Associate in Arts

The MCCCD Associate in Arts (AA) degree requires 60-64 semester credits for the program of study. The degree includes the following components:

I. General Education:
Arizona General Education Curriculum for Arts (AGEC-A)
MCCCD Additional Requirements
II. General Electives

The Associate in Arts degree is designed for students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. In general, the components of the degree meet requirements for majors in the Liberal Arts or programs of study other than business or science. Generally, the degree will transfer as a block without loss of credit to Arizona's public universities and other institutions with district-wide articulation agreements.

In most cases, courses used to satisfy the MCCCD Associate in Arts will apply to university graduation requirements of the university major for which the degree is designed.

Details

Academic Plan Code
8400
Total credits required
60 - 64
Catalog Year
2026 - 2027
Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3
QNR Quantitative Reasoning MAT140 or higher (based on your pathway)
QNR - approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. 		QNR 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success MCCCD Requiement 1–3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3
GE General Elective* 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
IAM Institutions of the Americas IAM 3
NSI Natural Sciences Select approved NSI course(s) based on pathway. NSI 4
GE General Elective* 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3–4
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
GE General Elective* 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
GE General Elective* 3
GE General Elective* 3
GE General Elective* 3
GE General Elective* 3
GE General Elective* 3

*General Electives should be selected with advisor guidance based on educational, transfer and professional goals.

Course Area Key
  • AHM = Arts and Humanities
  • FYC = First-Year Composition
  • IAM = Institutions of the Americas
  • NSI = Natural Sciences
  • OCM = Oral Communication
  • QNR = Quantitative Reasoning
  • SCB = Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • WCM = Written Communication
Official Curriculum Documentation
View catalog page
Catalog page: https://phoenixcollege.catalog.maricopa.edu/programs/8400-PCC01
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses in the program.

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.