Associate in Arts Degree | Online & In-Person Options

The Associate in Arts degree is open only to WashU employees and partner program students.

The Associate in Arts degree (AA) provides a framework for understanding the disciplines and skills of a liberal arts degree, a foundation for further study at the bachelor’s degree level, and an initial academic credential required for career advancement. The degree is awarded to students who successfully complete the equivalent of two years of undergraduate study. This program is offered either fully or mostly online. Students interested in the Math and Science concentration will need to take some courses on-campus.

Program Coursework

Units of Basic Requirements

Units of Distribution Requirements

Units of Concentration Requirements

Units of Elective Requirements

Basic Requirements – 15 units

Analytical Writing (U11 111)
Critical and Researched Writing (U11 203)
One course in numerical applications
One course in moral reasoning
One course in cultural diversity

These Basic Requirements are effective as of Summer 2019. Students admitted to this program prior to Summer 2019 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission. Questions about required course work? Please contact your student success navigator.

This program is offered either mostly or fully online. Students entering the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 Visa must enroll in a program full time. F-1 students are only permitted to enroll in one online course per semester and J-1 students may only enroll in non-credit online courses that do not count toward their degree program. WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) cannot guarantee face-to-face enrollment options each semester of full time enrollment, therefore cannot issue an I-20 or DS 2019 to F-1 and J-1 students for this program. If you are an F-1 or J-1 student and wish to enroll in a CAPS program while here on a Visa, please contact our recruitment team to discuss your options for face-to-face program enrollment. F-1 and J-1 students should not enroll in online courses or programs without first consulting the university’s Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS).

Distribution Requirements – 18 units

18 units, six units in each distribution area noted below. Each distribution area must include course work from at least two disciplines. (Courses that satisfy the numerical applications, moral reasoning and cultural diversity Basic Requirements may also count toward Distribution Requirements.)

Humanities: (6 credits) Courses from Art History, Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Foreign Languages, Music, and Speech
Social Sciences: (6 credits) Courses from Anthropology; Economics; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Natural Sciences & Mathematics: (6 credits) Courses from Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Physics, General Science, and Mathematics & Statistics

Concentration Requirements – 18 units

Natural Sciences and Mathematics: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, others with authorization
Social Sciences (online option available): Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, others with authorization
Humanities (online option available): Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Art History, others with authorization
Professional Studies (online option available): Business, Communications, Journalism, Health Care, Clinical Research Management, Sustainability, others with authorization

* Note: Business and Forensic Psychology certificates could be used to complete the majority of the Professional Studies area (15/18 units).

Elective Requirements – 12 units

These Elective Requirements are effective as of Summer 2019. Students admitted to this program prior to Summer 2019 are expected to fulfill the requirements in place at the time of their admission. Questions about required course work? Please contact your student success navigator.

Application Requirements

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