Associate of Arts - Exploratory

The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree is designed for the student who plans to transfer to a Florida public university as a junior to complete a Bachelor’s degree. Through the A.A. degree, Valencia offers lower division preparation for almost all of the approximately 200 majors in the State University System of Florida. The A.A. degree provides the courses of study equivalent to those offered in the freshman and sophomore years (lower division) of Florida’s state universities; a student who earns an A.A. degree from Valencia meets the lower division general education requirements of a Florida state university, but does not automatically meet the requirements for a particular major.

The A.A. degree requirements consist of general education requirements and electives to prepare for a Bachelor’s degree. Many majors at the universities require that specific courses be taken as part of the A.A. degree, both within general education and within the electives; known as common prerequisites, these specific courses are to be taken prior to transferring by all students who plan to enter a particular major within the university system.