Degree and Certificate Information

AAS, AA, AS, AGS

Aims Community College offers a variety of instructional programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student body and the demands of a technological and diverse society. Each academic division of the college represents the integration of academics (liberal arts and sciences) and career and technical education (vocational/occupational training). The college offers four types of two-year degrees and numerous shorter career and technical certificates.

Opportunities to prepare for both a career and further education at a four-year school are available within many degree programs. Students should make it clear to advisors which option they are seeking because requirements for career entry and transfer are different. Students may earn more than one degree or certificate concurrently at Aims Community College if all course and program requirements for each degree or certificate are satisfied.

Students may not earn more than one A.A., A.S., or A.G.S. degree. Additional A.A.S. degrees or certificates must be earned in a different major/option.

The certificates/degrees and their purposes are as follows:

Career and Technical Education certificates

Entry into the workforce

Associate of Applied Science degree

Entry into the workforce

Associate of Arts degree

Transfer to four-year colleges

Associate of Science degree

Transfer to four-year colleges

Associate of General Studies degree

Tailored to student needs

Career and Technical Education Certificates

Career and Technical Education (C.T.E.) certificates are short-term courses of study that will give the student entry-level skills in a specific occupation. Some certificates are designed for skill enhancement or recertification for the career professional seeking professional development or promotion. Certificates vary in length from less than one semester to three semesters.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is a career and technical education degree plan that prepares students primarily for entry into the workforce. Although some college credits within these degree programs are accepted for transfer by particular four-year colleges and universities, career and technical education courses are not specifically designed to transfer. Some alternative transfer options may exist for the student who completes an A.A.S. degree. (See below for information on Alternative Transfer degrees.)

Associate of Arts Degree and Associate of Science Degree

The Associate of Arts (A.A.) and the Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees are guaranteed to transfer, upon admission, to baccalaureate arts and sciences degree majors at Colorado public four-year institutions if requirements for State Guaranteed General Education and the 60 + 60 articulation agreement are met. (See http://www.state.co.us/cche/ for current information regarding State Guaranteed General Education (gtPathways), the 60 + 60 Articulation Agreement, and Transfer Guides to 60 + 60 eligible majors at four-year colleges and universities in Colorado.) Students completing either an A.A. or A.S. Liberal Arts degree may elect to sign a contract to complete the course of study for the degree in two years. Any failure on the part of the student to meet the requirements of the 60 + 60 articulation or the contract to complete the A.A. degree in two years voids these agreements.

Additionally, statewide articulation agreements have been established with public four-year colleges in the majors of nursing, elementary teacher education, early childhood education, business, and engineering. Some articulation agreements also have been developed for transfer to a specific baccalaureate major at a specific four-year college.

Associate of General Studies Degree

The Associate of General Studies (A.G.S.) degree is a flexible degree plan that allows the student to combine workplace skill enhancement with arts and sciences courses. The A.G.S. degree may transfer if there is an established articulation agreement with a four-year school. Otherwise, it is not intended for transfer.

College Preparatory Courses

Aims Community College also provides courses to prepare individuals for college-level course work. College assessment testing may indicate that a student needs basic skills course work before starting in a degree or certificate program. Students who need such course work may be required to take college preparatory/developmental education courses in reading, mathematics, and/or English composition. College prep education courses are not transferable and do not fulfill degree or certificate requirements. Students should complete college prep education courses within their first 30 semester credit hours.

Continuing Education Offerings

Continuing Education (CE) offers noncredit courses in Intensive English and General Education Development (GED). For workplace skill enhancement, CE also offers customized and basic skills training for business and industry, continuing education for fire and emergency personnel, and workshops and seminars for small businesses. Additionally, CE offers quality improvement training, self-interest programs, distance learning, flight simulator training, and lifelong learning workshops and seminars as well as senior education and youth programs. Many of these offerings are in a non-credit format.

Aims Community College

Aims Community College is a single educational institution consisting of campuses and sites in Greeley, Fort Lupton, Loveland, Downtown Greeley, and Windsor. The Greeley campus also has outlying programs in the Corporate Education Center. There also are various outreach sites throughout the college’s service area in Weld and Larimer counties. All degrees and certificates are conferred by Aims Community College, not by a specific campus or site. The college does not offer all degrees and certificates at all campuses. Students who begin their education on one campus may need to complete degree/ certificate requirements on a different campus or site.

General Education

Each degree granted by the college contains a minimum number of general education courses. “General Education” refers to a group of courses designed to assist individuals to assume the responsibilities they share in common as citizens in a free society and to promote wholesome and creative participation in a wide range of life activities. Aims Community College will accept any of the following types of courses as meeting the general education requirement of the appropriate degree:

• For the Associate of Applied Science degree, specific courses that are noncareer and non-technical are required in each degree program. Courses vary from major to major.
• For the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, courses designated as State Guaranteed General Education Transfer Courses are required. For current information on State Guaranteed Transfer courses, see gtPathways at http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Transfers/.
• Statewide Articulation Agreements in nursing, elementary teacher education, early childhood education, business, and engineering specify which General Education courses are required.
• For the Associate of General Studies degree, specific arts and sciences courses are required.

Graduates of Aims Community College degree programs are expected to accomplish the following General Education competencies:

Critical Thinking Competency

The goal of instruction in “critical thinking” is to help students become capable of critical and open-minded questioning and reasoning. An understanding of argument is central to critical thinking. The Critical Thinking competency is defined as the ability to examine issues and ideas and to identify good and bad reasoning in a variety of fields with differing assumptions, contents and methods.

Reading Competency

The ability to read critically is developed as students process visual information and apply information to real problems across the curriculum. The Reading Competency is defined as the ability to read critically and thoughtfully.

Written Communication Competency

Learning to write is a complex process that takes place over time with continued practice and informed guidance. While qualified writing professionals help students learn writing skills and knowledge of writing conventions, written communication competency is developed as students apply this knowledge across the curriculum. The Written Communication Competency is defined as the ability to write clearly and concisely.

Technology Competency

The integration of appropriate technology competencies and skills support the mastery of content of general education. The use of technology should never suppress content or diminish the rigor of general education courses. The Technology Competency is defined as the ability to select and apply contemporary forms of technology to solve problems or compile information.

Mathematics Competency

The Mathematics Competency is defined as the ability to use mathematical tools and strategies to investigate and solve real problems.

Lists of criteria established for each competency are available under Core Curriculum/gtPathways at http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Transfers/.

These five competencies are presented through course work in the following content areas:

Communication
Arts and Humanities
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Mathematics
Physical and Life Sciences

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree

The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded to a student who successfully completes a program designed to prepare students for immediate employment in a full-time skilled and/or paraprofessional occupation. Each of the college’s A.A.S. degree programs is in a specified occupational field.

Although some college credits within these programs are accepted for transfer by particular four-year colleges and universities, career and technical courses are not specifically designed to transfer. The student who anticipates transferring is encouraged to check carefully the requirements of the institution and program into which he or she might desire to transfer.

General Requirements

The following are general requirements for the A.A.S. degree:

1. A minimum of sixty (60) semester hours in approved course work is required for graduation. Since each A.A.S. program is designed for a specified career and technical field, the minimum semester hours requirements above 60 will vary with the particular program.
2. A minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of the total must be in general education courses. Course requirements vary among the A.A.S. degree programs and are outlined in this catalog within the program section.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (a ‘C’ average) in the particular A.A.S. degree program curriculum is required for graduation.
4. Fifteen (15) semester hours of course work applicable to the degree and completed prior to graduation must be Aims Community College courses.
5. No courses numbered below 100 may be applied toward completion of the A.A.S. degree.
6. Courses used as electives in meeting degree requirements and taken in addition to specified courses in a particular program are accepted toward the requirements of this degree only upon the approval of the appropriate program official. This approval is given only when courses are appropriate to the educational objectives of the student.
7. An advisor in the field of study must review and sign the application for graduation and the degree worksheet to verify that the student has met degree requirements.

Certificate in Career and Technical Education

A certificate in Career and Technical Education is awarded to a student who successfully completes a career and technical program not leading to an associate degree. Normally, these programs are one year or less in duration. These programs are designed exclusively to prepare students for immediate employment. Course requirements for the various certificate programs are outlined in this catalog within the program section.

The following are general requirements for the certificate in Career and Technical Education:

1. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (a ‘C’ average) in the particular certificate program curriculum is required for graduation.
2. A minimum of one-half (50%) of course work applicable to the student’s program and completed prior to graduation must be Aims Community College courses.
3. No courses numbered below 100 may be applied toward completion of a certificate in Career and Technical Education.
4. Courses used as electives in meeting certificate requirements and taken in addition to specified courses in a particular program are accepted toward certificate requirements only upon the approval of the appropriate program official. This approval is given only when courses are appropriate to the educational objectives of the student.
5. An advisor in the field of study must review and sign the application for graduation and the certificate worksheet to verify that the student has met certificate requirements.

General Education State Guaranteed Transfer Courses

A student attending one of Colorado’s 15 community/junior colleges can complete a block of courses that will meet the freshman-sophomore general education requirements at baccalaureate, degree-granting programs in Colorado’s publicly supported four-year institutions.

The State General Education Guaranteed Transfer Courses provide a comprehensive block of transferable courses that Aims Community College students may complete alone or as the general education component of the two-year Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees. For guaranteed transfer, a grade of ‘C’ or better is required in each course. For more information, students should consult with an advisor.

Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Numbers

The numbers beside courses in the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees are Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) identifiers for guaranteed transfer of a general education course. Each number represents a requirement in a particular General Education category. For example, the code GT-CO1 represents the following: GT = Guaranteed Transfer, CO = General Education Category, and 1 = General Education Sub-category. See the CCHE website for additional information, http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Transfers/.

Student Bill of Rights

The General Assembly implemented the Student Bill of Rights (C.R.S. 23-1-125) to assure that students enrolled in public institutions of higher education have the following rights:

• A quality general education experience that develops competencies in reading, writing, mathematics, technology, and critical thinking through an integrated arts and science experience.
• Students should be able to complete their associate of arts and associate of science degree programs in no more than 60 semester credit hours or their baccalaureate programs in no more than 120 semester credit hours unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).
• A student can sign a two-year or four-year graduation agreement that formalizes a plan for that student to obtain a degree in two or four years, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by CCHE.
• Students have a right to clear and concise information concerning which courses must be completed successfully to complete their degrees.
• Students have a right to know which courses are transferable among the state public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education.
• Students, upon successful completion of core general education courses, should have those courses satisfy the core course requirements of all Colorado public institutions of higher education.
• Students have a right to know if courses from one or more public higher education institutions satisfy the student’s graduation requirements.
• A student’s credit for the completion of the core requirements and core courses shall not expire for 10 years from the date of initial enrollment and shall be transferable.

Approved Degree Electives

Courses Approved as Electives for Aims Community College Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) Degrees and Statewide Articulation Agreements for 2011-2012:

This list of electives reflects the best information currently available. Please check with your advisor to determine which courses are most appropriate for your chosen transfer institution and major. Nursing, business, elementary teacher education, early childhood education and pre-engineering students should follow the appropriate statewide articulations for specific course selections. If the student is following a formal institution-to-institution written transfer articulation agreement in a specific area of study (e.g. criminal justice to UNC or Metropolitan State), they may apply electives listed in the agreement to their degree even if they are not on this list. Students wishing to apply an elective course not on this list to an A.A. degree may do so with a signed approval of an Academic Dean

Legend:

AA = Associate of Arts
AS = Associate of Science
BT = Statewide Business Transfer Articulation
EE = Statewide Elementary Teacher Education Articulation
ECE = Statewide Early Childhood Education Articulation

The following classes are accepted by at least two transfer institutions as part of their multicultural requirements

ETH 212 - African-American Studies 
HIS 246 - History of Mexico 
LIT 205 - Ethnic Literature [AH2] 
SOC 216 - Sociology of Gender [SS3] 
WST 200 - Intro to Women’s Studies [SS3] 

Alternative Transfer Degrees

Aims & Franklin University Alliance

An educational alliance between Aims Community College and Franklin University will provide students an opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree. Franklin University is a private university located in Columbus, Ohio. It is accredited through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university serves more than 11,000 students every year and offers 26 undergraduate degree programs and 5 master’s degree programs.

Students with an associate degree or at least 60 semester hours of college credit and a minimum GPA of 2.5, can now move easily into a bachelor’s degree completion program that provides the majority of the courses they need online. Students in this program will continue to receive the services and benefits they enjoyed as a student at Aims Community College. Aims and Franklin are working together to provide financial aid to students enrolling in both institutions.

All students who are seeking a bachelor of science degree through Aims Community College Alliance Program with Franklin University must hold an associate’s degree OR have a minimum of 60 semester credit hours with a 2.5 GPA and a high school diploma or GED. All Professional Foundations and Major courses must be completed through Franklin University.

Franklin Bachelor Degrees offered 2010/2011:

• Accounting
• Allied Health Care Management
• Applied Management
• Applied Psychology
• Business Administration
• Business Economics
• Business Forensics
• Computer Science
• eMarketing
• Financial Management
• Financial Planning
• Forensic Accounting
• Healthcare Management
• Health Information Systems Management
• Human Resources Management
• Information Technology
• Interactive Media Design
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Management
• Management Information Sciences
• Marketing
• Operations & Supply Chain Management
• Organizational Communication
• Public Relations
• Public Safety Management
• Safety, Security & Emergency Management
• Web Development

For more information please contact Marie Gallegos at 970.339.6675 or e-mail marie.gallegos@aims.edu.

Aims Community College Academic Organization

Division I

Division II

Division III

Division IV

A.A. and A.S. Degree Transferability

Your A.A. or A.S. Degree will transfer to all public 4-year Colorado colleges and universities

If you

• Complete your AA or AS degree including a minimum 35 semester credits of state-guaranteed general education courses, and
• Earn a C grade or better in all courses for the degree,

Then

• At least 60 semester hours of approved coursework of your AA/AS degree will transfer completely to a baccalaureate Liberal Arts and Sciences major in Colorado’s public four-year institutions if you are accepted by the receiving institution*

And

• You are guaranteed to be able to finish your liberal arts and sciences baccalaureate degree in just another 60 semester hours.

* See your transfer advisor as soon as possible for a list of degrees applicable. Special articulations exist for Elementary Teacher Education, Business, Transfer Engineering and Nursing that specify which lower- division credits you need. For other majors, ask for a transfer guide that will help you select lower-division credits that will speed you on your way to finishing that baccalaureate degree.

Credit earned for prior learning, Advanced Placement, correspondence courses, CLEP and other tested-only credit may not apply. The institution to which you transfer will evaluate these credits according to its own policies.

Student Appeals Policy

If you

• Graduated with an AA/AS degree,
• Completed a minimum 35 semester credits of state- guaranteed general education courses, and
• Earned a C grade or better in each course for the degree,

And

• Your transcript evaluation indicates that you need more than 60 semester hours to complete your bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences, or your state- guaranteed courses are NOT applied to graduation requirements, you can file an appeal.

Contact your transfer advisor at Aims Community College who will provide you with the transfer and student appeals policies and process.

You also may find these policies at www.aims.edu or www.state.co.us/cche/stuinf.html