2022-2023 Pierce College Catalog 
    
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2022-2023 Pierce College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Associate in Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA) Degree Requirements

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The Associate in Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement degree (AA-DTA) is designed for students who plan to transfer to four-year institutions after completing the first two years of study at Pierce College. The degree enables students to fulfill the undergraduate general education requirements of most four-year degree programs and is also recommended for students who have not yet decided the field they will enter or the four-year institution they will attend.

Pierce College’s AA-DTA degree meets the Inter-College Relations Commission’s Transfer Degree Guidelines for Washington colleges and universities. Because transfer requirements vary from one institution to another, students are encouraged to work closely with their advisors in planning their program of study. Because it is the student’s responsibility to ensure the courses taken at Pierce College will be accepted for transfer, it is helpful to select a transfer institution, obtain a catalog and transfer guide from that college or university, and become familiar with its admission and course requirements soon after enrolling at Pierce College. For students who have not decided on a transfer institution, advisors can help plan a well-balanced program that will best meet transfer needs.

Specific questions concerning transfer can be directed to a faculty advisor, the advising centers, or to an admissions office at the four-year institution of choice. Transfer information for four-year institutions in Washington state is available in the advising centers.

More than 90 credits may be earned at Pierce College, but no more than 90 quarter credits may apply to a chosen four-year program of study.

Degree Outcomes

General Degree Requirements

  • Minimum of 90 credits earned in courses numbered 100 or above is required to complete the AA-DTA degree. The 90 credits must include at least 60 Core Requirement credits, 15 General Transferable Elective (GTE) credits, and 15 General Elective credits.
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition I  - required
  • COLLG 110 College Success  required during the first or second quarter of attendance
  • Earn the lesser of (at least) 20 college level credits or 25% of the credits applicable to the degree or certificate at Pierce College
  • Cumulative college-level grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher is required
  • 1.5 grade (C-) or better for all Core Requirement and GTE courses is required unless stated otherwise
  • “Pass” (P) grades, independent study and cooperative work experience/work-based learning credits may be used for general elective credits only
  • Once a course has been successfully completed, credits earned may be used in only one category

Core Requirements

Communication Skills (10 Credits)

ENGL& 101 requires a 2.0 grade or higher. Second communications course required a 1.5 or higher grade.

Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Skills (5 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 grade or higher. PREREQ: Intermediate Algebra with 2.0 or higher or equivalent course work, or appropriate assessment scores.

Note:

* for education majors

Humanities (15 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 grade or higher. Select from at least two disciplines. No more than five credits from performance/skills courses and no more than five credits are allowed in world language at the 100-level.

Humanities Performance/Skills (5 Credits Maximum)

Social Sciences (15 Credits)

Requires 1.5 grade or higher. Select from at least two disciplines.

Natural Sciences (15 Credits)

Requires a 1.5 grade or higher. At least 10 credits in physical, biological and/or earth sciences. Choose at least one laboratory science - indicated by an Ⓛ and from at least two different disciplines.

General Transferable Electives (15 Credits)

Courses require a 1.5 grade or higher. A minimum of 15 credits must be earned from the approved General Transferable Elective (GTE) list. Courses taken for a pass/no pass grade, independent study, or cooperative work experience/workbased learning courses do not apply to the GTE area. Select from:

  • Any of the approved CORE distribution courses designated as Communication Skills, Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Skills, Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences.
    AND/OR
  • Courses numbered 100 and above listed in the departments below.

GTE APPROVED COURSES BY DEPARTMENT
ACCOUNTING: Only ACCT& 201 , ACCT& 202   and ACCT& 203 
ANTHROPOLOGY: All, except ANTH 150 or ANTH 151
ART: All
ASTRONOMY: All
ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE: All
BIOLOGY: All
BUSINESS: Only BUS& 101  and BUS& 201 
CHEMISTRY: All
COMMUNICATION STUDIES: All
COMPUTER SCIENCE: CS& 141  and CS 202  
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Only CJ& 105 , CJ 112 , CJ 115 , CJ 120 , CJ 150 , CJ 200 , CJ 202 , CJ 215   and CJ 245  
DIGITAL DESIGN: Only DDSGN 140  and DDSGN 170 
DRAMA: All except DRMA 165 , DRMA 166 , DRMA 167  and DRMA 255  
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Only ECED& 105 , ECED 200 , ECED 335  and ECED 355  
ECONOMICS: All
EDUCATION: EDUC& 115 , EDUC 190 , EDUC& 202   and EDUC& 203 
ENGINEERING: All
ENGLISH: All except ENGL 145 , ENGL 250 , and ENGL 256   
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: All
GEOGRAPHY: All
GEOLOGY: All
HISTORY: All
HUMANITIES: All
INTEGRATED SOCIAL SCIENCE: All
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: All except INTS 292
JOURNALISM: Only JOURN 102 , JOURN 103  and JOURN 125 
MATHEMATICS: All
MUSIC: All except MUSC 107 , MUSC 108 , MUSC 109  
NATURAL SCIENCE: All
NUTRITION: All
OCEANOGRAPHY: All
PHILOSOPHY: All
PHYSICAL SCIENCE: All
PHYSICS: All
POLITICAL SCIENCE: All
PSYCHOLOGY: All except PSYC 192 
SOCIAL SERVICE/MENTAL HEALTH: Only HSSA& 101  and SSBH 100 
SOCIOLOGY: All
WORLD LANGUAGES: All

General Electives (15 Credits)

Courses require a 1.0 grade or higher. Maximum of 15 credits of courses numbered 100 and above may be applied to this area. These credits may include, professional technical, physical education (three credits maximum), cooperative education, courses taken under the P/NP option, independent study, etc.

  • required with a 2.0 or higher grade

  •  

  • Note: The College Success course you select will depend on the Career Pathway Map you are following. Your advisor will assist you in selecting either the 3- or 5- credit version of the course. Should you choose to repeat a College Success course you must enroll in a College Success course with the same credit amount as the original course; a COLLG 110 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 110 course and a COLLG 115 course grade can only be replaced with a grade from another COLLG 115 course. 

Total Credits: 90

Program Code: AAFP

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