The Associate of Arts Degree is equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree program and is offered for those students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to complete the last two years of a bachelor's degree program. The A.A. Degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 60 credit hours of general education and college credit electives, attainment of the appropriate minimum grade point averages, CLAST requirements, and completion of all other applicable college graduation requirements.

A.A. Degree students should work closely with a counselor or faculty advisor to select the appropriate courses to meet their degree goals.

A.A. Degree Requirements

The A.A. Degree curriculum requires the following.

1. Complete 36 credit hours of general education courses distributed appropriately across the Communications, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, and General Education Elective Categories presented on pages 52 & 53.

2. Complete 24 credit hours of college credit electives in a specialization/area of emphasis selected from the listing of State University Baccalaureate Programs on page 53.

3. 6A-10.030 (the "Gordon Rule"):
   • Attain a grade of "C" or higher in each Gordon Rule writing course (any general education course from the Communications or Humanities Categories), whether credits in such courses are earned at OWCC or elsewhere.

   • Complete the 24,000 word Gordon Rule writing requirement; (students who complete 6-7 credits each from the Communications and Humanities Categories will satisfy this requirement).

   • Attain a grade of "C" or higher in each Gordon Rule mathematics course (any course from the Mathematics Category that is used to meet A.A. general education requirements), whether credits in such courses are earned at OWCC or elsewhere.

4. Satisfy the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) requirements.

5. Complete at least 15 credits at OWCC; (normally, an A.A. Degree seeking student will be required to complete his/her last fifteen credits at OWCC).

6. Maintain minimum GPA standards as specified in the graduation requirements section of this catalog.

7. Meet all general college graduation requirements.

Custom Designed Associate of Arts Degree Programs. Students who wish to pursue a planned program of transfer studies customized to meet the requirements of a specific program or upper-division school may request development of a customized A.A. Degree plan by submitting a written request to the Vice President for Instruction. If approved, the student will work with an advisor from the specialty area to develop his/her sequence of courses. Customized plans must accommodate the OWCC general education requirements, as well as all applicable college graduation policies.

Transferring to a Four-Year College or University within the State of Florida. OWCC faculty members, counselors and advisors will gladly assist students in achieving a smooth transfer to senior institutions in Florida. Liaison representatives from the respective public institutions in the state are eager to help OWCC. Several of the liaisons make regular visits to campus and will meet directly with students to answer questions. The names of the liaisons and dates of upcoming visits are available in the Office of Enrollment Services. In addition, Common Prerequisite Manuals for the Florida State University System, as well as many university catalogs are available in the Learning Resources Center and the student services areas at each college location.

It is desirable that students transferring to a senior institution plan their program so that the transfer may occur at the beginning of the academic year (normally in the fall). Curricula are usually offered in sequence. It is best for the student to complete the entire two-year degree program prior to transfer, as A.A. graduates who transfer to one of the institutions in the Florida State System enjoy certain protections under the statewide articulation agreement. These rights are presented in the "Student Bill of Rights" on page 56.