Degrees and Certificates

Central Texas College offers the Associate of Arts, the Associate of Science, the Associate of Applied Science and Certificates of Completion.

The Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degree programs are designed to allow for the transfer of credits earned at Central Texas College to the bachelor degree requirements at most four-year public colleges and universities. In addition, completion of the 42 semester hours of core curriculum in each degree guarantees transferability of the minimum 42 semester credit hours of state-mandated core curricula toward the general education requirements of a bachelor’s degree program at state-supported colleges and universities in Texas.

The Associate of Applied Science degrees, offered in technical programs, are designed to prepare students for employment upon graduation. Within many of the Associate of Applied Science degrees, there are certificates of completion that can be completed in less than two years.

The Associate of Arts in General Studies degree provides students with a foundation in general education courses. The courses are appropriate for transfer to a four-year college or university and allows students to structure a program based on their interests and educational goals.

Core Curriculum

The Core Curriculum is the set of courses in liberal arts, humanities, sciences, and political, social and cultural history that undergraduates of a public higher education institution in Texas are required to complete before receiving a bachelor’s degree (Title 19, Chapter 5, Subchapter S, Rule 5.400). Students seeking a CTC Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree are required to complete a 42-hour core curriculum. Students who successfully complete the core curriculum may transfer the block of courses to another Texas public institution of higher education and substitute the block for the receiving institution’s core curriculum. Students who do not complete the 42-hour core curriculum may still transfer those courses completed successfully to another public college or university in Texas. They will generally be required to complete the remainder of the courses in the receiving institution’s core curriculum. For a list of the courses in the core curriculum, refer to the Programs of Study section of this Catalog.

Program Listings

Curriculum plans for various degrees and certificates are on the following pages. Designations stated after each degree title reference the degree plan by major code. For example, the majorcode for the Associate of Applied Science degree - business management is BUBM. The reference facilitates student academic advising. Course descriptions for all courses offered are listed in alpha-numeric order by course prefix. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor program offerings and follow the published degree plan requirements. Any deviations from listed courses must be approved in writing by the department. If you plan to transfer to a senior college or university and are taking courses that lead to an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree, refer to the degree requirements for the AS or AA degrees listed in this catalog.

NOTE: Although academic advising is available, it remains the student’s responsibility to determine the major area of study, to verify the required courses and their prerequisites and to select the four-year college or university to which they wish to transfer.

Semester Credit Hours

In the catalog course descriptions the three numbers following (to the right of) the course title indicate the: (a) hours per week the class meets for lectures, (b) number of laboratory hours required per week and (c) credit hours awarded for successful completion of the course. One semester hour of credit represents one hour of lecture time per week for 16 weeks; one semester hour of credit also represents two to four hours of laboratory time per week for 16 weeks. Lecture and lab proportions may vary depending on the nature of the course.

For example, BIOL 1406, General Biology I, 3-3-4, has three hours of lecture per week conducted during 16 weeks and three hours of laboratory per week conducted during 16 weeks with four hours of credit awarded for successful completion. This weekly requirement is adjusted to compensate for terms/sessions/semesters with lengths other than 16 weeks. For instance, 3-0-3 for an eight-week term would require six hours of lecture per week and 2-4-3 would require four hours of lecture and eight hours of lab per week.

Course Numbering System Guidelines

A Texas Common Course Numbering system is used for credit courses.

• The four-letter prefix (rubric) is used to identify subject areas
• The four-digit numbers are as follows:

- First digit - identifies the course as lower division (e.g. 1 = freshman, 2 = sophomore)

- Second digit - identifies the credit hour value

- Third and fourth digits - represent a unique course identifier

Tuition Rebate Program

The State of Texas offers a tuition rebate as an incentive for students to complete their bachelor’s degree with no more than three attempted hours above the minimum required for the baccalaureate degree. Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from a Texas public baccalaureate-granting general academic university may qualify to receive up to $1,000 from the university awarding the degree if they meet the criteria listed below.

• Must have enrolled (taken their first course) after high school graduation in a Texas public institution of higher education in fall 1997 or later
• Must be a Texas resident and entitled to pay in-state tuition at all times while pursuing the degree
• Must have taken all coursework at Texas public institutions of higher education
• If enrolled for the first time in fall 2005 or later, graduate within four calendar years for a four-year degree or within five calendar years for a five-year degree,  if the degree is in architecture, engineering or any other program determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to require more than four years to complete
• Must have attempted no more than three hours in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree under the catalog under which they graduated. Hours attempted include transfer credits, course credits earned exclusively by examination (except for the purposes of this program, only the number of semester hours earned exclusively by examination in excess of nine semester hours is treated as attempted); courses dropped after the official census date; optional internship and cooperative education courses; and repeated courses. Hours attempted do not include those for students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in December 2007 or later; course credit earned to meet requirements for a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program but is not required to complete the degree program; and for students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in August 2011 or later, course credit other than course credit earned exclusively by examination, which is earned before graduating from high school. For students concurrently earning a baccalaureate degree and a Texas teaching certificate, the required teacher education courses shall not be counted to the extent they are more than the free electives allowed in the baccalaureate degree program

Programs of Study

Core Curriculum

In the spirit of accomplishing Central Texas College’s mission, the core curriculum experience will prepare you to learn effectively through your college years so that you carry these aptitudes for learning into your life careers. It is the goal of Central Texas College to graduate well-educated men and women who are articulate, interested in lifelong learning, and capable of becoming creative citizens. The core curriculum design and implementation will also facilitate the transferability of lower division courses between Central Texas College and universities. A course cannot count toward more than one requirement of the degree. Students planning to attend a senior college should coordinate with that senior college to ensure that the courses they take at Central Texas College will fulfill degree requirements there. Check with the appropriate Department Chair for specific degree requirements.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Students must complete the specific degree requirements in the degree plan as shown in the program of study.

The Associate of Applied Science degree’s general education component must include a minimum of 15 semester credit hours and at least one course from each of the following three required areas: Humanities/Fine Arts; Social/Behavioral; and Natural Science/Mathematics. 

Students must complete the specific degree requirements as shown in the program of study that includes:

• In addition to ENGL 1301, 12 semester credit hours determined by the program of study. The 12 hours must include at least one course from each of the following
• Three required areas: Humanities/Fine Arts; Social/Behavioral Science; and Natural Science/Mathematics. 
•  A minimum of 50 percent of semester credit hours of  technical courses in the program of study or a closely related field.
•  A minimum of 25 percent of semester credit hours earned with Central Texas College.
• All required courses in the program of study as listed in this Catalog.
• Satisfy:

        -       A minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 (C average).

        -       A minimum grade of C on each required course in the program of study.

        -       A minimum of  2.0 GPA with Central Texas College.

•   Meeting all other Central Texas College and departmental requirements.

Students may be required to repeat courses in their program of study if graduation is not accomplished within five years after courses are completed.