Core Curriculum / General Education

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires colleges and universities to include a minimum of 15 semester credit hours (SCH) of general education courses in each associate degree plan. These credit hours must include at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural science/mathematics.

For transfer degrees, which are the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching, ACC fulfills this requirement through the core curriculum.

For career and technical programs, which lead to the Associate of Applied Science, the 15 semester credit hours (SCH) of general education requirements will be specified in your degree plan. See the Career & Technical Awards General Education Requirements section of this catalog for more information.

Academic terminology and advice: College offer courses during prescribed terms or semesters. The traditional semester is 16 weeks long in the fall and spring. If you take a course that has 3 “contact hours” (hours during which you are in ‘contact’ with the instructor and learning materials) per week, you will earn 3 “semester credit hours (SCH)” upon successfully completing the course.