Requirements for Associate of Arts Degree

Students are required to complete 60 hours of transferable college-level credit to receive an Associate of Arts (AA) degree. Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-14.0303  requires 36 semester hours of general education courses, excluding college prep/developmental education courses. The remaining 24 credit hours are elective credits. Also, graduates must meet the following requirements:  

• Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.030, College-Level Communication and Computation Skills (formerly known as the Gordon Rule)

• Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.02413, Civic Literacy Competency

• Bachelor students must complete the state-mandated foreign language requirement by the time they graduate with their degree. If students are not going to pursue a bachelor's degree, they must complete their foreign language requirement before graduating with their AA.

• Complete a Cultural/Global Focus Area course within the General Education curriculum or as an elective.

• Meet the Daytona State College residency requirements.

• Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a Daytona State College 2.0 GPA. (See Graduation Requirements and Procedures.)

Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.030, College-Level Communication and Computational Skills (formerly known as the Gordon Rule):

In accordance with the Florida Department of Education Administrative Rule, all students are mandated to satisfactorily complete 12 semester hours of courses which include written assignments demonstrating college-level writing skills and also satisfactorily complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours of mathematics. This rule applies to all students prior to receipt of an AA degree from a public community college or university, or prior to entry into upper division of a public university. For the purpose of this rule, a grade of "C" or better shall be considered successful completion.

Students who do not complete all of the College-Level Communication and Computational Skills courses within the 60 credits must complete additional courses to fulfill AA degree requirements.

Courses that satisfy the College-Level Communication and Computational Skills rule are part of the General Education Core and are listed in the college catalog under Requirements for Associate of Arts Degree under Communication, Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences. College-Level Communication and Computational Skills Writing Courses consist of any course denoted as a College-Level Communication and Computational Skills course EXCEPT those in the Mathematics Core.

Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.02413, Civic Literacy Competency

In accordance with the Florida Department of Education Administrative Rule, AA and baccalaureate students entering a Florida College System institution must demonstrate competency in civic literacy prior to graduation

First-time-in-college students entering a Florida College System institution between the academic years 2018-19 to 2020-21 can meet this requirement through one of the following options:

• Successfully pass POS2041 American Federal Government or AMH2020 United States History 1865 to Present; or

• Achieve a standard score on one of three assessments:
  • AP Government and Politics: United States
  • AP United States History
  • CLEP: American Government

All students initially entering a Florida College System institution in academic years 2021-22 to 2023-24 can meet this requirement through one of the following options:

• Successfully pass POS2041 American Federal Government or AMH2020 United States History 1865 to Present and achieve a standard score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination; or
• Achieve a standard score on one of three assessments:
  • AP Government and Politics: United States</li>
  • AP United States History
  • CLEP: American Government

All students initially entering a Florida College System institution in academic years 2024-25 and beyond can meet this requirement through one of the following options:

• Successfully pass POS2041 American Federal Government, AMH2020 United States History 1865 to Present, or AMH2010 United States History to 1877 and achieve a standard score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination; or
• Achieve a standard score on one of three assessments:
  • AP Government and Politics: United States</li>
  • AP United States History
  • CLEP: American Government
  • CLEP: History of the United States I

Foreign Language Requirements

In accordance with Florida Statute 1007.25 and 1007.262, students who are enrolled in DSC’s Associate of Arts degree or a baccalaureate degree program are required to meet foreign language requirements. One of the following options can fulfill requirement:

• Completion of two credits (two years) of sequential high school foreign language instruction in one language other than English with a passing grade each year as documented on an official high school transcript.

• Completion of two college semesters of the same foreign language, or two college semesters in American Sign Language (ASL2140 and ASL2150 or higher) with a passing grade in each course to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the elementary two level or above.

• Passing Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (AICE), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or other DSC recognized testing equivalent to the sequence of two college credit courses in one foreign language.

Foreign and sign language courses satisfy elective credits toward the A.A. degree. All A.A. and Bachelor's degree recipients must meet the foreign language requirement. This requirement satisfies foreign language proficiency at Daytona State College, it may not satisfy a specific university graduation requirement.  Students should contact the institution they are interested in attending to find out their requirements.

Cultural/Global Focus Area Elective

Three (3) of the 24 elective credits must be a Cultural/Global Focus Area elective. This is a graduation requirement for students in the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree. This requirement can also be satisfied using a course designated as Cultural/Global under Humanities and Social Sciences within the General Education curriculum. If the Cultural/Global Focus Area graduation requirement is satisfied using a course in the general education curriculum, the graduation requirement is satisfied. If not, students must complete one as an elective within the Associate of Arts (AA) Electives. Elective courses available to meet this requirement outside of the general education curriculum include ASL2140, FRE1120, GER1120SPN1120, and SWS2007.

Each course used to satisfy all General Education Core courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher.

Associate of Arts (AA) Elective Courses

Students are required to have 24 credit hours of elective credits to complete the Associate of Arts (AA) degree. Any college credit course that is not already counting toward a General Education requirement may be used to meet this requirement, except courses that have a course number that begins with a 0, for example MAT0018C, ARR0121C, CJK0012. Courses in limited access programs are available only for students admitted to that program. (See Course Descriptions)

Cultural/Global Focus Area Elective

*Three (3) of the 24 elective credits must be a Cultural/Global Focus Area elective. This is a graduation requirement for students in the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree. This requirement can also be satisfied using a course designated as Cultural/Global under Humanities and Social Sciences within the General Education curriculum. If the Cultural/Global Focus Area graduation requirement is satisfied using a course in the general education curriculum outlined above, then the graduation requirement is satisfied. If not, choose one to take as an elective within the Associate of Arts (AA) Electives. Elective courses available to meet this requirement outside of the general education curriculum include ASL2140, FRE1120, GER1120, and SPN1120.

Transfer Information

Florida regulations require students to take any prerequisites needed for their intended transfer school/major as part of their AA degree. Students are required to meet with an academic advisor to discuss their intended transfer school and major and be informed of the prerequisites for their intended program before they have earned 30 credit hours.

Students should know the requirements of the senior university they plan to attend and work with their Daytona State College academic advisor to select electives to fulfill the prerequisites for their major.  *Please see the Excess Hours Advisory Statement below from the Division of Florida Colleges. 

Courses transferred from other institutions are decided on an individual basis.

*EXCESS HOURS ADVISORY STATEMENT

This Division of Florida Colleges advisory statement for incoming students is intended to ensure that all students within The Florida College System understand the importance and potential consequences of their course selections.

Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes, establishes an “excess hour” surcharge for students seeking baccalaureate degrees at state universities. It is critical that students, including those entering Florida College System Institutions, are aware of the potential for additional course fees. For the 2012-13 academic year and thereafter, “excess hours” are defined as hours that go beyond 110% of the hours required for a baccalaureate degree program. For example, if the length of the program is 120 credit hours, the student may be subject to an excess hour surcharge for any credits attempted beyond 132 credit hours (110% X 120).

All students whose educational plan may include earning a bachelor’s degree should make every effort to enroll in and successfully complete those courses that are required for their intended major on their first attempt. Florida College System students intending to transfer to state universities should identify a major or “transfer program” early and, by the time the student earns 30 semester hours of college credit, be advised of admission requirements for that program, including the approved common prerequisites. Course withdrawals and/or repeats, as well as enrollment in courses nonessential to the intended major, may contribute to a potential excess hours surcharge.