Core Curriculum Requirements
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires colleges and universities to include general education courses in each associate degree plan. For transfer degrees — the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) — ACC fulfills this requirement through the 42-semester credit hour core curriculum. For career and technical programs, which offer the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, ACC includes 15 general education credits in each AAS degree plan. Associate of Applied Science degrees are primarily intended for workforce entry, not university transfer. Consult your instructional program advisor or an academic advisor to make sure that you are taking the appropriate general education or core curriculum courses. If you plan to transfer, consult with an academic or faculty advisor as you select your general education or core curriculum courses.
The 42-semester credit hour core curriculum has been adopted to provide a solid foundation of a college education and to facilitate transfer between colleges and universities. By taking general education courses as part of your AAS program, or by completing the 42-credit hour core curriculum, you achieve college-level competence in general education skills that are fundamental to all disciplines of learning.
| Core Curriculum Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Subject Area | Required Credits |
| Communication (010) | 6 |
| Mathematics (020) | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences (030) | 6 |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture (040) | 3 |
| Creative Arts (050) | 3 |
| American History (060) | 6 |
| Government/Political Science (070) | 6 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 |
| Component Area Option (090) | 6 |
| Total | 42 |
Completing all subject areas of the core curriculum allows you to substitute the ACC core curriculum for the core curriculum at Texas public institutions when you transfer. You will not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at your public transfer institution unless the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has authorized an expanded core curriculum at that institution. If you satisfy all components of the core curriculum, the statement “core complete” is noted on your transcript. Be sure to consult your program degree plan and a faculty advisor so that you make the right choices for core curriculum courses that will transfer smoothly to your chosen four-year institution.