Degree & Award Requirements

The following degrees and awards are available through Minnesota West:

• Associate of Arts (A.A.)
• Associate of Science (A.S.)
• Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
• Diploma
• Certificate

Minnesota State Transfer Pathway Degrees

Through Transfer Pathways, students enrolled at Minnesota State’s two-year colleges can select a course of study that will prepare them to complete related bachelor's degrees at any Minnesota State universities that offers a degree in that field. Students who complete the transfer degree will be guaranteed junior status upon admission to the university. The student will still need to meet any special admission requirement for the major. The bachelor's degree can be completed in 60 additional credits.

Transfer Pathway degrees are listed on the college web site under Programs and Courses.

Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree Requirements

Minnesota West offers the first two years of course work that is designed to transfer to a baccalaureate degree at four year colleges and universities.

The Associate of Arts Degree can be used to fulfill the freshman-sophomore general education requirements at all state universities in Minnesota, at all colleges within the University of Minnesota and at most other four-year colleges and universities. The degree is the basic graduation award toward which most students will work if they intend to transfer. It emphasizes a broad general education.

To earn an A.A. degree, students must complete the following requirements:

1. A minimum of 60 credits, 15 of which must be earned at Minnesota West Community & Technical College.
2. A grade point average of 00 (“C”) or better.
3. A minimum of 40 credits of general education that fulfils the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. Students must meet credit requirements in each of the ten listed areas of Courses may count in no more than two of the areas of emphasis, but no individual course can count more than once in Areas 1-6. One-credit courses will apply to the MTC only if two or more one-credit courses are completed in the same discipline (i.e. two semesters of Chorale or two semesters of Theater Production).
4. STSK 1110 Freshman Seminar (1) Credit.
5. A minimum of four credits from two of the following areas, HLTH 1101, CSCI 1102, or any Physical Education course.
6. Electives sufficient to total 60 credits.

Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree Requirements

Minnesota West Community & Technical College offers the first two years of various majors leading to the baccalaureate or professional degree in several technical areas. This list is not all-inclusive. Students may work toward the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with one or more of the following as their major field:

Students planning to continue their education in engineering, medicine, medical technology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and other such fields are advised to carefully plan their programs with an advisor. In such cases, students are encouraged to follow the requirements of the institution to which they will be transferring.

To earn an A.S. degree, students must complete the following requirements:

1. 60 semester credits of which at least 15 must be earned at Minnesota West Community & Technical College.
2. A grade point average of 0 (“C”) or better.
3. A minimum of 30 credits selected from at least 6 of the 10 goal areas in the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
4. Fulfill at least a 30 credit core of technical courses unique to the program being completed.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree Requirements

The Associate of Applied Science Degree is granted for successful completion of occupational programs. The A.A.S. career programs are designed to prepare students for entry into chosen occupations. An A.A.S. degree may be designed to transfer to a related baccalaureate major. Students planning to continue for a four-year degree should be aware that acceptance of degree/technical credits at the four-year institution is dependent upon the policies of the institution.

To earn an A.A.S. degree, students must complete the following requirements:

1. 60-72 semester credits, 15 of which must be earned at Minnesota West Community & Technical College.
2. A grade point average of 0 (“C”) or better.
3. 30 semester credits shall be program related, occupational or technical credits.
4. Degrees and Awards must include a minimum of 15 credits in general education, selected from three of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

Diploma Requirements

A diploma may be awarded for successful completion of a program intended to provide students with employment skills. The diploma programs are identified in the Programs of Study section of the catalog and require:

1. Between 30-72 semester credits.
2. If diplomas are awarded for under 45 credits, general education courses may be required as part of the program and are established through consultation with the program advisory committee.
3. If diplomas are awarded for 45 credits or more, 15% of the credits must be in general education or seek advisory committee approval requesting a waiver to require a minimum of 6 general education credits.
4. At least 1/3 (33%) of the credits must be completed at Minnesota West.
5. A grade point average of 0 ("C") or better is required.

Certificate Requirements

1. 9 - 30 semester credits
2. 0 general education courses required
3. 100% of credits shall be completed at Minnesota West for certificates 9-15 credits in length and at least 12 credits for certificates 16-30 credits in length
4. A grade point average of 2.0 ("C") or better is required

Honorary Degree

Honorary degrees may be awarded by Minnesota West Community & Technical College. The College may award an honorary degree based upon the intended recipient’s field(s) of contributions, achievement, service, and distinction.