Types of Degrees and Certificates Offered

Associate in Arts Degree

The Associate in Arts degree (A.A.) is designed for students who plan to transfer to a Florida public four-year institution as a junior to complete a bachelor’s degree program. The A.A. degree provides the courses of study equivalent to those offered in the freshman and sophomore years at Florida’s state colleges and universities. The A.A. degree requirements consist of 36 credit hours of general education and 24 credit hours of electives. Students should select elective courses that are required for admission to the student’s intended major at the desired college or university.

Associate in Science Degree

The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree programs prepare students to enter a specific career immediately after graduation. In most cases, they are not considered equal to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program. However, some of the credits earned in an A.S. degree program may be transferrable to a four-year college or university.

College-credit Certificate

Certificate programs prepare students for a specific career. Most credits earned in a certificate program are not transferrable to a four-year college or university. However, the credits earned in a certificate program may be able to be applied to a specific Associate in Science degree program in the same field.

Career and Technical Certificate

Career and Technical certificate programs prepare students for specific careers that do not require a college-credit degree or certificate. The Career and Technical Certificate programs are built around a certain number of required clock hours of instruction. Students enrolled in Career and Technical Certificate programs do not earn college credits. Generally, Career and Technical Certificate programs are not transferrable to a four-year college or university. However, in some limited circumstances students may be able to apply certain parts of the instruction received in a Career and Technical Certificate program to a college-credit certificate or degree program.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program is designed for individuals who already hold an Associate of Science degree in nursing (ADN).