General Associate Degree Requirements

You must have completed at least 60 semester hours, including transfer credits, to earn a UAF associate degree.

At least 15 credits applicable to any associate degree must be UAF resident credits.

Associate of Arts Requirements

The associate of arts degree represents the completion of broad-based college study. This degree may serve as a starting point for your career or as a stepping-stone to a bachelor's program. You may earn only one A.A. degree.

The curriculum of the associate of arts degree consists of all courses required to meet the University of Alaska Fairbanks baccalaureate core, with the following exceptions:

  1. The upper division writing and oral intensive courses are not required
  2. In place of the upper division ethics course a humanities or social science elective may be substituted.

All credits for the A.A. degree must be at the F100-level or above with 20 credits at the F200-level or above, and be distributed as follows:

Baccalaureate core credits … 38 - 44 credits
General electives … 16 - 22 credits

Requirements

Communication (9 credits)

  • ENGL F111X--Introduction to Academic Writing (3)
    ENGL F190H may be substituted.

Complete one of the following:

  • ENGL F211X--Academic Writing about Literature (3)
  • ENGL F213X--Academic Writing about the Social and Natural Sciences (3)

Complete one of the following:

  • COMM F131X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Group Context (3)
  • COMM F141X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Public Context (3)

Perspectives on the Human Condition (humanities and social sciences) (18 credits)

Complete all of the following four courses:

  • ANTH F100X/SOC F100X--Individual, Society and Culture (3)
  • ECON F100X or PS F100X--Political Economy (3)
  • HIST F100X--Modern World History (3)
  • ENGL/FL F200X--World Literature (3)--12 credits

Complete one of the following three courses:

  • ART/MUS/THR F200X--Aesthetic Appreciation: Interrelationship of Art, Drama and Music (3)
  • HUM F201X--Unity in the Arts (3)
  • ANS F202X--Aesthetic Appreciation of Alaskan Native Performance (3)--3 credits

Complete one of the following six courses:

  • BA F323X--Business Ethics (3)
  • COMM F300X--Communicating Ethics (3)
  • JUST F300X--Ethics and Justice (3)
  • NRM F303X--Environmental Ethics and Actions (3)
  • PS F300X--Ethics and Society (3)
  • PHIL F322X--Ethics (3)--3 credits

Note: Recommended for students who will earn a B.A. or B.S. degree. An additional social science elective may be substituted for the A.A. degree.

Or complete 12 credits from the above courses plus one of the following:

  • Two semester-length courses in a single Alaska Native language or other non-English language
  • Three semester-length courses (9 credits) in American Sign Language taken at the university level.--6 - 9 credits

Mathematics (3 credits)

Complete one of the following:

  • MATH F103X--Concepts and Contemporary Applications of Mathematics (3)
  • MATH F107X--Functions for Calculus* (4)
  • MATH F161X--Algebra for Business and Economics (3)
  • STAT F200X--Elementary Probability and Statistics (3)

* No credit may be earned for more than one of MATH F107X or F161X.

Or complete one of the following:*

  • MATH F200X--Calculus I (4)
  • MATH F201X--Calculus II (4)
  • MATH F202X--Calculus III (4)
  • MATH F262X--Calculus for Business and Economics (4)
  • MATH F272X--Calculus for Life Sciences (4)

* Or any math course having one of these as a prerequisite 3 - 4 credits

Natural Sciences (8 credits)

Complete any two (4-credit) courses.

  • ATM F101X--Weather and Climate of Alaska (4)
  • BIOL F100X--Human Biology (4)
  • BIOL F103X--Biology and Society (4)
  • BIOL F104X--Natural History (4)
  • BIOL F111X--Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4)
  • BIOL F112X--Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4)
  • BIOL F115X--Fundamentals of Biology I (4)
  • BIOL F116X--Fundamentals of Biology II (4)
  • CHEM F100X--Chemistry in Complex Systems (4)
  • CHEM F103X--Basic General Chemistry (4)
  • CHEM F104X--Beginnings in Biochemistry (4)
  • CHEM F105X--General Chemistry (4)
  • CHEM F106X--General Chemistry (4)
  • GEOG F111X--Earth and Environment: Elements of Physical Geography (4)
  • GEOS F100X--Introduction to Earth Science (4)
  • GEOS F101X--The Dynamic Earth (4)
  • GEOS F112X--History of Earth and Life (4)
  • GEOS F120X--Glaciers, Earthquakes and Volcanoes (4)
  • GEOS F125X--Humans, Earth and Environment (4)
  • MSL F111X--The Oceans (4)
  • PHYS F102X--Energy and Society (4)
  • PHYS F103X--College Physics (4)
  • PHYS F104X--College Physics (4)
  • PHYS F115X--Physical Science I (4)
  • PHYS F116X--Physical Science II (4)
  • PHYS F175X--Astronomy (4)
  • PHYS F211X--General Physics (4)
  • PHYS F212X--General Physics (4)
  • PHYS F213X--Elementary Modern Physics (4)--8 credits

Library and Information Research (0 - 1 credit)

Successful completion of library skills competency test or LS F100X or F101X--0 - 1 credit

Total credits required--38 - 39

Students planning to go on to the bachelor's degree are advised to select courses meeting remaining core requirements and courses designated within bachelor's degree majors and minors.

Minimum credits required for degree--60

Associate of Applied Science Requirements

Associate of applied science degrees are awarded in specific occupational fields with emphasis on entering the job market. This degree, usually seen as a terminal degree, can serve as the basis for additional education. For specific major requirements, see the Certificate and Associate Degree Programs section.

Note: Students planning to go on to a bachelor's degree need to work closely with their advisors and are encouraged to select courses meeting core requirements and courses designated within majors and minors. Only courses with an "X" designator count towards the baccalaureate core.

All credits for the A.A.S. degree must be at the F100-level or above and be distributed as follows:

Requirements

Communication (9 credits)

Written Communication (6 credits)

ENGL F111X--Introduction to Academic Writing (3)

Complete one of the following:

  • ABUS F271--Business Communications (3)
  • ENGL F211X--Academic Writing about Literature (3)
  • ENGL F212--Business, Grant and Report Writing* (3)
  • ENGL F213X--Academic Writing about the Social and Natural Sciences (3)

* ENGL F212 does not fulfill the second half of the written communication requirement for the bachelor's degree.

Oral Communication (3 credits)

Complete one of the following:

  • COMM F131X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Group Context (3)
  • COMM F141X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Public Context (3)

Computation (3 credits)

Complete one of the following:

  • Any course at the F100-level or above in mathematical sciences (computer science, math or statistics. (3)
  • ABUS F155--Business Math (3)
  • DEVM F105--Intermediate Algebra (3)
  • ECE F117--Math Skills for Early Childhood Educators (3)
  • HLTH F116--Mathematics in Health Care (3)
  • HUMS F117--Math Skills for Human Services (3)
  • PRT F155--Mathematics for Technicians (3)
  • TTCH F131--Mathematics for the Trades (3)
  • other program-approved discipline-based computation course or discipline-based courses with embedded computation content. (3)

Human Relations (3 credits)

Complete one of the following:

  • ANTH F100X/SOC F100X--Individual, Society and Culture (3)
  • ABUS F154--Human Relations (3)
  • ANL F287--Teaching Methods for Alaska Native Languages (3)
  • ECE F245--Child Development (3)
  • ED/PSY F245--Childhood Development (3)
  • HUMS F120--Cultural Diversity in Human Services (3)
  • RHS F110--Cross-Cultural Bridging Skills (1) AND RHS F115--Issues of Personal Development (2)
  • HLTH F106--Human Behavior in Health Care (3)
  • other program-approved discipline-based human relations course or discipline-based courses with embedded human relations content. (3)

Major specialty (at least 30 Credits)

Electives to total (60 credits)

Minimum credits required for degree 60

Associate of Science Requirements

The associate of science degree represents the completion of a broad-based course of study with an emphasis in the sciences. This degree may serve as a stepping-stone to a science-related baccalaureate program. You may earn only one A.S. degree.

Requirements

Communication (9 credits)

  • ENGL F111X--Introduction to Academic Writing (3)
  • ENGL F213X--Academic Writing about the Social and Natural Sciences (3)

Complete one of the following:

  • COMM F131X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Group Context (3)
  • COMM F141X--Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Public Context (3)

Humanities and Social Sciences (15 credits)

Complete all of the following:

  • ANTH F100X/SOC F100X--Individual, Society and Culture (3)
  • ECON F100X OR PS F100X--Political Economy (3)
  • HIST F100X--Modern World History (3)
  • ENGL/FL F200X--World Literature (3)

Complete one of the following:

  • ART/MUS/THR F200X--Aesthetic Appreciation: Interrelationship of Art, Drama and Music (3)
  • HUM F201X--Unity in the Arts (3)
  • ANS F202X--Aesthetic Appreciation of Alaskan Native Performance (3)

Or complete 12 credits from the above courses plus one of the following:

  • Two semester-length courses in a single Alaska Native language or other non-English language
  • Three semester-length courses (9 credits) in American Sign Language.

Mathematics (4 credits)

  • MATH F107X--Functions for Calculus (4)*

Or complete one of the following:

  • MATH F200X--Calculus I (4)
  • MATH F272X--Calculus for Life Sciences (4)

* No credit may be earned for more than one of MATH F107X or F161X.

Natural Sciences (16 credits)

Complete any two (4-credit) courses.

  • ATM F101X--Weather and Climate of Alaska (4)
  • BIOL F100X--Human Biology (4)
  • BIOL F103X--Biology and Society (4)
  • BIOL F104X--Natural History (4)
  • BIOL F111X--Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4)
  • BIOL F112X--Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4)
  • BIOL F115X--Fundamentals of Biology I (4)
  • BIOL F116X--Fundamentals of Biology II (4)
  • CHEM F100X--Chemistry in Complex Systems (4)
  • CHEM F103X--Basic General Chemistry (4)
  • CHEM F104X--Beginnings in Biochemistry (4)
  • CHEM F105X--General Chemistry (4)
  • CHEM F106X--General Chemistry (4)
  • GEOG F111X--Earth and Environment: Elements of Physical Geography (4)
  • GEOS F100X--Introduction to Earth Science (4)
  • GEOS F101X--The Dynamic Earth (4)
  • GEOS F112X--History of Earth and Life (4)
  • GEOS F120X--Glaciers, Earthquakes and Volcanoes (4)
  • GEOS F125X--Humans, Earth and Environment (4)
  • MSL F111X--The Oceans (4)
  • PHYS F102X--Energy and Society (4)
  • PHYS F103X--College Physics (4)
  • PHYS F104X--College Physics (4)
  • PHYS F115X--Physical Science I (4)
  • PHYS F116X--Physical Science II (4)
  • PHYS F175X--Astronomy (4)
  • PHYS F211X--General Physics (4)
  • PHYS F212X--General Physics (4)
  • PHYS F213X--Elementary Modern Physics (4)

Complete a one-year sequence in one natural science beyond the baccalaureate core. The total courses used to satisfy this requirement shall represent at least two different natural sciences.

Library and Information Research (0-1 credit)

  • Successful completion of library skills competency test or LS F100X OR F101X

Concentration specialty (at least 15 Credits)

Minimum credits required for degree 60