Associate degrees are awarded for the successful completion of 61 or more semester hours of coursework. They are designed to fulfill two major purposes: to permit students to complete the freshman and sophomore years of a baccalaureate program; or to prepare them for immediate employment in a technology field.

While associate degrees are awarded after the successful completion of at least 61 semester hours, it should be noted that most programs actually require additional hours to complete. Students who are studying part time should expect to take more than two years to complete their programs.

Associate of Arts
This degree is awarded to students who successfully complete a minimum of 61 semester hours toward the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Business Administration, the Bachelor of General Studies or the Bachelor of Music degrees.

Associate of Science
This degree is awarded to students who successfully complete a minimum of 61 semester hours toward a Bachelor of Science degree.

Baccalaureate Degree Completion Programs
Several baccalaureate degree programs at Kent State University often can be completed with approximately two years of additional full-time study after completion of an associate degree. Some course selections leading to associate degrees are more applicable than others as components of baccalaureate degrees, and exact requirements for additional study vary. Students interested in baccalaureate degree completion programs should see an advisor at the earliest possible date.

Liberal Education Requirements
Candidates for the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees must fulfill the 36-hour Liberal Education Requirements. Regional Campus students who intend to earn a bachelor’s degree at Kent also will be expected to fulfill these requirements.

Students in Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Applied Business degree programs are expected to choose their general studies courses from the Liberal Education Requirements list. All exceptions must be approved by the students’ academic advisor. The availability of specific LER courses varies by campus.

Technical Programs
The purpose of associate degree programs in technical areas is to prepare graduates for immediate employment. To accomplish this, the following associate degrees are offered:

Associate of Applied Business
This degree is awarded to students who successfully complete prescribed coursework in any of the following business technology programs: accounting technology, business management technology, computer technology or information technology for administrative professionals.

Associate of Applied Science
This degree is awarded to students who successfully complete prescribed coursework in any of the following environmental, health or engineering technologies: aviation maintenance technology, computer design, animation and game design technology, early childhood education technology, electrical/electronic engineering technology, engineering of information technology, environmental technology, horticulture technology, human services technology, legal assisting technology, manufacturing engineering technology, mechanical engineering (integrated manufacturing) technology, nursing, occupational therapy assistant technology, physical therapist assistant technology, plastics technology, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy technology, systems (industrial) engineering technology or veterinary technology.

Associate of Technical Study
The Associate of Technical Study program is open to students who need a specially designed course of study in a technical field. It consists of courses offered at the students’ campus that suit the students’ career goals. Degree programs must be planned with the assistance of a faculty advisor.

The program consists of a minimum of 61 semester hours of coursework, including Destination Kent State: First Year Experience. At least 30 hours are “technical core” courses that offer education central to students’ career goals. At least 15 hours must consist of basic courses that provide background to the technical core, and at least 15 hours must be selected from the LER courses. The degree program should not exceed 73 hours.

Degree programs must be approved by the faculty advisor, the campus dean and the Executive Dean for Regional Campuses. At least 32 hours must be completed after approval of the written degree program proposal.

The Associate of Technical Study may be conferred as a concurrent degree or after receiving a prior degree. At least 24 hours of coursework must be completed after approval of the program, and the program must include at least 24 hours of work in addition to the prior or concurrent degree.

Forms for developing an ATS program proposal can be obtained at any Regional Campus student services office.

Degree-Category A: This degree requires a minimum of 65 credit hours selected in consultation with an academic advisor from
existing courses at that campus. The program permits students to develop a curriculum based on specific career objectives that are not served by existing degree programs.

Degree-Category B: This degree provides associate degree-level completion based on a technical certificate or other formal technical training program acquired outside Kent State University.

Options in Technical Programs
Some business and engineering technology programs have different options from which students can choose. While options provide students with opportunities for focused study, not all options possible within a program are offered at all campuses. Students should check with an advisor to see what program options are available at the campus they are attending.