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 Catalog - Associate Degrees 

Associate Degree in Applied Science
Associate Degree in General Studies
Associate Degree in Science and Arts
Associate Degree in Engineering Science
General Education Requirements

To help the student achieve an organized plan of study in higher education, and to provide greater depth in the student's field of major interests and more breadth in general knowledge, Danville Area Community College offers the following Associate Degree programs: Associate in Science and Arts, Associate in Engineering Science, and Associate in General Studies (pending approval) and Associate in Applied Science.

Students desiring to qualify for the Associate Degree must present a total of at least sixty hours of degree credit including transferred credit. A cumulative grade average of 2.0 is required for all degree courses completed.

A student wishing to graduate from DACC may choose to meet the graduation requirements stated in the catalog in effect during the student's initial enrollment at DACC or those requirements stated in the current catalog at the time of their graduation. If a student has a break in enrollment of more than six consecutive terms (including summers), it shall mean that the student must meet degree requirements in the catalog published at the time of re-enrollment or those requirements stated in the current catalog at the time of their graduation.

It is anticipated that a student will complete an associate degree within five years of initial enrollment. Vocational courses that are outdated (5 years or more) must be reviewed by the Division Chairperson to determine if the course is still applicable to this desired degree. Those courses determined inapplicable must be repeated at the student's expense.

Students must meet the Constitution Requirement of the Illinois State School Code. This can be met by (1) submitting an official Illinois high school transcript stating the requirement has been met, (2) successfully completing Political Science150, or (3) successfully passing a College-administered test on the U.S. Constitution, Illinois Constitution, the proper use and display of the American flag, and the principles of American democratic government. If a student plans to transfer on to a four-year college or university, it is advisable to take Political Science 150 to fulfill the transfer school's constitution requirement.

Students must complete INST 101, Success in College. An appeal of this requirement may be made to the Associate vice President of Student Services or Director of Admissions and Records. This appeal should be made before the completion of a student's first 25 hours at Danville Area Community College.

All Associate Degree applicants are required to complete the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP). The CAAP assessment test is a form of exit assessment, the purpose of which is the improvement of instruction and student learning. Prospective graduates participate in an assessment session, approximately 45 minutes in length conducted in a group setting. Each participant completes a general education inventory and a survey of college outcomes. You may contact the Assessment Office for additional information and to schedule an appointment. There is no charge to the student for this assessment.

Not more than forty-five hours will be accepted by transfer and approved testing toward degree requirements. If less than 30 hours are earned at Danville Area Community College, the final fifteen (15) semester hours preceding graduation must be earned here.

A maximum of 15 semester hours may be transferred back to Danville Area Community College from another college or university to complete requirements for an Associate Degree.

Candidates for an Associate Degree who entered the College Fall Term of 1995 or later will be required to participate in post-testing during their final semester of enrollment prior to graduation to assess their academic progress while enrolled at the college.

Candidates for a degree must clear all school obligations and file an application for graduation at the time he/she has earned 45 or more semester hours.

Subsequent to earning an Associate Degree, the student may earn a second Associate Degree by completing an additional 24 semester hours of degree credit and by fulfilling the requirements for the degree. The grade point average for the additional hours must be at least 2.0.

Certificate Requirements

The College will award certificates to students who have completed all required course work and who have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 (4.00 scale) for all required courses. A minimum of one-half the credits required for a certificate must be earned at DACC.

The Constitution Requirement of the Illinois State School Code, the human relations course requirement, and degree post-testing are all waived for the issuance of certificates.

The Associate in Applied Science Degree

This Associate Degree is granted to those students successfully completing a career curriculum. The two-year programs are designed to prepare the students for employment in their chosen field. Many universities will accept courses in these programs toward fulfillment of specific degree requirements.

Requirements for an Associate in Applied Science

Fifteen hours of credit in General Education courses must be earned including the following minimums:

Associate in General Studies (Non-Transferable Degree)

Proposed Degree Requirements

The associate in general studies (AGS) degree is a non-transferable degree program that is tailored to meet the needs and interests of the individual student. Both transfer and career education courses may be used to fulfill the requirements for this alternate degree program. The AGS degree is designed for the student who chooses to pursue a broad spectrum of interest. While not intended to be a transfer degree, the AGS degree is designed to enable the student to articulate with the Board of Trustee’s baccalaureate degree program, bachelor of general studies; bachelor of general education and liberal studies degree program at participating Illinois four-year colleges and universities.

Degree Requirements

The specific requirements for the AGS non-transferable degree is proposed as follows:

  1. Complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of college level (non-developmental) course work at the 100 level, or above, with a cumulative grade average of “C” (2.0) or higher, and in good standing.
  2. Courses not applicable toward AGS degree - Adult Education, Continuing Education, and Developmental Education.
  3. Develop and fulfill a statement of educational goals and a specific written program of course work which must be selected, approved and signed by the student, and their counselor or advisor. This written program must be filled out and signed prior to the completion of the last semester of course work used to satisfy degree requirements at DACC (Unless approved by the Dean of Student Services). The program cannot be changed without the consent of both the student and counselor/advisor. A copy of the program plan, educational goal statement, and intent to graduate form must be completed and filed in the counseling office and registration and records.
  4. Complete 22 hours of general education as outlined below:
    Note: 3 hours of both Math and Science are required. Courses can be used in one area or both areas of Humanities and Fine Arts and also Social and Behavioral Sciences to meet degree requirements. General education at Danville Area Community College is designed to provide learning experiences that prepare the student to assume a productive role as a citizen, to understand and function successfully in the world, and to prepare for lifelong learning. General education will provide the opportunity for the student to acquire the knowledge, skills, insights and sensitivity needed to function as an educated person. Courses for general education for the AGS non-transferable degree must be in compliance with general education from AA, AS, ASA, AES, or AAS degree requirements.
    Communications 6 hours
    Social or Behavioral Sciences 3 hours
    Humanities or Fine Arts 6 hours
    Life or Physical Science and Math 6 hours
    DACC Degree Requirement - Success in College   1 hour
    Electives 38 hours
    Total 60 hours
  5. A minimum of 15 semester hours in course work must be achieved at Danville Area Community College, excluding CLEP and proficiency credits.
  6. Complete all DACC graduation requirements including the Illinois State Constitution requirement and CAAP Post Testing.
  7. Student(s) pursuing two or more degrees at DACC must complete an additional 15 hours for each degree.
    Note: Math and Science Required.

Transfer Degrees

The Associate in Science and Arts Degree, and the Associate in Engineering Science Degree are granted for successful completion of organized programs designed to fulfill the first two years of study toward a baccalaureate degree at senior institutions.

When selecting courses and electives, students should consult a counselor or academic advisor and study carefully the requirements of the college or university to which they plan to transfer.

Requirements for an Associate in Science and Arts Degree

Thirty-seven - forty-four semester hours of credit in General Education courses must be earned including the following minimums:

Requirements for an Associate in Engineering Science Degree

Associate in Science and Arts, and Associate in Engineering Science Degrees

The Associate in Science and Arts and the Associate in Engineering Science degrees are designed to transfer and fulfill the course requirements for the first two years of a baccalaureate degree. A well-planned program of study should concurrently meet DACC degree requirements as well as successfully transfer to fulfill curriculum requirements at a baccalaureate institution. It is the responsibility of the student to know and to observe the DACC degree requirements of his/her curriculum as they are specified in the official college catalog dated the same year as their entry as a student. A student wishing to graduate with ASA or AES degree may choose to meet the graduation requirements stated in the catalog in effect during the student's initial enrollment at DACC or those requirements stated in the current catalog at the time of their graduation. A break in enrollment of six consecutive terms (including summer) shall mean that a student must meet the degree requirements in the catalog published at the time of re-enrollment or the requirements as stated in the catalog at the time of their graduation. However, it is strongly recommended that the student meet with a counselor/advisor in planing a course of study which is equivalent to the lower-division course work at the institution to which the student plans to complete a baccalaureate degree. Candidates for the Associate in Science and Arts or the Associate in Engineering Science degree must present an organized program of study which meets DACC degree requirements and is composed of course selections from the following groups of general education and specialty classes.

Illinois Articulation Initiative

Danville Area Community College is a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows transfer of the completed Illinois General Education Core Curriculum between participating institutions. Completion of the transferable General Education Core Curriculum at any participating college or university in Illinois assures transferring students that lower-division general education requirements for an associate or bachelor's degree have been satisfied. This agreement is in effect for students entering an associate or baccalaureate degree-granting institution as a first-time freshman in summer 1998 (and thereafter).

GENERAL EDUCATION DEFINITION

General Education at Danville Area Community College has two purposes: first, to develop skills in communication and in mathematics that will be necessary for success in college, the community, and the working world; second, to acquaint students with the breadth of knowledge and the methods of inquiry in the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

The following areas are included in the General Education requirements at Danville Area Community College:

  1. Communications: The study of the skills of discourse--collecting, preparing,and presenting ideas in written and oral form.
  2. Humanities: The study of literature, language, philosophy, and fine arts to analyze values, to stimulate speculation and creativity, and to explore the meaning of human existence.
  3. Mathematics: The study of numbers and their operations, measurement, and relationships, and the use of computational methods in problem solving.
  4. Science: The study of life and physical sciences directed toward the application of the scientific method of inquiry to natural phenomena.
  5. Social Science: The study of psychological, social, historical, and political behavior directed toward an understanding of human continuity and change.

Non-Western Culture: Students seeking an ASA degree are recommended to take a non-western culture class from either the humanities or the social science categories.

Human Relations: Students seeking an ASA, AES, AGS (pending) or AAS degree are required to take a minimum of one course as part of their general education program which contains instruction on improving human relations, including race, ethnicity, gender, and other issues related to improving human relations to address racism and sexual harassment. This requirement is in compliance with Public Act 87-581.

General Education Requirements - AAS

General Education Requirements - AGS

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