Education Plan Components

Most students indicate they are interested in pursuing either a degree, certificate or diploma. Thus, you will want to familiarize yourself with the various educational plans that are available to you. If you are new to college, the assessments will help you plan where to start. Others will bring transfer credits that contribute to your program and there are various tools available to help you track your progress towards completing requirements.

Certificates and Diplomas are typically shorter term education plans designed to develop entry-level employment in a specific careers and occupations such as Emergency Medical Services, Legal Administrative Assistant or Plumbing. These education plans may or may not include general education courses. They are designed to be more career specific in nature.

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) two-year degree is designed to provide skills needed to enter the workforce or launch another career. These two-year degrees require a larger amount of general education credits commonly called liberal arts courses that are part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC). These liberal arts courses tend to be broad in nature and include categories such as English and communication. Some AAS degrees transfer to specific programs at specific colleges outlined in articulation agreements between the institutions.

Find Out More located to the right is designed to help you explore the different education plans available to you. Careful planning can help you meet your short-term, as well as your long-term education goals.