Academic Requirements

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Associate Degree

The associate degree prepares students for immediate employment or the opportunity to further their education.  The curriculum provides students with the tools to think critically, reason, compute, communicate, and adapt to change.   

To earn an associate degree from Lakes Region Community College, a student must:  

  • Successfully complete at least sixty (60) credits in college- level coursework (excluding remedial or developmental coursework/credits – i.e., those identified as being “for institutional credit only”).  
  • Earn at least fifteen (15) credits in coursework offered by Lakes Region Community College with at least eight (8) of those credits earned in advanced-level courses in the student’s major field. 
  • Achieve a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher in all courses taken at the College (including remedial or developmental coursework/credits). 
  • Credit granted through transfer credits or credit by exam will count towards degree/certificate requirements, but will not be included in computing grade point averages. 
  • Completion of INDL120L College Essentials. 

Associate in Science

In addition to meeting the above requirements, a student must meet the following course distribution requirements to earn an Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science Degree: 

  • earn at least thirty (30) credits in program specific courses in a defined major field.  
  • earn at least 20 credits in general education courses, including one course of three (3) credits or more in: 
    • English Composition (required). 
    • Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language (required). 
    • Quantitative Reasoning/Mathematics (required). 
    • Science (required). 
    • Social Sciences (required). 

The remaining general education credits to reach the required total of twenty (20) general education credits may be taken in Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language, Quantitative Reasoning, Science, or Social Sciences. The remaining ten (10) credits to reach the required minimum total of 60 credits may be assigned in any subject are as deemed by the faculty to be appropriate to the curriculum. 

Associate in Applied Science Degree

In addition to meeting the above requirements, a student must meet the following course distribution requirements to earn an Associate in Applied Science:  

  • earn at least 30 credits in program-specific courses in a defined major field;  
  • earn at least 15 credits in general education courses, including one course of three (3) credits or more in:
    • English (required);  
    • Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language (required);
    • Mathematics (required);  
    • Science (required)  
    • Social Sciences (required);  

The remaining fifteen (15) credits to reach the required minimum total of 60 credits may be assigned in any subject area, as deemed by the faculty to be appropriate to the curriculum. 

Associate in Arts

Students may earn an Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts or in a specified major field. In addition to meeting the requirements set forth in Section 1.a above, a student must meet the following course distribution requirements to earn an Associate in Arts degree. Each category below must include at least one course worth at least three (3) credits:  

  • English Composition 4 credits English Literature, Composition (requiring English Composition as a prerequisite), or Communications  
  • 6-8 credits Quantitative Reasoning/Mathematics  
  • 7-8 credits Natural or Physical Sciences (including at least one lab science) 
  • 9 credits Social Sciences  
  • 9 credits Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language  

AND EITHER 
Electives in Specialized Major Field 20 -24 credits 
Minimum 60 credits 

OR (for generic AA in Liberal Arts) 
Liberal Arts Electives (from above list) AND 12-15 credits 
Open Electives                                                        9 credits 
Minimum 60 credits 

Certificate

All certificate programs require that students 

  • Successfully complete all program credits in college-level coursework designed to meet defined competencies in an occupational field (excluding remedial or developmental coursework/credits – i.e., those identified as being “for institutional credit only”).  
  • Earn at least six (6) credits or 25% of total program credits, whichever is larger, in coursework offered by and under the control of the college awarding the degree 
  • Achieve a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher in all courses in the Certificate program (only) taken at the college awarding the certificate. 

Colleges reserve the right to automatic conferral of certificate programs.