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Austin Community College (ACC) offers college-level awards in the form of degrees and certificates in a variety of programs. Refer to the Semester Credit Hour (SCH) Requirements information in this catalog for information on the number of credit hours required to earn each award offered at ACC. Consult with an Area of Study advisor to determine the award type that is best for you.
| Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) | This degree allows individuals with an AAS to complete a bachelor’s degree in that field. Austin Community College (ACC) currently offers a BAS in Software Development. |
| Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) | This degree is specifically designed to prepare graduates of Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and nursing diploma programs, who already hold a Registered Nursing (RN) license, with additional skills in management, leadership, theory, and research to succeed and be promoted within the nursing profession. |
| Associate of Arts (AA) & Associate of Science (AS) | These degrees are specifically designed to allow for the transfer and application of credits earned at ACC to the bachelor degree requirements of most public colleges and universities. In addition, completion of the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees at ACC also guarantees completion of the state-mandated core curriculum and the acceptance in transfer of a minimum of 42-semester credit hours toward the general education requirements in a bachelor’s degree at all state supported higher education institutions in Texas (see the Fields of Study section of this catalog for exceptions). The Associate of Science degree differs from the Associate of Arts degree primarily in the amount or level of mathematics required for degree completion so students will be prepared to transfer as a junior majoring in the sciences, math or engineering. |
| Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) | These degrees are designed to prepare students to transfer to a Texas public university as a junior with a specific teaching major: Early Childhood-Grade 6, Grades 4-8, or Grades 8-12. |
| Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) | These degrees, offered in technical programs, are designed to prepare students for immediate employment upon graduation. While this degree is not focused on transfer, ACC has formal agreements with partner universities that allow transferability of courses in some ACC programs. Within many of the technologies, short-term certificate programs, also preparation for employment, are offered which can be completed in less than two years. |
In general, if you plan to transfer to a university to pursue a bachelor’s degree, you should complete an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. These degrees are broad and set you up for transferring to a university with junior (Year 3) status.
If you plan to enter the workforce as soon as possible, you would usually pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree or a Certificate. These are ordinarily focused on preparing you for a specific industry upon graduation.
For more information on the types of degree and certificate choices at ACC, visit Award Descriptions.
See the Degrees & Certificate Listing by Award Type section of this catalog to view a current listing of degrees and certificates offered at ACC.
See the Online Degrees & Certificates section of this catalog for information on ACC Online flexible distance education options.
See the Z-Classes & Z-Degrees section of this catalog for information on degrees that can be completed entirely with zero textbook cost classes.
Semester Credit Hour (SCH) Requirements
The following are the semester credit hour requirements for college-level awards offered at Austin Community College (ACC):
| Baccalaureate Degrees | Require at least 120 semester credit hours (SCH) for completion. ACC currently offers two degree completion programs: Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). |
| Associate Degrees | Require at least 60 semester credit hours (SCH) and take approximately two years to complete if you attend full time. The following Associate of Applied Science programs are approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to exceed the 60 SCH: American Sign Language-Interpreter Training, Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiology. |
| Certificates | Require 15 SCH – 51 SCH, or 360 – 779 contact hours for workforce continuing education courses, and can be completed in as little as one semester. |
| Occupational Skills Awards | Require 9 SCH – 14 SCH or 144 – 359 contact hours for workforce continuing education courses. |
For more information on the types of degree and certificate choices at ACC, visit Award Descriptions.