree designed to transfer to most bachelor of arts degree programs at Washington’s four-year institutions.

Degrees structured under the DTA umbrella provide:

• Admissions consideration at public universities for most humanities and social science majors vs. non-degreed transfers.
• Completion of lower division general education requirements although may not meet all individual institutional requirements.
• Completion of the DTA degree generally provides a student with a minimum of 90 quarter or 60 semester credits upon entry to a four-year institution.
• Opportunity to explore several fields of study through the category of up to 30 credits of elective courses.
• Opportunity to complete prerequisites for a future major.

To earn an AA-DTA, you need:

• General Requirements for Earning an Associate Degree (above).
• Communications requirement—15 credits: ENGL& 101, ENGL& 102, and CMST& 220 or CMST& 230.
• Quantitative/symbolic reasoning skills requirement— 5 credits— Intermediate Algebra Proficiency required. Choose one of the following: MATH& 107 or higher with the exception of MATH& 131.
• Humanities requirement—15 credits from at least two areas on the Distribution List. No more than 10 credits from any one discipline; no more than 5 credits in performance skills courses; no more than 5 credits in foreign language at the 100 level. Courses may be credited toward no more than one distribution.
• Social Sciences requirement—15 credits from at least two areas on the Distribution List. No more than 10 credits from any one discipline. Courses may be credited toward no more than one distribution.
• Natural Sciences requirement—15 credits. Selected from at least two disciplines on the distribution list for transfer degrees including 5 credits of lab courses. At least 10 credits must be in physical, biological and/or earth sciences. No more than 10 credits from any one discipline and no more than 5 credits from Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering. Courses used to satisfy this requirement may not be used to satisfy the Quantitative Skills requirement.
• Diversity requirement—5 credits. Courses that meet this requirement may also be used toward other graduation requirements and will be designated in course schedules.
• Electives—of the remaining credits taken to earn 90 credits for the degree, no more than 15 credits may be taken from the restricted course list.

AA-DTA degree options are arranged by area of concentration in the "Degree Reqirements" section of this catalog. Areas of concentration, grouped by Career Pathway, include:

• Arts, Communication and Humanities
  • Art and Design
  • Communication Studies
  • Drama
  • English
  • Music
• Teacher Education and Early Learning
  • Education
• No Career Pathway
  • General Studies
  • General Studies - Online
• Health Sciences and Wellness
  • Health and Fitness
  • Substance Use Disorder Studies
• Social Science and Criminal Justice
  • Anthropology
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economics
  • History
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Pre-Law
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  • Earth Sciences

Major Related Program (MRP) degrees build on the Associate in Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement degree for students in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and the Associate in Sciences - Transfer degree for students in engineering and science-based fields. Two- and four-year colleges work together to create these programs so that LCC graduates can transfer smoothly into the bachelor degree program of their choice.

Specific requirements for the different MRP degrees are located in the 'Programs of Study' section of the catalog.

The Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degree is built upon the technical courses required for job preparation but also includes a college-level general education component common in structure for all such degrees. Public and private universities are not required to accept AAS-T degrees. Students must check with their advisor at Lower Columbia College and a representative from the college they plan to attend to determine the specific transfer and admission requirements in their field of study.

The Associate in Science - Transfer degree is designed for community and technical college students seeking to major in engineering and science. Degrees structured under the AS-T umbrella provide:

• Admissions consideration at public universities for most science and engineering majors vs. transfer students without a degree.
• Completion of similar lower division general education requirements as first-year and second-year university students in engineering or science-based fields.
• Credit for all courses completed within the AS-T up to 90 credits. In some cases more credits may be accepted.
• Opportunity to complete math and science prerequisites for the chosen major.

There are two AS-T degree options:

• Option One: biological sciences, environmental or resource sciences, chemistry, geology, and earth sciences.
• Option Two: computer science, engineering, physics, and atmospheric sciences.

For either of these options, you must work closely with your advisor and enroll in courses that meet your transfer institution’s requirements.

To earn an AS-T, you need:

• General Requirements for Earning an Associate Degree (above).
• Communications requirement—ENGL& 101 (5 credits).
• Mathematics requirement—MATH& 151 and 152 (10 credits).
• Humanities/Social Sciences requirement—15 credits.
• Pre-major program courses specific to the appropriate track. It is recommended that all sequence courses be completed at one institution.
• Remaining courses specific to the appropriate track: 10-15 credits.

The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree is a 180 credit baccalaureate degree, specifically designed to build on professional/technical associate degrees that provide workplace skills, such as Associate in Applied Science - Transfer (AAS-T) degrees. BAS degrees include a professional core of courses from the AAS-T degree, general education credits, and upper-division courses. BAS degrees are a pathway to the baccalaureate level with upper-division coursework in an applied field, providing expanded career opportunities for graduates and meeting the needs of employers in the community.

BAS degree general requirements:

• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 as designated by each individual BAS program.
• A minimum of 50 quarter hours of general education courses are required in the following distribution areas:
  • Communication Skills (10 credits). Must include at least two communication courses to include a minimum of one English composition course (ENGL& 101). Remaining credits must be an additional composition course or designated writing-intensive course or course in basic speaking skills (e.g., speech, rhetoric, or debate).
  • Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Skills (5 credits). Must be achieved through one of the following college-level courses: symbolic reasoning or a quantitative reasoning course in computer science, statistics, or mathematics.
  • Distribution requirements:
    • Humanities (5 credits).
    • Social Sciences (5 credits).
    • Natural Sciences (5 credits). At least 5 credits in physical, biological and/or earth sciences. Must include at least one laboratory course.
  • Additional general education courses (20 credits). Remaining general education courses needed to achieve the required 50 credits must be selected from distribution areas above or as specifically designated by each baccalaureate degree.

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by one of the following agencies:

• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC)
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

will have met the general education requirements (basic and distribution areas) for an applied baccalaureate degree from a Washington State community or technical college. Students must still complete program-specific general education degree requirements if not otherwise satisfied.

Specific requirements for the BAS in Teacher Education (BAS-TE)

• To qualify for admission, applicants must have an AAS or AAS-T degree or equivalent. The program offers two tracks: teacher certification (track one) and non-certification (track two). The teacher certification option offers endorsements in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. The non-certification option provides specialized coursework for working with children and families in early learning settings.
• Acceptance into the program is by application only and requires fulfilling admittance requirements. Students should consult with an advisor regarding additional prerequisite course requirements to be completed before beginning the program.
• This BAS degree is awarded upon completion of a minimum of 180 credits as outlined. More BAS-TE information is available online at lowercolumbia.edu/bas-teacher-education.

To earn an AAS, you need:

• Minimum of 90 credits in courses numbered 050 and above.
• Communications requirement—5 credits. ENGL& 101, ENGL& 102, or 110; BUS 119; or CMST& 220. See specific program planners for communication course requirements for each program of study.
• Quantitative skills requirement—5 credits. MATH& 107 or higher, Math 105, Math 106 or BUS 104. See specific program planners for math course requirements for each program of study.
• Human Relations requirement—2-5 credits. ANTH& 206; BUS 144, BUS 150, or BUS 240; CDS 102 or 215; ECED& 115 or 130; HDEV 110; NURS 101 or 202; PSYC& 100, PSYC 204, or 214; SOC& 101; or CMST& 210.
• Note: courses that meet Human Relations requirement may also be used to satisfy another requirement of the degree.
• Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities requirement—10 credits. At least 5 credits each in two of these three areas.
• Minimum of 45 credits for specific courses identified in the degree program and recommended by the advisor.
• No more than 6 credits in PHED activity courses; no more than 15 credits in Cooperative Work Experience, Tutoring, and/or Independent Study. No more than 15 pass/fail credits, except when a pass/fail class is required by a specific program or when earned as non-traditional credits. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in graded courses.
• Diversity requirement—5 credits. See quarterly schedule for diversity classes. Courses that satisfy this requirement may also be used to satisfy other graduation requirements.

• 45 credits or more.
• Communications requirement—5 credits.
• Quantitative skills requirement—5 credits.
• Social Science/Human Relations requirement—5 credits.
• Some programs also have a Natural Sciences and/or Health requirement.

This short-term program of occupational training consists of a sequence of courses totaling 1-44 credits. Many students choose to continue earning credits, going on to earn a certificate of proficiency or an associate degree.