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Degree Programs > Arts & Sciences > A.A. in Liberal Arts

A.A. in Liberal Arts (Arts and Sciences)

Your future can start as a Liberal Arts student.

Kapi'olani Community College Liberal Arts students can graduate with an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree, complete subject certificates, transfer into a college or university, and best of all continue to be lifelong learners.

Liberal Arts students graduate with an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. The graduation requirements for an A.A. degree are 60 credits of 100 to 200 level courses and an overall grade point ratio of 2.0. Liberal Arts student may maximize their degree by completing an Academic Subject Certificate in Asian Studies or Hawaiian/Pacific Island Studies.

Liberal Arts students transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor's degree. Students taking courses for the A.A. degree meet the general education requirements at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa and Hilo. The A.A. degree may also meet the general education requirements at colleges and universities outside the UH system as well.

Former Liberal Arts students have transferred locally into the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, West O'ahu, and Hilo. Others have transferred into Hawai`i Pacific University and Chaminade University. Liberal Arts students are also enrolling in universities outside the state of Hawai`i such as Lewis and Clark in Oregon, the University of California Berkeley and the University of California at Los Angeles in California, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to name a few.

Our students recognize their growing opportunities.

"I was among those who didn't know what to do with my life, that's why I didn't go to a University. I went to KCC to try and find what I wanted to do while completing my general education requirements and saving money. The counselors at KCC were so wonderful because they helped me find what I wanted to do, and now I'm on my way to San Francisco State University."

Fall 2003 Liberal Arts graduate
Transferring to San Francisco State University in Spring 2004

"As a graduate student of Liberal Art, I think the degree helped me establish a basic foundation to achieve my goals. It also helped me with my bachelor's degree in Microbiology at University of Hawai`i at Manoa as well as pharmacy school.

Henry Huang
Former KCC student and currently a Pre-Pharmacy student at UH Manoa, majoring in microbiology

Kapi'olani Community College has pre-transfer advisors to help you succeed. The following are instructors that assist students interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in their area of expertise.

Pre-Art: Sarah Bremser - Koa 107 - 734-9377 - sem@hawaii.edu
Pre-Business Ibrahim Dik - Olona 210 - 734-9830 - Ibrahim@hawaii.edu
Pre-Education: Veronica Ogata - Olona 213 - 734-9833 - vogata@hawaii.edu
Pre-Engineering: John Rand - Koki`o 209B -734-9433- jrand@hawaii.edu
Pre-Psychology: Julia Compton - Olona 214 - 734-9834 - julia@hawaii.edu
Pre-Science Harry Davis - Koki`o 116 - 734-9186 - harryd@hawaii.edu

Students choose the Kapi'olani Community College Liberal Arts program first. Students that start at Kapi'olani Community College save on tuition costs. For example, tuition and other fees for a full-time 12-credit load at Kapi'olani Community College in Fall 2005 were around $620. The same course load taken at a four-year institution would cost about three times as much. The maximum class size is 35 students in lecture courses.; many other courses have 20-25 students. It is interesting to note that students starting at four-year institution have transferred into Kapi'olani Community College to complete general education requirements.

Liberal Arts students get accepted into other programs at Kapi'olani Community College. Some students enroll in Liberal Arts to complete requirements for our Health Sciences programs and our Nursing programs.

Liberal Arts students are lifelong learners. The A.A. degree adds substance to a job résumé. It shows employers that you have a broad knowledge base and have developed critical thinking skills, writing skills, and communication skills.

You can get a higher-paying job with an A.A. degree versus someone with no post-secondary education according to the statistics provided by http://www.postsecondary.org/. The A.A. degree also provides students with a sense of completion and shows persistence in completing a goal.

Whether you are a student straight out of high school or returning to college after a number of years, we have a place for you!