The ABCs of Academia
A.A Associate of Arts M.A. Master of Arts
A.S. Associate of Science M.S. Master of Science
A.A.S. Associate of Applied Science M.S.W. Master of Social Work
A.F.A. Associate of Fine Arts M.B.A. Master of Business Admin.
A.A.T. Associate of Arts in Teaching M.F.A. Master of Fine Arts
B.A. Bachelor of Arts
B.S. Bachelor of Science Ed.D. Doctorate of Education
B.F.A Bachelor of Fine Arts Ph.D. Doctorate of Philosophy
Raritan Valley Community College awards Associate of Arts degrees (A. A.), Associate of Arts in Teaching ( A. A. T.) Associate of Science degrees (A. S.), Associate of Fine Arts degrees (A. F. A.), and Associate of Applied Science degrees (A. A. S.).
The A. A., A. S., A. A. T and A. F. A. are designed to prepare students to transfer into a four-year college or university. These degrees have a foundation in the Liberal Arts and require a higher level of math proficiency than the A. A. S. degrees. The purpose of the A.A.S. degrees is to provide students with concrete skills that will facilitate their employment upon graduation. To that end, the A.A.S. degrees contain one or more co-op experiences. All Associate degrees require successful completion of 60 – 75 credits with an overall GPA of 2.0. Whether on the Associate’s or the Bachelor’s level, an Arts degree requires that 75% of the credits be in the Liberal Arts areas; a Science degree requires that 50% of the credits be in the Liberal Arts; and an Applied Science and a Fine Arts degree each need 30% of the credits in the Liberal Arts.
Certificates provide specialized training in preparation for various occupations. They require 15 – 55 credits.
Academic credits are based on the amount of instruction that is required for a course. A 3-credit class meets for 2250 minutes over the course of the semester. Most semesters are 15 weeks long so each 3-credit class would meet for 150 minutes per week. A 4-credit lab science will meet for 3750 minutes per semester or 250 minutes per week, including lab.
Sometimes a student is required to take one or more non-credit classes. This decision is based on the scores a student earns on either the ESL (English as a Second Language) test or on the COMPASS placement test. Non-credit classes follow the same guidelines as credit courses but do not count towards graduation. All non-credit classes will have a zero as the first digit in the three-digit code. For example, Pre-Calculus I is Math 112 and carries academic credit; Intermediate Algebra is Math 021 and does not carry academic credit.
Application: Process by which a prospective student requests permission to attend RVCC. Students may request permission to enroll in a specific major (matriculate) or to take classes as a non-degree-seeking (non-matriculated) student.
Registration: The process of actually selecting the classes to be taken in a particular semester.
Semester: A unit of time during which classes are offered. RVCC’s academic calendar is divided into two basic semesters: the Fall semester begins in September and ends in December; the Spring semester begins in January and ends in May. The Summer semesters are two 6-week sessions (May – July or July – August) or one 9-week session (June – August).
Liberal Arts/General Education: These courses include Natural and physical sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.
Academic Major: A specific area of study.
Matriculation: The process of declaring a major.
Withdraw: Students may withdraw from a class until the end of the 9th week of the semester without academic penalty.