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Associate Degree Guidelines

The Associate Degree requires 60 degree applicable or transfer level units.

Types of Associate Degrees

BC offers four types of Associate Degrees:

  • Associate of Arts for Transfer (AA-T)
  • Associate of Science for Transfer (AS-T)
  • Associate in Arts (18-24 units major preparation)
  • Associate in Science (24-30 units major preparation)

In addition to the four Associate Degrees, BC offers the Baccalaureate Degree in Industrial Automation with additional requirements. See the Catalog for additional information and talk to a counselor to make sure you meet all requirements.

General Requirements

  1. Completion of 60 degree applicable units with a 'C' (2.0) grade point average (GPA) or better.
  2. Completion of at least 12 of the 60 units at Bakersfield College.
  3. Completion of an A.A. or A.S. Program of Study offered at Bakersfield College. Required courses of the program must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better.
  4. Competency Requirements:
    • Composition: Successful completion of ENGL B1A, ENGL B1AL, EMLS B1A or EMLS B1AL with a grade of ‘C’ or better.
    • Mathematics: Successful completion of two years of high school algebra or MATH B1A, B1AL, B1B, B2, B4A, B6A, B6B, B6C, B22, B22L, B23, B26, B27, PSYC B5, TECM B40 with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Note: For previous catalog rights, MATH BD, B70, 72, 75, TECM B52 or the equivalent is also accepted.
    • Reading: Successful completion of ENGL B1A, ENGL B1AL, EMLS B1A or EMLS B1AL with a grade of ‘C’ or better.
  5. Completion of one of the following General Education Patterns.
    • Bakersfield College General Education, or
    • California State University General Education Breadth, or
    • Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). (See General Education Requirements)
  6. Completion of at least one course that meets the Multicultural Requirement with a grade of 'C' or better.

See your catalog year for your correct graduation requirements.

About General Education Patterns

Bakersfield College (BC) degrees may be obtained using one of five General Education Patterns. Follow the Bakersfield College General Education for an Associate Degree (AA or AS) from Bakersfield College, the California State University (CSU) Breadth for an Associate Degree and transfer to a California State University, or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the IGETC for STEM for an Associate Degree and then transfer to a University of California (UC) or one of many private schools.

Patterns are located in the Bakersfield College Catalog and on our General Education Patterns page.

NOTE: For the Bakersfield College General Education Pattern, catalog rights apply for course requirements. Catalog Rights do not apply for the California State University General Education (CSU GE) Breadth List or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).

Catalog Rights/Continuous Enrollment

Students graduating within five (5) academic years of initial enrollment shall have the option of completing either: (a) the degree requirements of the College catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment; or (b) any set of revised degree requirements published in a subsequent Bakersfield College catalog. Students graduating more than five (5) academic years after initial enrollment must adhere to the specific degree requirements in effect in any Bakersfield College catalog within the five-year period prior to the students' graduation.

To maintain catalog rights, the student must maintain continuous enrollment during the five (5) year period. Continuous enrollment means the student must earn a grade of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'F', 'NP', 'P', 'I', 'IP', 'RD', 'W', 'EW', 'MW', 'UG', or 'SP' in at least one course each academic year.

For the purposes of continuous enrollment, an academic year begins with the summer semester and includes the following fall and spring terms. Petitions for exceptions should be directed to the Vice President of Instruction. Catalog rights apply only to Bakersfield College graduation and program requirements. If other institutions change their requirements for entrance, graduation, satisfaction of general education patterns, or in other ways it may be necessary for the student to meet the new requirements upon transfer, even if continuous enrollment has been maintained.

For earlier catalog rights, please refer to the appropriate online Bakersfield College catalog.