Liberal Arts and Sciences (AA)

About the Associate of Arts Degree:
The Associate of Arts (AA) degree consists of 60 credits of coursework, 44 of which are made up of general education courses and 16 of which are made up of lower division (100 and 200 level) electives. No more than 16 credits of coursework applied to the AA degree can be taken P/N. In order to graduate with an AA degree, a student must maintain a GPA of 2.0. MSU policy dictates that at least 20 credits of this degree must be taken from MSU. AA degree students must adhere to the university general education program and must meet the cultural diversity requirement that has been determined for the AA degree.

Choosing Courses to Complete an AA Degree:
Students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree after completing the AA degree should consider pre-requisites or required courses for the major when choosing coursework for completion of the AA degree. Many departments require specific general education courses or electives in order to be admitted to the major. Refer to MSU’s Undergraduate Catalog for information about majors. Students who do not plan to complete a Bachelor’s degree should focus on taking courses that interest them and/or will help them in the job market. No matter how a student plans to use the AA degree, all AA degree students must complete MSU’s general education program.

General Education:
MSU’s general education program integrates a broad foundation of knowledge and skills with the study of contemporary concerns. A total of 44 credits must be completed to satisfy the general education program at MSU. These 44 credits must be taken within categories. Some categories specify that more than one course must be taken in order to satisfy the category. For a complete outline of MSU’s general education program, policies associated with it, and a listing of all general education courses, please see the current undergraduate catalog or the General Education and Cultural Diversity Bulletin.

AA Degree Advising:
The AA degree program provides each student with a multitude of choices when it comes to selecting coursework and because of this it is very important for students to work closely with an advisor. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Advising Office, is the primary advisor for the AA degree. If the student plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree after completing the AA degree, the student should also keep in contact with an advisor in that department as well.