Degrees, Certificates, and Letters of Recognition

Montgomery College is authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to offer four degrees (associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science, and associate of arts in teaching) and certificates. In addition, the College recognizes students who satisfactorily complete certain course sequences with letters of recognition. 

Some curricula are offered at all campuses, whereas others are limited to one or two. In this section of the catalog, when a curriculum is offered at a specific campus, it is indicated by G for Germantown, R for Rockville, or TP for Takoma Park. If there is no campus designation, all campuses may offer the curriculum. Students may take courses offered on any campus to meet the requirements of the curriculum in which they are enrolled. 

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree recognizes successful completion of a 60- to 70-credit combination of general education courses in English, mathematics, arts, behavioral and social sciences, humanities, and science (see the General Education section on pages 56-60 for more information); courses in a specific track or skill area; and, in some cases, electives. Only officially approved tracks appear on transcripts. 

Associate of Arts (A.A.). This degree recognizes mastery in the liberal and fine arts and is intended for transfer to equivalent bachelor of arts programs at four-year schools. Montgomery College awards the A.A. in four programs - arts and sciences, business, computer science and technologies, and general studies. Within the first three of these four programs, Montgomery College offers tracks, which allow students to focus their studies in specific areas (for example, arts and sciences program - music track). 

Associate of Science (A.S.). This degree recognizes mastery in science or technology with a heavy emphasis on undergraduate mathematics or science and is intended for transfer to bachelor of science programs at four-year institutions. Montgomery College awards the A.S. in engineering science, nursing, and science. Within the engineering science and science programs, Montgomery College offers tracks, which allow students to focus their studies in specific areas (for example, engineering science program - aerospace engineering track). 

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S). This degree recognizes mastery of vocational-technical occupational skills and is intended for those seeking immediate employment opportunities. However, enrollment in one of these programs does not preclude a student from transferring courses to four-year institutions offering upperdivision programs in related areas. Within some A.A.S. programs, Montgomery College offers tracks, which allow students to focus their studies in specific areas (for example, engineering technologies program - microcomputer technician track). 

Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.). This degree recognizes mastery in a core of professional education course work and fieldwork experiences appropriate for the first two years of teacher preparation. The program is intended to prepare students to transfer to an elementary education program at a four-year college or university in the state of Maryland. Students who receive the A.A.T. will have passed the Praxis I: Pre-P rofessional Skills Test and will have fulfilled their General Education requirements. The A.A.T. offers a 2+2 program between community colleges and four-year colleges and universities while enhancing our efforts at 2+2+2 collaborative programs with local K-12 schools. 

Certificate

A certificate recognizes successful completion of a sequence of courses (12-38 credits) that focus on the development of specific technical skills. 

Letter of Recognition

The letter of recognition is designed to provide students with a confirmation of the completion of a sequence of courses (6-11 credits) that teach focused skills and competencies pertinent to specific career areas. Upon successful completion of these courses and application to the director of records and registration, the letter of recognition will be issued. Students seeking only a letter of recognition, who are not planning to pursue a certificate or associate's degree at Montgomery College, are considered non-degree-seeking students and are not eligible for financial aid. 

Choosing a Curriculum

Students intending to transfer to four-year institutions after completing their studies at Montgomery College should plan their programs carefully.  Academic advisers and counselors will assist students in planning; however, it is the responsibility of students to select a transfer institution and to meet the requirements for transfer to that institution.  Departure from the required pattern of lower-division courses required by the transfer institution may interfere with admission and normal progress toward a bachelor's degree.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete associate's degree programs prior to transfer to four-year institutions. 

To assist students in smooth transfer, Montgomery College and many colleges and universities have developed articulation agreements. These agreements detail curricula and policies that permit students to undertake associate's degrees at Montgomery College and complete bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions without loss of credit.  Contact the counseling center or Career/Transfer Center on any campus for complete information on articulation agreements.

Detailed transfer guidance and information on schools in the Maryland state system and other area colleges and universities can be found in the Montgomery College Transfer Manual, available from the counseling centers on all three campuses.  Students should also consult the appropriate catalogs or bulletins and/or meet with an adviser at the transfer institution.  Online transfer information resources include:

• The Montgomery College transfer web site http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/studev/transfer.htm includes information to help students select and apply to colleges, seek financial aid, and navigate the transfer process.
• ARTYSYS (http://artweb.usmd.edu), the articulation system for Maryland colleges and universities, indicates which Montgomery College courses will be accepted for credit at transfer institutions (Maryland public colleges and universities and some private colleges).
• Maryland's transfer web site (http://mdtransfer.usmd.edu) contains FASTLinks to Maryland colleges and universities participating in artsys.

Throughout the MC Website curricula pages, remember: 

• Refer to course descriptions to identify courses with prerequisites. 
• Courses in italics meet General Education requirements (see General Education Program page). 
• In A.A. and A.S. curricula, the two required behavioral and social sciences distribution courses must be from different disciplines (courses from the MC Website distribution list page with different designators [for example, AN and PS]). 
• In A.A. and A.S. curricula, students must select at least one distribution course designated as a multicultural course. 
• In A.A. and A.A.S. curricula, at least one lab science course must be taken to fulfill the natural sciences distribution requirement.