Chipola College offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degree programs, as well as certificate (non-degree) programs. Students should understand the differences between the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science degrees.

AA Curricula

The program of study (curricula) for the AA degree at Chipola includes the requirements that Florida colleges and universities demand— the Gordon Rule and 60 hours of courses designated [A] in the “Course Descriptions” section of the catalog including 36 hours of general education. Chipola also requires passing scores on the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (GEE)Test. First time in college students, beginning with Fall 2014, must demonstrate Modern (foreign)language competency in order to earn the AA Degree. All state colleges and universities in Florida have a modern language requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree. The modern language requirement should be fulfilled by taking two years of the same modern language at the high school level or 2 semesters of the same language at the college level. Home School students must demonstrate competency through competency testing.

The College allows a student to demonstrate proficiency in a native language other than English or demonstrate they have a level of competence in a foreign language at least equivalent to that of students who have completed two (2) credits of such instruction in high school to meet this requirement.

AS Curricula

The programs of study (curricula) for the Associate in Science degree at Chipola include many courses that are transferable to Florida colleges and universities. Each AS degree contains a minimum of 15 hours of general education courses, all of which are transferable. Only courses designated [O] in the “course description” section of this catalog may not transfer.

Two of the AS degrees at Chipola, Nursing and Business Administration, are covered in the state’s “career ladder agreement” Under this agreement, students who complete these programs are guaranteed admission to one of the state colleges or universities in the program designated to articulate with their degree, except for limited access programs and those requiring specific grades on particular courses for admission.

AA Guarantees Acceptance at State Universities

As the pages that follow explain, the Associate in Arts degree is intended for students who plan to attend a Florida college or university to complete their bachelor’s degree. Various agreements guarantee that the student who graduates from a Florida community college with an Associate in Arts degree will be accepted at the junior class level by a Florida college or university.

Students who Plan to Complete a Bachelor’s Degree

The Associate in Arts degree is designed for students who plan to complete the first two years of college work at Chipola and then transfer into a baccalaureate degree program at either Chipola or another state college or university in Florida.

In planning a program, students should be certain to meet the general education requirements for the Associate in Arts degree and complete a program of at least 60 semester hours. Within these 60 semester hours, students should fulfill the prerequisite course requirements for the major at the transfer institution.

State colleges and universities in Florida have agreed on a list of common prerequisites for admission into most academic programs. To maximize transferability, students are advised to choose a major and transfer institution as early as possible. Florida college AA graduates will receive priority for admission to the upper division of a Florida college or to a state university over out-of-state students. Students who plan to transfer to an out-of-state institution should work closely with an advisor. Students without an AA degree risk denial of admission into upper division programs at most Florida colleges and universities.

Some private universities and colleges in Florida honor the community college AA degree. See Student Affairs for a list of these institutions.

It is the responsibility of each student to consult an advisor to plan a program of study at Chipola College; however, in the final analysis, the student is responsible for the requirements stated in this catalog and in the catalog of the transfer institution. Any discrepancy between oral advice and the catalog should be checked carefully by the student.

Student Bill of Rights

Florida Community College Associate in Arts graduates are guaranteed the following rights under the Statewide Articulation Agreement (State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.024):

1. Admission to one of the 11 state universities, but not necessarily to the university or program of choice. Transfer students must compete for admission to limited access programs.
2. Acceptance of at least 60 semester hours by the state university.
3. Adherence to the university degree/program requirements, based on the catalog in effect at the time the student first enters the Florida college, provided the student maintains continuous enrollment.
4. Transfer of equivalent courses under the Statewide Course Numbering System.
5. Acceptance by the state universities of credits earned in accelerated programs (e.g. CLEP, AP, Dual Enrollment, IB, and AICE).
6. No additional general education core requirements.
7. Common program prerequisites across university and college
8. Access to transfer program admission requirements and the selection criteria for limited access programs.
9. Equal opportunity to compete with native university students to enter limited access programs.

Should any guarantee be denied, students have the right of appeal. Each state university and community college shall make available established appeal procedures through the respective articulation officers.

Some degree programs may include additional admission requirements. The programs are referred to as “limited access” programs. These more stringent requirements may include a higher grade point average and/or higher test scores, additional courses or prerequisites, and/or auditions/portfolios.

General Education Requirement

Associate in Arts students must complete 60 college credits to complete the degree; 36 of these credits must be general education credits distributed across five subject area categories. A student must satisfy the required number of credits in each category. The remaining 24 elective credits should be selected in consultation with an advisor, who will assist with selecting the college credits most advantageous to the student’s educational goals.

To assure that graduates of the state university and state college systems share a common base of General Education requirements, the State of Florida has designed general education core course options in each of five areas of study—Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Communications, and Humanities. Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and thereafter, each student must choose:

• One core course in each area and one general course in each area, or
• Two core courses in each area.

The General Education areas of study and the minimum number of hours required in each area are:

Area 1—Social Sciences (Minimum: 6 semester hours)

Student must choose from among the following:
• One core course and one general course, OR
• Two core courses in each area.

*AMH 2010, AMH 2020 or POS 2041 will fulfill Civics Literacy Requirement.

Area 1 College Level Competency: Evaluate Societal and Ethical Issues, Problems, and Values

Purpose of Area 1: The purpose of a social and behavioral science component in the core curriculum is to increase students’ knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity.

Area 2—Natural Sciences 

Student must choose from among the following:
• One core course and one general course, OR
• Two core courses in each area.

Area 2 College Level Competency: Explore the Nature of Science

Purpose of Area 2: The purpose of the study of the natural sciences component in the core curriculum is to enable the student to understand, construct, and evaluate relationships in the natural sciences, and to understand the bases for building and testing scientific theories.

Area 3—Mathematics (Minimum: 6 semester hours)

Student must choose from among the following:
• One core course and one general course, OR
• Two core courses in each area.
• Any higher level course with the same prefix may substitute.

Any student who successfully completes a mathematics course for which one of the general education core course options in mathematics is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the mathematics core.

Area 3 College Level Competency: Demonstrate Basic Mathematical Skills and Knowledge

The Gordon Rule (6A10.030) requires all Florida college students to successfully complete at least Six (6) semester hours of mathematics coursework at the level of college algebra or higher. For the purposes of this rule, a grade of C or higher shall be considered successful completion

Purpose of Area 3: The purpose of the mathematics component of the core curriculum is to develop quantitative literacy with an ability to apply basic mathematical tools in the solution of real world problems.

Area 4—Communications (Minimum: 6 semester hours)

Student must choose from among the following:
• One core course and one general course

*Gordon Rule Writing Course

Area 4 College Level Competency: Comprehend and Articulate Effectively in English - Reading, Writing, Oral Communication

Purpose of Area 4: The purpose of the communications area in the core curriculum is to enable the student to read critically and communicate effectively in clear and correct English.

Area 5—Humanities

Student must choose from among the following:
• One core course AND
• Two general courses OR one general humanities and one general communications.  

*May count as Core or General Ed Course
The Gordon Rule (6A10.030) requires all Florida college students to complete at least 12 hours of writing courses at the ENC 1101 level and higher and to make at least a “C” in each course.

**These general humanities courses do not meet the Gordon Rule writing requirement.

Area 5 College Level Competency: Interpret, Evaluate and Appreciate Works of Human Culture

Purpose of Area 5: The purpose of the humanities in the core curriculum is to understand the human condition through the study of the following: art history, literature, music history, music theory, performing arts, philosophy, and visual arts.

Area 6—General Education Course (Minimum: 3 semester hours)

Select three (3) additional hours from any of the general education courses listed in Areas 1-5.

Courses with International or Diversity Focus

The following courses taught at Chipola College have been designated as courses with an international/diversity focus:

• AMH 2091, 2093 African American History I & II
• ARH 1000 Art Appreciation
• ASH 1044 Survey of Middle Eastern History
• EDF 2085 Introduction to Diversity for Educators
• FRE 1120, 1121, Elementary or Intermediate French 2220, 2221
• GEA 2001 World Geography I
• GEA 2002 World Geography II
• REL 2300 World Religions
• SPT 2521 Hispanic Cinema
• SYG 1010 Social Problems
• THE 1000 Theatre Appreciation
• WOH 2012, 2022 World History I & II

Civics Literacy

Prior to the award of an Associates in Arts or baccalaureate degree, first-time-in-college students entering a Florida College System institution between the 2018-2019 to 2020 – 2021 school year, must demonstrate competency civics literacy in one of two options prior to graduation.   

1.  Successfully completing either POS 2041 American Government, AMH 2010 Introductory Survey to 1877, or AMH 2020 Introductory Survey Since 1877

       OR

2.  Achieving the standard score of ONE on the following assessments

• AP Government and Politics: United States - Score of 3 or higher
• AP United States History - Score of 4 or higher
• CLEP: American Government - Score of 50 or higher
• FCLE – Register through Testing Center - Score of 60

Students that entered in the 2021-2022 school year or thereafter must demonstrate civics literacy through coursework AND a recognized assessment.

General Education Core Digital Badges

ENC1101 and the “Fundamentals of Written Communication” Digital Badge

Upon completion of ENC1101 or a course for which ENC1101 is a prerequisite with a grade “C” or better, a “Fundamentals of Written Communication” digital badge will be automatically awarded to students who are entering a public postsecondary institution in the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter and to students entering with credit-by-exam.

Defining “Fundamentals of Written Communication”

Effective written communication is the ability to communicate ideas, information, and perspectives clearly, adapting a message to different audiences and situations, and using the appropriate style to convey meaning in various written contexts.

Learning Outcomes

By completing the college course associated with this badge, you will demonstrate information literacy, comprehension of written material, and conveying information in writing for a variety of rhetorical purposes and audiences. Some of the learning outcomes associated with the college course that results in this badge include the following:
• Examining and analyzing written material.
• Synthesizing information and ideas.
• Developing content relevant to the purpose.
• Demonstrating the ability to write to a specific audience.
• Presenting a perspective informed by research and critical thinking.
• Revising written communication based on feedback.

Importance in Workplace
• Enhances an employee’s ability to interpret and evaluate a wide variety of written material.
• Promotes research, critical thinking, and problem solving.
• Advances the development of clearly written material relevant to the intent.
• Enhances the use of appropriate language for the intended audience.
• Increases the competent, effective, and responsible use of information.

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A digital badge will be available to students upon completion of credential requirements. This badge includes the logos for the FCS and SUS and includes the title, “Fundamentals of Written Communication.”

Modern Language Requirement

First time in college students, beginning with Fall 2014, must demonstrate Modern (foreign) language competency in order to earn the AA Degree. All state colleges and universities in Florida have a modern language requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree. The modern language requirement should be fulfilled by taking two years of the same modern language at the high school level or 2 semesters of the same language at the college level.

The College allows a student to demonstrate proficiency in a native language other than English or demonstrate they have a level of competence in a foreign language at least equivalent to that of students who have completed two (2) credits of such instruction in high school to meet this requirement.