Concurrent enrollment: Part two- What classes to take for Associates Degree
- Mama Mathis
- Feb 13, 2024
- 4 min read
OK so now that you’re informed about what concurrent enrollment is, let’s get into more detail about what classes to take to get your AA at high school graduation. Obviously, the sooner you get started the better and the soonest you can start is after eighth-grade graduation. Yes, after eighth-grade graduation you are allowed to begin enrolling in community college classes. Simply fill out the concurrent enrollment forms listed in my previous post on concurrent enrollment to get started.
Now every kid is different in regards to what their interests are and when they are choosing for their AA, and they do need to choose what subject they are going to pursue. Most of the AA is designated for general courses, but they will need to choose a few classes in an area of their choosing. You can search at your local community college just by using the search bar and typing in Associate Degrees.
Here is a link for Mira Costa College and what the Associates Degree Programs that are offered:
For my daughter, she has chosen to obtain for Communications Associate's Aegree. This post will give you the information to follow along what her general requirements are as well as the specific course she will be taking in communications.
As a mom, when looking at this information, I have tried to guide my daughter to look at subjects that would help her in her life as well as check off the boxes for her degree. For her general requirements, she has chosen to look at nutrition and health courses that meet the general requirements. She figured learning how to eat is a very important life skill. If you can learn about food and what it does to your body while gaining the credits you need to obtain a general degree, I look at that as a win-win.
So here’s a look at her course load from junior year through senior year. Had I had all of this information sooner, trust me she would’ve been starting these classes as a freshman, but it’s better to start as a junior than not at all. Remember she is not taking History, Econ or Gov at her high school but rather Mira Costa. She gets out of school early everyday for her free period and comes home and works on those classes online. They will count for both high school and college. Again killing two birds with one stone.
Here is her workload and for the classes she will countinue to take in high school and we will plug in those (4) 8 week long 3 unit each communication courses where we can to get her AA by the time she graduates if not the summer post graduation.
This is great form that I have found to check off the boxes to make sure that you’re on track and is the form that is used by the counselors at the college. I have found that form for you and you can download it here.
I have been giving you examples for our local community college here in North San Diego county, but if you were located somewhere else simply search up in the search bar the same information at your local community college website. This information is pertaining to MiraCosta College.
This is the link that you can click on to look at what associate degrees are transferable and what classes you’ll need in order to obtain that degree that transfers:
Here is what it looks like for an Associates Degree in Communications. She needs just 18 units and the classes with the red dots are the ones she is taking. * Note those are 18 units for her degree that help her reach to the 60 units needed for an Associates Degree. The rest of the units are from general education classes.
Here is the link for that information:
If you’re looking for your child to transfer to a CSU or a UC there are classes in their general requirements that they do need to take. All of this information that I have given you is what they call Plan B in the transfer requirements and these classes are all CSU acceptable for a transfer student. There are 3 different Plans to chose from when looking at courses to get your AA.
We will be following Plan B as my daughter is leaning towards either transfering to a private school or a Cal State school. If you are looking to go to a UC then you will be looking at Plan C.
Here is a link to those plans:
So now that you have the forms, the information, and the timeline that we have been using, I encourage you to talk with your teen and see what areas interest them and get them started. Knock off those two years of general education so when your child is ready to go to college, they are already two years ahead saving you two years of tuition. I’ve done a lot of research on this as this isn’t something that is advertised by the high school, but trust me, it is well worth your time and energy to get your child on this path. I might’ve been there, and I certainly know this
Xo,
Mama
