A.A.S. Degree Requirements

The following AAS Degree, Diploma, and Certificate programs indicate the courses which are required of the program and which earn credit toward the AAS Degree, Diploma, or Certificate. Students whose placement scores indicate a need for developmental coursework are required to take additional courses beyond those listed.
Admission to all AAS Degree programs and to some Diploma and Certificate programs require a high school diploma or High School Equivalency completion.
All AAS Degree and Diploma students must demonstrate proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics before enrolling in 100 level English and mathematics courses. Proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills may be demonstrated by satisfactory performance on the College’s placement tests or by successful completion of appropriate developmental courses. Students should begin any developmental courses in language arts and/or mathematics their first semester of enrollment. Developmental requirements of other than English or mathematics courses, if applicable, are indicated in other course prerequisite(s). Developmental courses do not earn credit toward any credential. Placement tests, SAT, ACT scores and developmental courses are not valid if more than five years old or taken prior to the implementation of NC-DAP, unless student successfully completed college level ENG and MAT courses with a "C" or better. Students completing programs which allows the ability to take a Natural Science class instead of a Math class will be required to successfully complete DMA 010-030, or successfully exempt these courses by placement testing, within the five years from test date to graduation.
All AAS Degree students are required to complete at least 15 SHC of general education core depending on the program. (See General Education Competencies and Outcomes.)
All AAS Degree students planning to transfer are strongly recommended to take ENG 112.
All AAS Degree students are required to demonstrate oral communication competence either by taking ENG 114 or by taking a Communications course (COM). Students whose program requires ENG 114 but instead take ENG 112 must also take COM 110 or COM 231. While Diploma and Certificate programs do not require students to demonstrate oral communication competence, the College strongly recommends that students pursuing such programs take advantage of opportunities to develop oral communication competence.
Students must have access to and training in the use of technology. This may be met by CIS 110, successful completion of credit by exam for CIS 110 prior to graduation, or completion of courses indicated in the program of study as meeting this requirement.
One course may not be used to satisfy two requirements in the same program.
Courses numbered 190-199 and 290-299 are limited to a maximum of 3 SHC in AAS Degree, Diploma, and Certificate programs.
Students must have a 2.00 GPA to graduate.
Degree or Diploma students must take thirty (30) SHC at Western Piedmont Community College, including the final 10 SHC. In addition, at least half of the SHC listed in the Core or Required Major Hours of the program of study for each AAS Degree, Diploma, or Certificate program must be taken at Western Piedmont. To qualify for any certificate, a student must complete 50 percent of the total semester hour’s credit at WPCC. In no case shall the combined total of any transfer credit hours, credits by examination, credit for external examination, or course substitutions represent more than one-half of the specified number of hours required for the degree or diploma toward which students are applying those credits.
Students must submit a Petition for Graduation for degrees or diplomas, to the Director of Records and Registration during the final semester of their enrollment.
All course prerequisites and/or co-requisites must be met.
Course substitutions, including general education elective substitutions in Math, Humanities, and Social Science, must be approved by student petition. Please see advisor for eligible and recommended courses.