Associate in Arts
(AA) degree
Many students have plans for completing
a baccalaureate degree at a four-year
college or university.
The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree is
designed to prepare students for transfer into Bachelor
of Arts programs at four-year colleges and universities.
The programs listed in the following pages present
suggested course groupings for the major programs at
transfer institutions. Since the programs of individual
colleges and universities vary, students who plan to attend
a particular college should consult the catalogue
of that college for information concerning required
and elective courses. college advisors and faculty Advisors
at Malcolm X College can assist students in the
selection of electives beyond the General Education
Core (GEC) listed below that fit into major sequences.
The College provides transfer guides in the Advising
and Transfer Center for many area colleges.
In the Associate in Arts degree program, emphasis
is placed upon Communications, Social Sciences,
and Humanities. The program requires successful
completion of at least 62 semester hours with an
overall grade point average of 2.00 (“C”). It is required
that all GEC and core required courses be completed
with a grade of “C” or better. All courses submitted for
graduation must be numbered 101 or higher. Students
transferring to Malcolm X College from other colleges
must complete the last 15 semester hours of required
course work in residence at Malcolm X College to be
eligible to receive an Associate in Arts degree. In addition,
the School Code of Illinois states that students
planning to graduate from Malcolm X College must
receive a passing grade on an examination of the Constitution
of the State of Illinois, the code of the American
Flag and the Declaration of Independence. This
requirement also can be met by an official high school
transcript or official GED Score Report, verifying successful
completion of this examination. The completion
of Political Science 201 or History 111, with a
grade of “C” or higher, will meet this requirement.
Thirty-seven to 41 of the required 62 (minimum)
semester hours must be distributed among the five
GEC areas of communications, math, physical and
life sciences, humanities and fine arts, and social sciences.
The general education core enables students to
understand and appreciate their culture and environment,
develop a system of personal values that leads
to civic and social responsibility, and to attain skills in
communications, computation, and critical thinking
necessary for future growth as learners and productive
members of society.
It is recommended that the remaining 21–25
semester hours of elective courses be selected from
one of the major areas of concentration listed. Students
who plan to transfer to a four-year institution
may elect to earn an AA degree without a specific
major area of concentration of study, but must meet
minimum degree requirements. Students are urged to
consult the Student Success Center.
Associate in Arts (AA) degree
GEC requirements
(37–41 semester credits, 12–13 courses)
To ensure transferability of the AA degree, courses
should be selected from the following General Education
Core list:
Communications 9 semester credits
English 101, 102
Speech 101
Mathematics 3–6 semester credits
Mathematics 118, 121, 122, 125, 135, 204, 207,
208, 209
Physical, Life Sciences 7–8 semester credits
(one course in two different areas; one must be a lab
course)
Astronomy 201
Biology 114, 115, 121, 122
Chemistry 100/121, 201, 203, 205
Physical Science 101, 102, 111, 112
Physics 131, 221, 222, 231, 232
Humanities, Fine Arts 9 semester credits
(three courses selected from at least two disciplines)
Art 103, 131, 132, 142, 144, 145, 166
Fine Arts 104, 107, 108
Any Foreign Language 104 and above
Humanities 201, 202, 205, 207
Literature 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 121, 122, 131,
133, 150, 211
Music 121, 223, 224
Philosophy 105, 106, 107, 108
Social Sciences 9 semester credits
(three courses selected from at least two disciplines)
Economics 201, 202
History 111, 112, 141, 142, 247, 248
Political Science 201, 203, 204
Psychology 201, 207
Social Science 101, 102
Sociology 201, 203
Total General Education Requirements 37–41
Concentration/Open Electives 21–25
Degree Requirement 62 (minimum)
