Associate in Arts Degree
The Associate in Arts degree is designed for transfer towards a variety of bachelor's degrees. This degree fulfills most general education requirements and first two academic years for many (but not all) baccalaureate programs at four-year institutions. Students considering this degree are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor to determine the most appropriate or required course selections for their transfer goals.
Graduates earning this degree meet the requirement for coursework on improving human relations as defined in 110 ILCS 205/9.21 (formerly Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991 Ch. 144 sec. 189.21) or PA-87-581.
Students with previous academic, career and life experiences are encouraged to have a transcript analysis completed and to investigate CLEP and ECC proficiency credit to fulfill prerequisite, course, and/or degree requirements. An academic advisor can help with this process.
Each of the courses listed below has an Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) equivalent number. Refer to the Course Description section in this catalog for course titles, IAI numbers, and specifics.
Degree Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirement | ||
| Communications | 9 | |
| Three courses including a two-course sequence in writing and one course in oral communication. A grade of C or better in ENG 101 and ENG 102 is required. | ||
| English Composition I | ||
| English Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Speech | ||
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| General Education Statistics | ||
| General Education Mathematics | ||
| Math for Elementary Teaching II (for elementary education majors only) | ||
| Statistics I | ||
| Finite Math for Business & Managmt | ||
| Calculus for Business/Social Science | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | ||
| Physical and Life Sciences | 7 | |
| Two courses with one course selected from the life sciences and one course from the physical sciences, one of these must include a lab. (Note: L=Lab) | ||
| Physical Sciences: | ||
| Earth Science (L) | ||
| Applied Physical Science (L) | ||
| Astronomy | ||
| Preparatory Chemistry (L) | ||
| Elements of Chemistry: General (L) | ||
| General Chemistry I (L) | ||
| Intro to Physical Geography | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Physical Geology (L) | ||
| General Physics I (L) | ||
| Life Sciences: | ||
| Survey of Environmental Biology | ||
| Biology for Contemporary Society (L) | ||
| Principles of Biology (L) | ||
| Molecular & Cellular Biology (L) | ||
| Organismal Bio, Evolution, Ecology (L) | ||
| Environmental Biology (L) | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| Take one course. The course selected can also satisfy the Humanities & Fine Arts requirement or the Social & Behavioral Sciences requirement and can be applied in both categories to fulfill the degree requirements. (Note: N=human diversity from a non-western perspective; D=human diversity within the United States) | ||
| Survey of Non-Western Art (N) | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology (N) | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (N) | ||
| Human Geography (N) | ||
| Geography of the Developing World (N) | ||
| History of World Civilizations I (N) | ||
| History of World Civilizations II (N) | ||
| History & Politics of Gender (D) | ||
| History of Latin America I (N) | ||
| History of Latin America II (N) | ||
| History of Asia: Ancient to 1500 (N) | ||
| History of Asia: 1500 to Present (N) | ||
| History of Native America (D) | ||
| History of U.S. Latinas and Latinos (D) | ||
| African American History I (D) | ||
| African American History II (D) | ||
| Intro to Non-Western Humanities (N) | ||
| Introduction to Asian Philosophies (N) | ||
| African American Lit 1619-1940 (D) | ||
| Multicultural American Literature (D) | ||
| Intro to Literature by Women (D) | ||
| African American Lit (1940-Present) (D) | ||
| LGBTQ Literature (D) | ||
| International Literature (N) | ||
| Musics of the World (N) | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Relations (D) | ||
| Gender Roles and Social Change (D) | ||
| American Drama (D) | ||
| Humanities and Fine Arts | 9 | |
| Three courses with at least one course from humanities and at least one course from fine arts. (Note: N=human diversity from a non-western perspective; D=human diversity within the United States) | ||
| Humanities: | ||
| Intermediate French II | ||
| Intermediate German II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Spanish for Spanish Speakers I | ||
| Latin American Civilization | ||
| American Civilization | ||
| History of Mexico | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Ancient & Medieval Western Philosophy | ||
| Modern Western Philosophy | ||
| Critical Reasoning | ||
| Logic | ||
| Introduction to Asian Philosophies (N) | ||
| Introduction to Religious Studies | ||
| Comparative Religions | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Introduction to Mythology | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Literature:Fiction | ||
| Introduction to Literature:Drama | ||
| Introduction to Literature:Poetry | ||
| Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
| Latinx Literatures of the US (D) | ||
| African American Lit 1619-1940 (D) | ||
| Multicultural American Literature (D) | ||
| Intro to Literature by Women (D) | ||
| African American Lit (1940-Present) (D) | ||
| LGBTQ Literature (D) | ||
| International Literature (N) | ||
| Children's Literature | ||
| Masterpieces of World Lit | ||
| Bible as Literature | ||
| Great Books Seminar I | ||
| Great Books Seminar II | ||
| Great Books Seminar III | ||
| Great Books Seminar IV | ||
| Great Books Seminar V | ||
Fine Arts: | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Art of Film | ||
| History of Art, Prehistory to 1300 | ||
| History of Art, 1300 to the Present | ||
| Survey of Non-Western Art (N) | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| The Story of Film to WWII | ||
| The Story of Film After WWII | ||
| Musics of the World (N) | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Music Literature From 1400 to 1750 | ||
| Music Liter. From 1750 to Present | ||
| Hip Hop Music Appreciation | ||
| Rock and Roll Music Appreciation | ||
| Introduction to Film Appreciation | ||
| Theatre Appreciation | ||
| Intro-Theatre History & Literature | ||
| American Drama | ||
| Interdisciplinary Humanities and Fine Arts (May count as either Humanities or Fine Arts): | ||
| Ancient & Medieval Western Humanities | ||
| Modern Western Humanities | ||
| Intro to Non-Western Humanities (N) | ||
| Novel and Film | ||
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 9 | |
| Three courses with at least one course from social sciences and at least one course from behavioral sciences. (Note: N=human diversity from a non-western perspective; D=human diversity within the United States) | ||
| Social Sciences: | ||
| Fundamentals of Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Human Geography (N) | ||
| Geography of the Developing World (N) | ||
| History of Western Civilization I | ||
| History of Western Civilization II | ||
| History of World Civilizations I (N) | ||
| History of World Civilizations II (N) | ||
| History & Politics of Gender (D) | ||
| History of Latin America I (N) | ||
| History of Latin America II (N) | ||
| History of Asia: Ancient to 1500 (N) | ||
| History of Asia: 1500 to Present (N) | ||
| History of Native America | ||
| U S History to 1870 | ||
| U S History Since 1865 | ||
| History of U.S. Latinas and Latinos (D) | ||
| African American History I (D) | ||
| African American History II (D) | ||
| Amer Government - National | ||
| Amer Govt State Local | ||
| Principles of Political Science | ||
| Comparative Political Systems | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Behavioral Sciences: | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology (N) | ||
| General Prehistoric Archeology | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (N) | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Intro to Psychology | ||
| Child Psychology | ||
| Adulthood and Aging | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Human Growth and Development | ||
| Principles of Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Relations (D) | ||
| Marriage and Family | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Gender Roles and Social Change (D) | ||
| Major Field and Elective Courses | 23 | |
| Students should choose an intended major at a transfer institution as soon as possible and select courses which are required for their major. After fulfilling required courses for their major, students may complete this area with electives. In general, any course numbered 100 or above with a 1.1 code in the course description may be used. If the student wishes to enroll in a course which does not have a 1.1 code he/she should see an advisor prior to enrolling to discuss the transferability of the course. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 60 | |
College Requirements
- A total of 60 hours or more must be completed as specified. This total cannot include any credits earned in courses numbered below 100 nor any courses with ABE, ASE, AMT, ARW, ECO, or ESL prefixes. The 60 hours total may include up to four hours of credit in physical education courses prefixed by PHC.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for all courses numbered 100 and above.
- Meet the college’s Academic Residency Requirement for University Transfer degrees: A minimum of 15 semester hours in courses numbered 100 and above and must have been achieved at ECC, excluding AP, CLEP, and proficiency credits.
- Students may apply up to six hours of Independent Study credit toward any associate degree.
- Students can earn only one transfer associate degree. Should a student seek to earn more than one transfer degree, a Petition to Earn Multiple Transfer Degrees form must be submitted to the associate dean of advising, transfer, and career development services.