Associate of Arts (AA)

The Associate of Arts (AA) Degree is the most flexible of the transfer degrees and can be tailored to meet your academic and transfer goals. The AA-DTA Degree (DTA = Direct Transfer Agreement is a 90-credit transfer degree that fulfills the first two years of general education requirements for most four-year degrees in the arts and humanities and social sciences. To earn the AA, students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in courses 100 and above, complete at least 15 credits at the Seattle College awarding the degree, and meet the requirements outlined below.

Program Pathways 

We offer a variety of programs pathways to match your interests and enhance your Associate of Arts degree: 

• Anthropology
• Art
• Art History
• Communication Studies
• Equity and Social Justice
• Ethnic Studies
• Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies
• History
• Humanities and Cultural Studies
• English- Literature and Writing Studies
• Music
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• World Languages

Program Outcomes

The AA degree is designed to fulfill a set of desired learning outcomes for the general education of a college undergraduate in the United States in the 21st Century :

• Communication (Reading, Oral or Signed, Written, Other Forms of Expression)
• Critical Thinking, Inquiry and Analysis, and Problem Solving
• Global Learning and Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
• Quantitative Literacy
• Creative Thinking
• Information Literacy
• Technology Literacy
• Integrative Learning
• Collaboration
• Ethical Reasoning
• Civic Engagement
• Foundations and Skills for Life-long Learning

Overview of Degree Requirements

15 credits - Basic Requirements

• College Level English Composition - 10 credits
• College Level Math - 5 credits

45 Credits - Areas of Knowledge

• Natural World (NW) - "Science" - 15 Credits
• Individual, Cultures, and Society (IC&S) - "Social Studies" - 15 Credits
• Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (VLPA) - "Arts and Humanities" - 15 Credits

30 Credits of Electives

Courses should be tailored to your interests and intended major.

Special Requirements

• Lab Science Requirement - 5 credits. Completed as part of the NW requirements.
• Communications Requirement - 5 credits. Usually completed as part of the VLPA requirements, but some IC&S Courses will satisfy this requirement.
• US Cultures - 5 Credits
• Global Studies - 5 Credits
• Integrated Studies - 8 credits. These are courses that combine subject matter from more than one subject or discipline. (Example: History of Rock Music includes sociology, history, and music)

Degree Sheet

You can read more about the AA degree requirements in the Seattle Colleges District Catalog.

Click here for the Associate of Arts (AA) - DTA

Transfer Information Sessions 

Sign-up for a Transfer Information Session to learn how you can take your freshman and sophomore classes at South for a fraction of the cost, and then transfer to a four-year university or college with the skills, confidence and knowledge to complete your bachelor’s degree.