Go to nashuacc.edu/programs for even more details about this and other NCC programs and certificates.
A Key Transfer Program
The Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts degree program prepares students for successful transfer to a four-year baccalaureate degree program in a wide variety of majors, including Liberal Arts. In this program, students study a coherent and substantive balance of English, Mathematics, the Sciences, the Arts and Humanities, and the Social Sciences. For those students who know they want to pursue a liberal arts program at the baccalaureate level, NCC’s Liberal Arts Program prepares them for transfer and assists them in determining a major field of concentration upon transfer.
Liberal Arts is also particularly appropriate for students who arrive at college unsure of either their academic or career pathway. For many students, clarity about their academic goals emerges through their coursework in Liberal Arts. In addition, all Liberal Arts students benefit from taking ANTH105, Ethnography of Work, which links career exploration and academic planning. Students are recommended to take this course early in their college career – preferably in their first year.
Applied Career Focus
ANTH105 enables students to explore the world of work and careers while learning research methods and skills. These include querying national, regional and local employment data bases; data collection and analysis; interview planning and interviewing; and gaining an understanding of how to approach and assess the job market at various levels. The research that students conduct in this course becomes a key component in developing coherent and cohesive academic and career pathways, whether or not they wish to transfer to a four-year program. The skills acquired in this course are both useful for later career exploration efforts and for conducting research in other disciplines throughout their college career.
As discussed above, students who enter college without deciding on a college major are encouraged to enroll in the Liberal Arts Program. During their first year, most students choose an Academic Focus Area (AFA) that also aligns with a career pathway. These students then follow a core curriculum of courses within their chosen AFA, such as: Communications, English, History/Social Sciences, Mathematics, Psychology, or Science. Those intending to follow a four-year Liberal Arts program as well as those who remain undecided continue to follow the Liberal Arts core curriculum in their second year.
Aligning with the 21st Century Workplace
In meeting the needs of the 21st century workforce, the Liberal Arts Program also provides considerable exposure to essential “soft skills,” also known as “core career skills.” These skills are often highlighted by employers as essential for workplace success and employability in the business community, the service sector, education, health care and many other fields. More specifically, these skills include: creativity, communication, critical thinking/problem-solving; teamwork and collaboration, professionalism and ethics, leadership, adaptability and flexibility, and emotional intelligence. These skill sets dovetail nicely with the Liberal Arts Program Outcomes, detailed below.
Transfer Planning
Early identification of the four-year college to which they wish to transfer helps students to develop a program of study that aligns with their transfer plans. On-going support from academic advisors further enhances this process. Requirements of the four-year college will guide some of the course selections chosen by students, but future plans and areas of personal interest will also contribute to students’ program design.
Upon completion of the AA degree in Liberal Arts, graduates will be able to demonstrate competency in the general education outcomes:
- Communicate effectively and fluently; read with comprehension; listen, speak and write competently.
- Develop skills in reflection, analysis, logical reasoning, and evaluation to formulate judgments, reach conclusions, and solve problems.
- Evaluate and utilize quantitative and qualitative data and apply mathematical and scientific principles and methods.
- Utilize technology to locate, evaluate, organize, and utilize information accurately and responsibly.
- Acquire knowledge and skills to function effectively as informed and responsible citizens.
- Acquire knowledge and skills that will enable respect for diversity as well as an awareness of global interdependency.
A minimum of 60 credits must be earned in the required categories to complete the program of studies. A minimum of 15 credits must be earned at NCC, and 8 of those 15 credits must be earned in courses at the 200 level. This program can be completed in four full-time semesters.