A professor teaching a class and a graduate holding a degree

Associate in Arts Degree

Start here with an A.A. and go anywhere.

That is more than a catch phrase: the Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.) is perfect for transferring to a bachelor's degree from a four-year college, such as EFSC, or from a university, including through the DirectConnect to UCF guaranteed transfer option.

It's designed as a university parallel degree and is comparable to the freshman and sophomore years (lower division) of a university program. The A.A. requires a total of 60 college-level credit hours.

Earn an A.A. at Eastern Florida State College and you can move on to a baccalaureate degree program at a University — or right here at EFSC through our affordable and close-to-home bachelor program options.

It's all about planning ahead

If you intend to transfer to a bachelor-level program at EFSC or at another university or college, please work with your academic advisor to ensure your general education and elective courses align with your educational goals and the requirements of the institution you will transfer to. There may be course prerequisites for your bachelor program, and with the right planning, you can make those classes part of your A.A. degree's general education or elective coursework.

A.A. Degree COURSE CURRICULUM

Within the 60 credit hour curriculum, students must successfully complete 36 credit hours of general education courses in the subject areas of communications, mathematics, humanities, behavioral/social sciences, and natural sciences.

A specific number of credit hours are required in each subject area. A grade of "C" or higher must be earned in all courses designated as meeting the College-Level Communication and Computation Skills requirements dictated by the state of Florida.

The remaining 24 credit hours are electives and you want those electives to prepare you for your long-term goals.

Associate in Arts Degree

Program Overview

Degree Type: Associate in Arts (A.A.)
Delivery Method: On-Campus, Hybrid, 100% Online Option
Location: Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville
Total Credit Hours: 60
Academic Communities: Arts, Humanities, Communication, & Design Business Education Health Sciences Industry/Manufacturing & Construction Public Safety Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Social & Behavioral Sciences & Human Services
Contact Information: EFSC Advising
advising@easternflorida.edu

See advising options for Dec. 2, 2024 - Jan. 22, 2025 due to the peak registration period.

Review the curriculum and the details below about how to apply, graduation requirements, and preparing for successful transfer with your A.A. We're here to help you throughout your journey so stay in touch with your advisor, who will be assigned once you're accepted.

View A.A. Course Curriculum

How to Apply and Meet A.A. Requirements

The A.A. degree is an open enrollment program so students can apply at any time to start during any academic term: Fall, Spring, or Summer. We do suggest applying by our priority deadlines to ensure you have time to wrap up any admissions requirements and be ready to register for your first choice of classes.

To apply, follow the general EFSC admissions process, using the steps based on what type of student you are, such as a first time in college or returning/readmit student. Earning an A.A. degree while still in high school is a popular objective for those in EFSC's Dual Enrollment program.

Plan to satisfy the following A.A. requirements:

Foreign Language Requirement

This is a state of Florida requirement. Students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in fall 2014 and after, including former dual enrollment students entering college for the first time following high school graduation, must demonstrate competency in a foreign language. Visit EFSC's Foreign Language Competency page for more details on meeting this requirement, including through high school coursework or proficiency testing offered at EFSC.

CORE Courses and the A.A.

All students must successfully complete at least one core course from each of the general education subject areas: Communications, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, as required by state statute.

Visit EFSC’s CORE Course page for more details on meeting this requirement.

Civic Literacy Competency

Florida lawmakers want graduates of the Florida College System to understand America's civics, especially the principles in the United States Constitution. All associate and bachelor degree students must satisfy the state's Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement, which there are multiple ways to do. Visit the Civic Literacy Competency page for details on the requirement and how to meet it, plus detailed Frequently Asked Questions about the related courses and civic literacy exams.

Brief Costs Information & Financial Aid Eligibility

The A.A. degree is 60 credits so tuition for a Florida resident is $6,240, plus there will be the added cost of books, course materials, and lab fees based on the courses you take. Visit the tuition and fees section for more details, including out-of-state student tuition rates.

The program is eligible for federal financial aid and scholarships, plus veterans educational benefits so all students are encouraged to apply for an aid package to help with the cost of earning an Associate in Arts degree. Students can also use Florida Prepaid Plans, have tuition covered by Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, and also use the flexible payment plan to spread out tuition payments through EFSC's partnership with Nelnet.

Preparing to Transfer with an A.A. Degree

start your A.A. with your long-range goal in mind

Florida’s Statewide Articulation Agreement, general education requirements, common prerequisites, a Statewide Course Numbering System, and Florida's online educational hub known as FloridaShines all assist students in transitioning smoothly from two-year to four-year college or university programs, including EFSC’s Bachelor degrees. Students are provided certain guarantees and protections to ensure the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree program is comparable to the first two years of a four-year program.

EFSC partners with the University of Central Florida to offer DirectConnect to UCF, which helps streamline the transfer process for A.A. students who want to move on to a bachelor program at UCF. Submit UCF's "Get Started" form and a UCF Connect specialist will help schedule an appointment with a UCF Success Coach.

Advisors and Transfer Resources are Key

Advisors at every Florida public university, plus private and out-of-state institutions, will work with you to help ensure your A.A. courses prepare you to apply to their baccalaureate programs. To transfer into junior level work in a specific major, students must have completed the common program prerequisites for their selected baccalaureate degree. In addition to knowing the common prerequisites, you will want to identify your intended transfer institution and check on any specific admission requirements for the program you would like to transfer into. EFSC advisors can help guide you through this process and FloridaShines has extensive resources for preparing to transfer.

Explore our transfer options webpage and visit our articulation agreements page for more information on the documents that guide the transfer process after receiving an EFSC credential. Plus see the Florida College Transfer Student Bill of Rights below and click to view official EFSC Catalog A.A. information.

An EFSC A.A. Degree: The Path to Harvard

Without the critical thinking skills I developed through my coursework, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my academic and professional aspirations. I never would’ve started on this journey, and I definitely wouldn’t have ended up graduating from Harvard.Read Kendall's Story

Transfer Student Bill of Rights

Students who graduate from Florida colleges with an A.A. degree are guaranteed the following rights under the Statewide Articulation Agreement (State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.024):

Admission to one of the state universities, except to limited access programs.
Acceptance of at least 60 semester hours by the state universities.
Adherence to the university requirements and policies, based on the catalog in effect at the time the student first enters college, provided the student maintains continuous enrollment.
Transfer of equivalent courses under the Statewide Course Numbering System Acceptance by the state universities of credits earned in accelerated programs (e.g., CLEP, AP, Dual Enrollment, Early Admission, International Baccalaureate and AICE).
No additional General Education Core requirements. Advance knowledge of selection criteria for limited access programs.
Equal opportunity with native university students to enter limited access programs.
The state universities will honor all grade forgiveness awarded under the A.A. degree.