A.A. Degree/Certificates

Associate of Arts (AA) degrees are ideal if you want a community college degree to help you at work, to put on your resume, or to mark a sense of accomplishment before you transfer to a university.

AA degrees are a minimum of 60 units in length, and require three types of courses:

Major classes: 20 to 40 units of courses in your major

General Education: Approximately 20 units in areas such as Science, American History/Government, Social Science, Humanities, English, Math, and American Cultures

Electives: Additional units from almost any SMC subject area to reach a minimum of 60 units.

Transfer Studies Associate of Arts Degree

Transfer Studies A.A. degrees are ideal for transfer students who are completing the IGETC or CSU GE requirements. A Transfer Studies A.A. degree requires the completion of 60 semester UC or CSU transferable units to include a 3 semester unit American Cultures course, a minimum of 12 units completed at SMC, and a cumulative 2.0 G.P.A. There are two options in obtaining a Transfer Studies A.A. degree:

OPTION A: IGETC with UC or CSU

OPTION B: CSU GE Breadth

For help in planning your Associate of Arts or Transfer Studies A.A. degree classes, please contact an SMC counselor.

Career Certificates & Department Certificates

If you need short-term education and training in preparation for work, Career Certificates and/or Department Certificates may be for you. Career Certificates and Department Certificates are made up of courses that focus specifically in one career area, and do not include General Education classes (such as American History, English, and Math). Career Certificates vary in length from 18 to 40 units, while Department Certificates have fewer than 18 units. Following is a list of the Career Certificates and Department Certificates available at SMC.

For help in planning your Certificate classes, please contact an SMC counselor.