General Requirements for Degrees, Certificates, and Diplomas

Types Of Degrees

Associate of Arts.  In general, programs leading to the associate of arts are college parallel and allow the recipient to transfer with advanced standing to a four-year institution. To ensure maximum acceptance of credit, however, students should consult both a Delgado Community College advisor and a representative of the institution to which they plan to transfer. Associate of Arts degree programs are comprised of 60 credit hours, though in some circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements), they may range from 60-72 credit hours.  Associate of Arts degrees contain 27 credit hours of general education coursework. General education coursework includes: six credit hours of English composition; three credit hours of Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning; six credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; three credit hours in Fine Arts; and six credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Associate of Science. In general, programs leading to the associate of science are college parallel and allow the recipient to transfer with advanced standing to a four-year institution. To ensure maximum acceptance of credit, however, students should consult both a Delgado Community College advisor and a representative of the institution to which they plan to transfer.  Associate of Science degree programs are comprised of 60 credit hours, though in some circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements), they may range from 60-72 credit hours. Associate of Science degrees contain 27 credit hours of general education coursework. General Education coursework includes: six credit hours of English composition; six credit hours of Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning; six credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; three credit hours in Fine Arts; and three credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Associate of Applied Science. This degree is awarded in vocational and technical areas. Although some courses taken to fulfill requirements for this degree may be accepted by senior institutions, this degree is normally considered to be a terminal degree. Associate of Applied Science degree programs are comprised of 60 credit hours, though in some circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements), they may range from 60-72 credit hours. Associate of Applied Science degrees contain 15 credit hours of general education coursework. General Education coursework includes: three credit hours in English Composition; three credit hours in Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning; three credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; and three credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Associate of General Studies. This degree is awarded upon completion of a highly flexible program designed by the student in consultation with an advisor. Depending upon the courses chosen, the degree may be either college parallel or terminal.  This degree may be designed with a concentration in almost any discipline or pre-professional studies. Students must consult a General Studies Counselor for more information about the Associate of General Studies degree and articulation with four-year institutions. The Associate of General Studies degree is comprised of 60 credit hours, with 27 credit hours of general education coursework. General Education coursework includes: six credit hours of English composition; three credit hours of Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning; six credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; three credit hours in Fine Arts; and six credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Associate. The Associate (non-designated) degree is awarded in programs designed to prepare students for immediate employment or career entry, but which also may serve as preparatory education for transfer to a related baccalaureate program. To ensure maximum acceptance of credit, however, students should consult both a Delgado Community College advisor and a representative of the institution to which they plan to transfer. Associate (non-designated) degree programs are comprised of 60 credit hours, though in some circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements), they may range from 60-72 credit hours. Associate (non-designated) degrees contain 27 credit hours consisting of general education coursework. General Education coursework includes: six credit hours of English composition; three credit hours of Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning; six credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; three credit hours in Fine Arts; and six credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Technical Diploma

Technical Diploma. The college offers Technical Diplomas. The Technical Diploma is an applied, technical program strictly limited to community and technical colleges. Technical Diplomas are comprised of between 45 and 60 credit hours of professional/technical courses with no general education requirements.

Types Of Certificates

The College also offers certificate programs. These programs are applied, technical programs and are classified as follows:

Certificate of Applied Science. The Certificate of Applied Science is awarded upon completion of a course of study designed to prepare students for immediate employment or career entry. The Certificate of Applied Science is comprised of between 30 and 42 credit hours, with nine credit hours consisting of general education coursework. General Education coursework includes: three credit hours of English composition; three credit hours of Mathematics; and three credit hours in the Fine Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences.

Certificate of General Studies. The Certificate of General Studies is designed to provide students with a broad foundation of fundamental academic courses. It offers students the opportunity to increase readiness for collegiate study while exploring career pathways. It allows students who intend to transfer to senior colleges the opportunity to choose courses that meet the admission requirements of the receiving institution. To ensure maximum acceptance of credit, however, students should consult both a Delgado Community College advisor and a representative of the institution to which they plan to transfer. The Certificate of General Studies is comprised of 30 credit hours, with 24 credit hours consisting of general education coursework. General education coursework includes: six credit hours of English composition; three credit hours of Mathematics; three credit hours in the Natural Sciences; three credit hours in the Humanities; three credit hours in Fine Arts; three credit hours in the Social/Behavioral Sciences; and three additional credit hours in Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, or Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Certificate of Technical Studies. The Certificate of Technical Studies is awarded upon completion of a course of study designed to prepare students for immediate employment or career entry. The Certificate of Technical Studies is comprised of between 16 and 33 credit hours of professional/technical courses with no general education requirements.

Career and Technical Certificate.  The Career and Technical Certificate is applied skills program that provides specific, meaningful technical skills relative to employment readiness. The C.T.C. includes a demonstrated alignment with, and a process whereby a student’s competencies are verified against, a set of pre-determined standards which lead to and/or prepare an individual to test for an industry-based certification (IBC), state licensure, or state-recognized certification awarded by an independent, third party that is recognized by business and industry and/or the State of Louisiana. The Career and Technical Certificate is comprised of between 6 and 18 credit hours of professional/technical courses with no general education requirements.

Post-Associate Certificate.  The Post-Associate Certificate is an academic or technical offering that is earned after a student has already completed a recognized associate’s degree, usually for additional professional or technical certification.

Categories Of Requirements

Each program includes the following categories of requirements.

Required Courses in Major. These courses, which may be drawn from one department or from several departments, form the nucleus of the program. Each course in this category must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

Approved Electives. Students choose from specified courses listed in this area. The courses listed provide for a broad distribution in the student’s major area of interest.

Required Related Courses. These are specific courses that are closely related to the major field of study, or they provide necessary skills to support the major.

General Education Courses. These are courses in English, mathematics/analytical reasoning, fine arts, humanities, natural science, and social science/behavioral science. With very few exceptions, they are required in all degree programs. In cases where no courses are specified in a particular category, courses to complete general education requirements must be selected from the lists appearing below.

Free Electives. These courses are chosen entirely by the student. Any credit course offered by Delgado Community College that is numbered 100 or above may be used as an elective.

(Specific requirements and procedure for graduation are listed in the Academic Policies section.) Students should be particularly careful about adhering to the catalog and curriculum in effect at time of admission (or change of major), the rule that a “C” or better be earned in ALL courses in the major. For degree completion, at least 25 percent of credit semester hours must be earned through instruction offered by Delgado Community College; nine of these hours must be earned in the major.  (Some instructional programs require more than nine credit hours in the major to be earned through instruction offered by Delgado Community College, due to program accreditation requirements.  This information is noted in the program description or curriculum outline). 

General Education Requirements

The following are approved Fine Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, and Natural Science courses that meet program requirements for a degree. Courses used to fulfill General Education requirements do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession; rather, these courses provide a broad-based foundation in the subject area.  Students may not use a course in their major to fulfill their General Education degree requirements.