Degree and Certificate Requirements

Associate Degree Requirements

The following requirements must be met in order to receive a degree. A student should apply for graduation online. A student who seeks a degree should apply during the term before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements. The student will be informed, in writing, of his or her academic status with regard to qualifying for graduation.

A student may elect to graduate under any Jefferson State degree plan in effect during his or her enrollment, the date of the earliest degree plan not to exceed four years prior to the date of anticipated graduation.

Some programs, such as nursing, have more rigid policies. See exceptions under degree requirements for each program.

A student shall be awarded the associate in arts, associate in science, or associate in applied science degree upon satisfactory completion of the requirements of the specific degree plan as specified by the College and by the Alabama Community College Board of Trustees.

A student must:

1. For a degree, satisfactorily complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit in an approved program of study, including prescribed general education courses.
2. Earn a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses attempted at the college. The calculation of the grade point average for graduation shall not include grades earned in institutional credit courses. A course may be counted only once for purposes of meeting graduation requirements.
3. Complete at least 25 percent of the degree plan coursework at Jefferson State for an associate degree
4. Complete and transfer appropriate courses with a grade of “C” or better from a regionally or Council on Occupational Education accredited institution to satisfy degree requirements. A transfer grade of “D” will only be accepted when the transferred student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or above.
5. Submit a formal application for graduation during the term before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements.
6. Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
7. Count no credit hours for any courses disregarded when declaring academic bankruptcy or forgiveness in the cumulative grade point average toward the total number of hours required for a degree.
8. Remove all admissions conditions.
9. Financial aid students with federal student loans must complete Exit Counseling at https://studentaid.gov/exitcounseling during their last semester at Jefferson State.

The Associate in Arts And Associate in Science Degree Core Requirements

The associate in arts and associate in science degrees are the basic degrees awarded to students completing a planned university-parallel program designed to meet the requirements of the first two years of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Students must print and retain the Alabama Transfers articulation guide for their major along with the transfer institution’s Area V courses. This information is available from the appropriate academic division, Enrollment Services, and our home page. All associate in arts and associate in science degrees will contain the following General Education Core requirements. Since not all courses will satisfy these requirements in all programs, courses should be chosen from an Alabama Transfers articulation guide, approved degree plan or Degree Works audit to ensure they meet the requirements. The Alabama Transfers articulation guide, degree plan or Degree Works audit will also indicate the courses needed in addition to the General Education Core to complete the degree.

Note: Courses satisfying Areas I-IV are noted in the “Course Descriptions” and “University Parallel” sections of the Catalog and Student Handbook.

All students receiving the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree will complete ORI 101 or ORI 110 unless the student transfers in 12 or more hours.

*Engineering Exceptions: For all engineering majors, the AGSC voted to allow the hour requirements in Area II to be reduced from 12 semester hours to 9 semester hours. This reduction allowed for additional hours (6 semester hours to be added to Area V for engineering majors so that required math and science courses could be taken prior to transfer that would need national engineering accreditation standards (ABET). The ACCS has adopted this exception. Engineering students may take 9 hours in Area II, 9 hours in Area IV, and 25 to 29 hours in Area V.

**Must complete a six-semester hour sequence either in literature or in history. The sequence in Area II and IV in literature or history needs to follow the sequence requirements according to the student’s major and transfer plans.

***Respective programs of study for baccalaureate degrees at Alabama public universities range from 120 to 128 semester credit hours in length. Dependent upon the total hours allocated for the bachelor’s degrees, institutions in The Alabama Community College System will only be authorized to provide 50 percent of that total (60-64)

The Associate in Applied Science Degree Core Requirements

The associate in applied science degree is awarded to students who complete the requirements of a specific career or professional program outlined in this catalog. These programs may contain no less than 60 and no more than 76 semester hours. Of the total hours in a program, 35-40 percent must be courses chosen to ensure competency in reading, writing, oral communication, computers, and fundamental mathematics and to satisfy Jefferson State core requirements. The remaining hours must be taken in the specific area of concentration and may include related courses and electives. This area of concentration must include 15 semester hours of coursework, with appropriate prerequisites, above the level of elementary courses. In addition, coursework in the area of concentration must follow an orderly, identifiable sequence. All associate in applied science degrees will contain the following General Education core requirements. Not all courses listed will satisfy these requirements in all programs; courses should be selected to ensure that they meet the requirements of an approved program.

Note: Courses satisfying Areas I-IV are noted in the “Course Descriptions” and “Career Programs” sections of the Catalog and Student Handbook.

Certificate Requirements

The following requirements must be met in order to receive a certificate. A student should apply for graduation online or mail their graduation application to Enrollment Services at the Jefferson Campus. A student who seeks a certificate should apply during the semester before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements. The student will be informed, in writing, of his or her academic status with regard to qualifying for graduation.

A student may elect to graduate under any Jefferson State degree plan in effect during his or her enrollment, the date of the earliest degree plan not to exceed four years prior to the date of anticipated graduation. A student shall be awarded a certificate upon satisfactory completion of the requirements of the specific degree plan as specified by the college and by the Alabama Community College Board of Trustees.

A student must:

1. For a certificate, satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of college credit in an approved program of study.
2. Earn a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses attempted at the college. The calculation of the grade point average for graduation shall not include grades earned in institutional credit courses. A course may be counted only once for purposes of meeting graduation requirements.
3. Complete at least 25 percent of the degree plan course work at Jefferson State for a certificate.
4. Complete and transfer appropriate courses with a grade of “C” or better from a regionally or Council on Occupational Education accredited institution to satisfy degree requirements. A transfer grade of “D” will only be accepted when the transferred student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or above.
5. Submit a formal application for graduation during the term before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements.
6. Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
7. Count no credit hours for any courses disregarded when declaring academic bankruptcy or forgiveness in the cumulative grade point average toward the total number of hours required for a degree.
8. Remove all admissions conditions.
9. Financial aid students with federal student loans must complete Exit Counseling at https://studentaid.gov/exitcounseling during their last semester at Jefferson State.

Certificate Core Requirements

A certificate is awarded to students who satisfy the requirements of a specific certificate program outlined in this catalog. All certificate programs will require 30 - 60 semester credit hours and contain the following core requirements.

Short-Term Certificate Requirements

The following requirements must be met in order to receive a short-term certificate. A student should apply for graduation online or mail their graduation application to Enrollment Services at the Jefferson Campus. A student who seeks a short-term certificate should apply during the semester before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements. The student will be informed, in writing, of his or her academic status with regard to qualifying for graduation.

A student may elect to graduate under any Jefferson State degree plan in effect during his or her enrollment, the date of the earliest degree plan not to exceed four years prior to the date of anticipated graduation. A student shall be awarded a short-term certificate upon satisfactory completion of the requirements of the specific degree plan as specified by the college and by the Alabama Community College Board of Trustees.

A student must:

1. For a short-term certificate less than or equal to 29 semester credit hours, satisfactorily complete a minimum of 9 semester hours of college credit in an approved program of study.
2. Earn a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses attempted at the college. The calculation of the grade point average for graduation shall not include grades earned in institutional credit courses. A course may be counted only once for purposes of meeting graduation requirements.
3. Complete at least 25 percent of the degree plan course work at Jefferson State for a certificate.
4. Complete and transfer appropriate courses with a grade of “C” or better from a regionally or Council on Occupational Education accredited institution to satisfy degree requirements. A transfer grade of “D” will only be accepted when the transferred student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or above.
5. Submit a formal application for graduation during the term before he or she anticipates completing graduation requirements.
6. Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
7. Count no credit hours for any courses disregarded when declaring academic bankruptcy or forgiveness in the cumulative grade point average toward the total number of hours required for a degree.
8. Remove all admissions conditions.
9. Financial aid students with federal student loans must complete Exit Counseling at https://studentaid.gov/exitcounseling during their last semester at Jefferson State.

Short-Term Certificate Core Requirements

A short-term certificate is awarded to students who satisfy the requirements of a specific certificate less than or equal to specific programs outlined in this catalog. All short-term certificate programs will require 9 - 29 semester credit hours and contain the following core requirements.

Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)

The Alabama Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) is an assessment-based credential issued by the Alabama Department of Workforce Development. The CRC serves to validate that an individual has certain skills that are essential across a range of jobs in the workplace. The Gold, Silver, or Bronze Career Readiness Certificate may be awarded to eligible students or individuals who score at certain levels on three ACT WorkKeys assessments – Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. This certificate is based on the ACT WorkKeys Assessment system, a highly recognized system that measures “real world” skills that employers believe are critical to job success. Let employers know that you have the skills they need by earning your Alabama Career Readiness Certificate.

For additional information on how to earn your Career Readiness Certificate, contact Jefferson State’s Office of Career Readiness at (205) 856-7942, email crc@jeffersonstate.edu, or you may visit www.careerreadyalabama.com