Associate of Arts Degree Program at THEARC

Overview

The Associate of Arts degree in General Studies consists of core requirements and courses across various areas of emphasis.

Based on a skills inventory, students may also be asked to take some pre-foundational courses, which prepare students for college-level work in both mathematics and English.

The A.A. program is a 61 credit hour program (not including any pre-foundational courses).  All credits earned in the A.A. program can be applied toward a Bachelor’s degree program at Trinity.

Associate’s Degree Requirements

For specific courses fulfilling the core and area requirements listed below, see Course Descriptions. Students must take courses in each of the following areas:

  • Introduction to College
  • Skills for Life and Work
  • Understanding the Self, Society, and Nature
  • Areas of Emphasis (select courses from Arts and Humanities, Business, and Social and Behavioral Sciences; students can select an Early Childhood Education emphasis as well)
  • Capstone Course

Total Credits Required for Degree: 61 credits

Course Descriptions

Introduction to College

  • The Learning Experience (3 credits):
    • INT 113 Academic Achievement

Skills for Life & Work

  • Writing (3 credits):
    • ENGL 106 Writing for Academic & Profess. Success
  • Communication (6 credits):
    • COM 101 Introduction to Comm. & Public Speaking
    • COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication
  • Numeracy (3 credits):
    • MATH 112 Finite Math with Applications
  • Information Literacy (3 credits):
    • INT 117 Introduction to Information Literacy

Understanding the Self, Society & Nature

  • Arts & Humanities (6 credits chosen):
    • FNAR 248 Music and Culture
    • HIS 250 Contemporary World History
  • Social Sciences (9 credits chosen):
    • POLS 102 Politics and Citizenship
    • PSYC 100 Fundamentals of Psychology
    • SOCY 101 Social Issues
  • Scientific Understanding (3 credits):
    • ENVS 102 Science of the Environment
  • Religious Studies/Ethics (6 credits):
    • PHIL 252 Practical Ethics
    • RST 289 Comparative Religions

Pre-Foundational Courses
All students must demonstrate or develop fundamental academic competencies at the beginning of their studies for the A.A. degree. Incoming students will take skills inventories in reading, composition, and mathematics. The purpose of the skills inventory is to promote student success by placing students in classes appropriate to their skill level.

Based on the skills inventory, students will be placed either in college-level courses or pre-foundational courses. All collegiate bridge coursework must be completed within the first 24 credit hours of enrollment. Students who place out of the pre-foundational classes take the college-level courses.

Pre-Foundational level courses include:

  • MATH 060 Elementary Algebra
  • ENGL 060 Composition Skill

Electives
Students select four courses to fulfill their elective requirement.  These electives come from several different disciplines, including the arts and humanities, business, and social and behavioral sciences.

FOUR of the following courses:

  • BADM 100 Fundamentals of Business
  • BADM 230 Marketing Theory and Practice
  • BADM 250 Principles of Management & Leadership
  • ENGL 217 Early African-American Literature
  • FNAR 222 Architecture, Cities and Society
  • HUMR 213 Introduction to Counseling
  • POLS 274 Politics, Literature, and Film
  • PSYC 210 Theories of Social Psychology
  • SOCY 240 Work and Society

Note: Students may also take courses from the early childhood education Area of Emphasis, below, to fulfill the elective requirement

Early Childhood Education Area of Emphasis

To fulfill their elective requirement, students may choose to complete a 4-course area of emphasis in early childhood education that will prepare them for work as an assistant teacher in early childhood classrooms in public schools and private centers with courses in child development, curriculum development and assessment. The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (N.A.E.Y.C) standards and regulations are embedded in each course.

ALL of the following courses:

  • EDCC 204 Child, Family, Culture and Community
  • EDCC 206 Developing Learning Experiences in Early Childhood
  • EDCC 210 Developing Oral Language and Literacy in Early Childhood
  • EDCC 212 Observing, Describing, and Measuring Growth in Early Childhood

Note: These four courses form part of the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts program in early childhood education on the Main Campus.  Credit earned at the “B” (3.0) level or above for these courses as part of the A.A. program at THEARC can count towards the B.A. program.

Early Childhood Education- Field-Based Instruction

Teacher preparation at Trinity emphasizes field-based instruction that includes a series of mandated integrated field experiences and practicum experiences at different grade/age levels in a variety of school settings.

School districts, individual schools, and other service providers vary in their requirements for entering their site and observing students. Most schools and service providers require a Tuberculosis test (TB), fingerprinting, and a criminal background check prior to activities that bring the university candidate into working contact with clients/students.

Prior to observing or working with individuals or groups as required by courses (course assignments, field experience, practicum), a Trinity candidate must have communicated with the site, prior to their arrival, to ensure the candidate will have met any specific site prerequisites .

A sample course requiring field experience:

AA THEARC EDCC 212 Observing, Describing, and Measuring Growth in Early Childhood- Observing, Describing, and measuring Growth in Early Childhood Requires candidates to choose a child between the ages 3-8 years old to observe for 30 minutes- 1 hour each day, over the course of 8 days.

Capstone Learning Experience
During their final semester, students will enroll in a capstone course in their area of emphasis. The capstone course will review and assess the skills a student has learned in the program of study. Capstone courses require a grade of C or better for graduation.

  • INT 290 Capstone Project