Associate of Arts/Science Degree

Blue Ridge High School is happy to offer students an opportunity to complete an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree through Collin College.  These degree options allow students to begin working on completing the Texas General Education and Collin Core requirements that are required of any bachelor’s degree at public institutions in the State of Texas.  Students can also choose to take electives in the areas of Business,, Criminal Justice, and Health Science.  The following pages review a typical timeline for courses to be taken, but there is some flexibility when college electives can be taken. The main difference between an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science degree should be noted:

• Associate of Arts = 42 hours of core classes and 18 elective hours.

• Associate of Science = 42 hours of core classes, 3 credit hours of an additional math class (MATH 1342), and 15 elective hours.

Students and parents should be mindful of the fact that courses taken outside of the general education core classes may only satisfy elective requirements when transferring to a four year college or university.  This can influence length of time in completing a bachelor’s degree as well as future financial aid requirements and eligibility. Students and parents are highly encouraged to meet with the high school counselor, and our onsite Collin College counselor to discuss options that are best for each individual student. 

What dual credit classes must be completed in order to finish the Collin College General Education Core?

Not all classes that Collin has identified as meeting their core curriculum are offered as a dual credit course. Therefore, students must take the specific classes offered as both dual credit courses and designated General Education Core classes at Collin. Classes that meet this criteria are as follows: 

Learning Framework (EDUC 1300)         Macroeconomics (ECON 2301)     Art or Music Appreciation (ARTS/MUSI 1301)  

American Government (GOVT 2305)            Communications (SPCH 1311 or SPCH 1315)  Texas Government (GOVT 2306)

Composition I/II (ENGL 1301/ENGL 1302) US History (HIST 1301/HIST 1302)    Introduction to Humanities (HUMA 1301)

College Algebra (Math 1314) 

**8 hours of lab science must be taken at Collin- Environmental Science is an online option; however, it is not recommended for those interested in the healthcare field.

Students who plan to attend school out of state should not take Texas Government (GOVT 2306)

The following Dual Credit Elective Courses are available:

Business Field of Study

ACCT 2301, ACCT 2302, BUSI 1301, BUSI 2305, BCIS 1305, ECON 2302, MATH 1324

Criminal Justice Field of Study

CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306, CRIJ 1307, CRIJ 1310, CRIJ 2313, CRIJ 2328

Health Science Courses

HPRS 1201, HPRS 1303, HPRS 2301, HITT 1305, HPRS 2310, HPRS 2321

Elective courses may be selected within the same discipline, or from multiple disciplines.  

For more information see the Blue Ridge High School Counselor.