PACC Program Development

1. Transfer degree programs, those degrees for which students intend to transfer to a four-year receiving institution.
2. Occupational degree programs, those degrees for which students are intended for to advance their careers, change their careers, or complete work in a field for specific or general employment.

​The Illinois Community College Board, in cooperation with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, oversees all curriculum issues at the community college level in order to align curricula and to ensure consistency across multiple institutions. ICCB has oversight over all curricula, including Associate Degrees, certificates, and transfer and career and technical courses.  

• ​​​Associate in Arts (AA) – focuses on the arts, humanities, social or behavioral sciences or one of the professional fields with these disciplines as a base. The AA degree is a prescribed curricula intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs. At the City Colleges, the AA degree requires the completion of a two-semester language (or its equivalent) and a human diversity course. The AA degree has the Illinois ​Articulation Agreement General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) requirements as the basis of the degree and completion of one course that fulfills the human diversity requirement. Students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution are encouraged to complete the degree and to consult the transfer guides of their intended receiving institution for alignment in​ their courses.
• Associate in Science (AS)​ – focuses on baccalaureate degree programs on the mathematical, biological, or physical science fields or one of the professional fields with these disciplines as a base. At the City Colleges, the AS degree requires the completion of a human diversity course. The AS degree has the Illinois ​Articulation Agreement General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) requirements as the basis of the degree and completion of one course that fulfills the human diversity requirement. Students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution are encouraged to complete the degree and to consult the transfer guides of their intended receiving institution for alignment in their courses.​
• Associate in Fine Arts (AFA)​ – focuses on a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in one of the fine arts: studio art, art education, music performance, or music education.​ Students completing an AFA degree are encouraged to complete a portfolio for transfer since most four-year institutions award transfer credit for majors courses based on the portfolio.
• Associate in Engineering Science (AES) – focuses on a prescribed curriculum intended to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs in engineering. Students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution are encouraged to complete the degree and to consult the transfer guides of their intended receiving institution for alignment in their courses.
• Associate in General Studies (AGS) – focuses on a prescribed curriculum individually designed by a college-appointed advisor to meet a student’s educational objectives that cannot be met by other degrees offered by the college. Students interested in transferring are strongly encouraged to complete an AA or AS, rather than the AGS.​

Occupational degree programs are specific programs that allow students to prepare for employment.  

• ​Associate in Applied Sciences (AAS) – focus on an applied field of study either in a general or for a specific occupation. Most courses are credit bearing for the student and may, but are not required to, transfer to a four-year college or university.
• Career and Technical Education certificates (CTE) – focus on a certificate  to prepare individuals for careers or advancement in an applied field of study for employment either in general or for a specific occupation. Most courses are credit bearing for the student and may, but are not required to, transfer to a four-year college or university.