Career Degrees and Certificates

Associate in Applied Science

The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) represents completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours in a technical or career program. Certificates are awarded after completion of up to 50 credits that focus on specific occupational or technical areas of study.

A.A.S. Degree Requirements

An Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded to those students who successfully complete a program of study for a specific occupational area. Candidates for the A.A.S. Degree must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Successfully completed at least 15 semester hours of credits at Prairie State College (excluding proficiency credits).
2. Completed program requirements as specified by the occupational/technical degree program (minimum of 60 semester hours).This includes a General Education Core Curriculum, program-mandated occupational/technical courses, and electives as determined by the A.A.S. degree program.
3. Attained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all Prairie State College courses.
4. Filed appropriate evidence of high school graduation or GED certificate with the Enrollment Services Office.

A.A.S. Degree Components

The A.A.S. degree is composed of a general education component, a core concentration of occupational/technical courses, and other program electives.

1. General Education Core Curriculum for the A.A.S. Degree

AREA A: Communication  (6 semester hours)

• ENG 101 [C1 900] Composition I - with a grade of C or better
• COMM 101 [C2 900] Principles of Communication

AREA B: Humanities and Fine Arts   (3 semester hours)

• One course, specified by program or selected from list for Area B at the front of this section.

AREA C: Mathematics   - demonstrate competence by:

1. Placing into MATH 095 or above on the Prairie State College Assessment Test; or
2. Completing MATH 090 - with a grade of C or better; or
3. Completing a math course(s) as specified by the degree program.

AREA D: Physical and Life Sciences   (3-4 semester hours)

• One course, specified by program or selected from the list for Area D at the front of this section.

AREA E: Social and Behavioral Sciences   (3 semester hours)

• One course, specified by program or selected from the list for Area E at the front of this section.

2. Area of Concentration/Program Requirements

Program requirements are established by each department to reflect the core competencies expected in the workplace for specific occupations.

3. Electives

Electives are determined by each department based on options for specialization within a program or to provide students with choices related to their career goals.

Certificate Guidelines

Certificates are awarded after completion of up to 50 credits that focus on specific occupational or technical areas of study. Certificates are awarded to those students completing education and training in a particular occupational field of study. A student will be recommended for a certificate if the following requirements are met:

Certificate Requirements

1. Completed the certificate requirements as specified in the certificate program.
2. Attained a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in the courses identified in the certificate program.
3. Completed 15 credit hours or one-half of the required credit hours for programs that exceed 30 credit hours, as a student at Prairie State College.