Associate Degrees

Important Notes About Majors, Degrees & General Education

Current Catalog Year and Catalog Rights
The majors and degree requirements listed below follow the current catalog year.
If you're using an older catalog, check the requirements for your specific year by referring to the College Catalog.
What Are Catalog Rights?At College of the Canyons, catalog rights allow you to follow the degree and GE requirements from the academic year you first enrolled, as long as you stay enrolled without missing four consecutive terms (including winter and summer). If you started before Fall 2025 and have remained enrolled without that kind of gap, you may still be able to use previous GE patterns like CSU GE or IGETC. Questions about your catalog year or GE pattern? Meet with a counselor to stay on track!
Transfer vs. COC Major Requirements
The major classes you take at College of the Canyons might not exactly match the ones required to transfer to a UC, CSU, or private university.
Transfer requirements can be different, so it’s important to plan ahead and meet with a counselor early.
Major Courses vs. Degree Completion
The course lists below only show the major courses required for each degree at COC.
To earn an Associate Degree, you also need to complete general education (GE) requirements.
General Education (GE) Patterns
To meet your GE requirements, use the pattern that matches your degree type:
- For COC *Associate Degrees:
  *Important: If you're earning a Liberal Arts and Sciences degree (with an emphasis in Health Science, Humanities, Math & Science, or Social & Behavioral Science), you must use the Cal-GETC pattern for your GE
  1. COC (Local) GE Pattern - You’re exempt from GE if you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
  2. Cal-GETC Pattern
- For Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs):
  1. Cal-GETC Pattern

COC Associate Degrees

The following associate degrees use either CSU GE or IGETC as the general education:

Liberal Arts & Sciences AA - Health Science Emphasis

Liberal Arts & Sciences AA - Humanities Emphasis

Liberal Arts & Sciences AA - Social and Behavioral Sciences Emphasis

Liberal Arts & Sciences AA - Math & Science Emphasis

These degrees use the COC Associate Degree General Education Requirements. Follow these general education requirements to earn an associate degree from College of the Canyons that is not an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T/AS-T). CSU GE or IGETC is not the appropriate GE for these degrees. Students intent on transfer should consult with Counseling to confirm their appropriate general education pathway.

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Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT)

Benefits of earning an Associate Degree for Transfer

Guarantees admission with junior standing to the CSU system.
Defines this degree as having sixty transferable units that include the IGETC or CSU GE Breadth pattern and 18 units in a major or area of emphasis.
Provides students with priority admission to their local CSU campus and to a program or major that is similar to their major or area of emphasis at the community college. It does not provide guarantee to a specific campus or major, so students should work hard to be academically competitive when applying to popular CSU campuses outside their local area and to popular majors.
Prohibits the CSU from requiring students to repeat courses that are similar to courses completed as part of the associate degree for transfer at the community college.
Prohibits the CSU from requiring students to take more than 60 units to complete a 120-unit baccalaureate degree.

For more information, please visit the website, Degree With a Guarantee.