General Degree and Certificate Information

Yavapai College offers seven associate degree programs:

• Associate of Arts
• Associate of Arts in Elementary Education
• Associate of Arts in Fine Arts
• Associate of Business
• Associate of General Studies
• Associate of Science
• Associate of Applied Science

Degree and Certificate Requirements

In order to obtain any degree or certificate from Yavapai College, a candidate must:

1. Satisfy entrance requirements as a regular student;
2. Complete all courses required in one of the degree or certificate programs offered by Yavapai College. Occasionally, degree requirements change between the time of the student's admission and the time of graduation. A student in continuous enrollment at Yavapai College may elect to graduate by satisfying degree requirements as listed at the time of admission, at the time of graduation, or at any time during the last period of continuous attendance. Continuous attendance means enrollment in the regular session (fall/spring or spring/fall) of each academic year.
   If a course required for a degree or certificate has been deleted from the catalog, a comparable course will be substituted for the deleted course.
   Other substitutions are generally not permitted. However, a student who believes particular circumstances warrant special consideration may petition to the supervising dean.
   Courses approved as satisfying General Education requirements for all degrees are listed in the section entitled "General Education Courses."
3. Earn a grade of "C" or higher in a course for it to apply toward a Yavapai College degree or certificate, or for inclusion in a student's Arizona General Education Curriculum.
   1. A maximum of 12 credit hours of "S" credit from 100- and 200- level courses may be applied toward any Yavapai College degree/certificate program. S/U grading is not an option for courses that are part of the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC).
   2. A maximum of 12 credit hours of Independent Study courses may be applied toward any Yavapai College degree/certificate program.
   3. Special interest and developmental education courses (courses numbered below 100) will not be applied toward degrees and certificates.
   4. Students may fulfill degree requirements after leaving Yavapai College by transferring back applicable credits earned at "regionally accredited" institutions of higher education. Students must adhere to the catalog requirements of their program of study during their last continuous enrollment at Yavapai College.
4. Earn a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or better in all work completed at Yavapai College;
5. Complete a minimum of fifteen semester hours in residence. If the certificate program requires 12-29 semester hours, a minimum of half the total hours must be completed in residence; if the certificate program requires 11 or fewer credits, all of the semester hours must be completed in residence.
6. A maximum of 30 credit hours by any combination of Experiential Learning (examination, special articulation agreement, or evaluation) will be accepted;
7. File a petition for graduation with Academic Advising no later than March 1. A student eligible for graduation at the end of the fall regular semester must petition for graduation no later than October 1;
8. Remove all marks of deficiency on the student's records thirty days prior to the day of commencement, if expecting to use credit in those subjects toward graduation;
9. Remove any indebtedness to the college.

Location of Degree Programs

Yavapai College offers courses required for degrees and certificates in selected locations. The college does not guarantee that all courses for a degree or certificate will be offered at all locations. Please review the degree or certificate program information or a current class schedule for the location information.

Graduation with Honors

A student who is awarded an associate degree and meets the following requirements is designated as graduating "with honors."

• Successfully completed a minimum of 30 semester hours at Yavapai College of courses numbered 100 and above
• The 30 semester hours must have been graded A-F
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher at Yavapai College

Multiple Degrees

A student who has already earned an associate's degree at Yavapai College may earn a subsequent degree according to the following provisions:

1. General education requirements specified for each degree must be completed;
2. All major and related degree requirements specified in an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program must be completed. If a specified course has already been applied to another degree or certificate program, that course competency may be applied to a subsequent AAS degree program;
3. Course substitutions approved for one degree program do not automatically apply to a subsequent degree program;
4. A minimum of 15 additional semester hours of major and related requirements, not applied to the first degree, must be completed at Yavapai College. These 15 hours will be in addition to any general education requirements needed to complete the subsequent degree;
5. An Associate of General Studies degree will not be awarded simultaneously with, or subsequent to, the awarding of any other associate degree. Other degrees may be earned concurrently as long as all of the requirements for each degree are met;
6. A subsequent degree must identify a specific area of study and be directed by an approved educational plan.
   Requirements for a subsequent degree program must be completed in accordance with the catalog in effect at the time the multiple degree proposal is approved. Students should consult an Academic Advisor for more information and to obtain a Petition for Multiple Degree.

Programs Requiring Selective Admission

Requirements for Admission to the Aerospace Science Programs

An application packet is available from the Academic Advising Center. For detailed admission requirements, please call 776.2002.

Requirements for Admission to the Gunsmithing Program

An information/application packet for admission into this program is available online at www.yc.edu/gunsmithing or through the Academic Advising Center.

Requirements for Admission to the Freeport-McMoRan Mining Program

Students must be at least 18 years of age and must attend the Mining Preview Day held the first Saturday in March annually at Yavapai College. Students accepted into the program must interview with Freeport-McMoRan and be hired as an employee, pass a drug and alcohol test, and complete a security background check. An information packet is available from the CTEC Campus by calling 717.7107 or 776.2002.

Requirements for Admission to the Nursing Program

Admission to the program occurs in the Fall and in the Spring semesters. Students must have an Arizona Department of Public Safety Fingerprint Clearance Card; immunizations as outlined in application; pre-requisites completed; and must pass a standardized Pre-Admission Exam. Additional information and an application packet are available online at www.yc.edu/nursing.

Requirements for Admission to the Nursing Assistant Certificate Program

Students must be at least 16 years of age; have an Arizona Department of Public Safety Fingerprint Clearance Card; TB skin test or chest X-ray specifying absence of tuberculosis; CPR for Healthcare Providers card; and math and reading proficiency. An application for the program is available online at www.yc.edu/nursingassistant.

Requirements for Admission to the Paramedicine Program

Information regarding admission to the Paramedicine program is available at the Emergency Medical Services Department, Prescott Campus. Students who are interested begin by filling out an application, followed by pre-entrance exams and interviews. Once accepted into the program, information regarding specific documentations needed will be given each student. Before applying one must have a current Arizona EMT-B card. We strongly recommend one year experience working in the field before beginning class. For more information contact Michael Nelson at michael.nelson@yc.edu.

Requirements for Admission to the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program

Students must be at least 18 years of age prior to the start of the third semester of the program and have a high school diploma or GED; an Arizona Department of Public Safety Fingerprint Clearance Card; TB skin test or chest X-ray specifying absence of tuberculosis; CPR for Healthcare Providers card; immunizations outlined in application; reading proficiency. Admission to program is once yearly in the summer session. An application for the program is available online at www.yc.edu/pharmacy.

Requirements for Admission to the Radiologic Technology Program

An information packet is available from the Academic Advising Center, or online at: www.yc.edu/radiology.

Continuous Enrollment

A semester in which a degree or certificate seeking student earns course credit required for their declared program of study will be counted toward continuous enrollment. Non-credit courses, audited courses, failed courses, or courses from which the student withdraws do not count toward the determination of continuous enrollment for catalog purposes.

Students who do not meet the minimum enrollment standards stipulated above during two consecutive semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) are no longer considered continuously enrolled, and must meet requirements of the Yavapai College catalog in effect at the time they are readmitted or of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment after readmission.

General Education

General Education is the core and foundation of the American educational experience, defining a set of values, skills and ideas that give a sense of coherence and connectedness to the learning process. Yavapai College recognizes that general education is essential for personal and intellectual growth, an effective and innovative workforce, and a successful and vibrant civic society; and is committed to providing students with both curricular and co-curricular experiences that facilitate these important ends. Yavapai College's General Education program is designed to encourage curiosity and an active interest in the world; practical, disciplined thinking; the development of personal and civic values; and a willingness to acknowledge and appreciate diverse cultural and historical perspectives.

There are two aspects to Yavapai College's General Education program: the AGEC (Arizona General Education Curriculum) and the YC GECCO (Yavapai College General Education Core Curriculum Outcomes). The former, mandates by the state of Arizona, ensures that transfer students encounter the topics and disciplines of a traditional liberal arts education. The latter is Yavapai College's own articulation of the values, skills and knowledge that higher education should address, and applies to all degrees granted by the college.

Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) - The public universities and community colleges in Arizona have agreed to three transfer general education programs. These general education transfer programs are referred to collectively as the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC). This agreement ensures that the completion of the general education block of courses at Yavapai College will allow students to transfer lower division general education courses to any of the Arizona public universities without losing credits. Courses applied to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) may not be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading.

Three certificate programs have been designated to complete the specific 35 semester hour general education blocks of the AGEC requirements. These certificates are:

1. Arizona General Education Curriculum A-AGEC-A fulfills the lower division general education requirements of liberal arts majors (e.g., social science, fine arts, humanities).
2. Arizona General Education Curriculum B-AGEC-B fulfills the lower division general education requirements of business majors.
3. Arizona General Education Curriculum S-AGEC-S fulfills the lower division general education requirements of majors with more stringent mathematics and mathematics-based science requirements.

Five degrees have been designated to include the specific 35-38 semester hour general education blocks.

These degrees are:

1. Associate of Arts-AGEC-A
2. Associate of Arts in Elementary Education-AGEC-A
3. Associate of Arts in Fine Arts-AGEC-A
4. Associate of Business-AGEC-B
5. Associate of Science-AGEC-S

See individual degree and certificate programs for specific completion requirements. If the student does not complete the AGEC at Yavapai College, the same transfer status may not be granted by an Arizona public university as those who have completed the AGEC. Failing to complete the AGEC will result in having courses evaluated on a course-by-course basis by the transfer university.

Some majors, particularly in the professional fields, have specific prerequisites and/or program requirements that will not transfer within one of the three general education programs described in this section. Students should check with an advisor to confirm the status of such a major program. Since university requirements can change from year-to-year, it is advisable to maintain regular contact with an academic advisor.

Yavapai College's General Education Core Curriculum Outcomes (GECCO) are a set of key ideas and skills that cross the curriculum to define the essence of a college education and provide students with experiences and ideas that transcend any individual course, certificate or degree. The GECCO provides students with opportunities to cultivate successful academic and work habits, to form and refine values, and to master a broad range of abilities that are needed in today's competitive and complex society. Yavapai College commits to ensuring that all students who graduate with an Associate degree or AAS degree in any discipline or occupation demonstrate proficiency in the General Education Core Curriculum Outcomes during the course of their studies. The General Education Core Curriculum Outcomes ensure that every Yavapai College degree or AGEC graduate will be able to:

• Generate, access, categorize, evaluate and use information in an efficient and ethical manner and use 21st century technologies to communicate and work effectively (Digital Literacy and Information Literacy)
• Reason logically and evaluate the reasoning of others through the utilization of open-mindedness, critical inquiry, and the rational assessment of data and text; generate original questions and support answers; and devise creative solutions to problems and evaluate their effectiveness (Critical Thinking and Creativity)
• Communicate ideas effectively in a variety of formats and be able to extract and construct meaning from the communication of others (Oral Communication and Written Communication)
• Recognize the diversity of human experiences; the influences of history, culture, socio-economic status and the physical environment on worldview; and the individual's role in local, national and global communities (Diversity Awareness and Civic Engagement)
• Use mathematical and scientific information, tools, theories and models to understand the physical world; and to identify, apply, and integrate concepts from science and mathematics to understand complex, real life problems and to develop informed conclusions and solutions (Quantitative and Scientific Literacy)

Several of these categories overlap with the AGEC requirements mandated by the state of Arizona for all community college General Education courses intended for transfer to a state university.

FOUNDATION studies in English and Mathematics are essential to independent thinking, to making a connection with the world of learning and to communicating those connections. In FOUNDATION courses, students are introduced to and practice thoughtful and precise writing and speaking skills, critical reading, quantitative literacy, and the process of analysis and synthesis that underlie logical reasoning. Foundation studies are comprised of the Communication and Quantitative Literacy categories.

CORE studies focus on the conceptual frameworks through which the student may approach an issue. CORE studies classes serve to introduce students to the profound influence that the past has upon the present, while also ensuring that those students have the skills and knowledge necessary to critically evaluate those influences. To complete their Core Studies AGEC requirement, students must take one course in Historical Perspective and one in Critical Thinking.

AREA studies link FOUNDATION skills in thinking and communicating and the CORE emphasis on conceptual frameworks to the content of academic disciplines. AREA courses demonstrate that the study of specialized subject matter can be drawn into the central dialogues of General Education. AREA studies courses include topics in Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Physical and Biological Sciences.

General Education Requirements

General Education courses generally require critical reading and thoughtful writing. Students with college-level reading and writing skills have the foundation necessary for success.

In some cases a specific degree program may require the student to select particular courses, rather than to select freely from the list of approved General Education courses. The student should follow requirements of their specific degree program to ensure graduation and transfer of credits. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with an academic advisor to build an educational plan. Approved General Education courses are listed below, in their respective categories.

AGEC - Special Requirements incorporate additional university requirements. These are not separate courses, but instead are topics that, upon completion of an AGEC certificate, students will have encountered in their required course of study.

Intensive Writing and Critical Inquiry (IWR) - At least one course beyond the First-Year Composition requirement shall involve the development of competence in written discourse and involve the gathering, interpretation, and evaluation of evidence.

Awareness Areas

1. Ethnic/Race/Gender (ERG) Awareness - One course emphasizing ethnic/race/gender awareness is required.
2. Global/International or Historical (GIH) Awareness - One course emphasizing contemporary global/international awareness or historical awareness is required.

General Education courses at Yavapai College are grouped into three categories:

Foundation Studies, Core Studies, and Area Studies

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students may not use the same course to meet both a Core Studies and Area Studies requirement.