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Academic Certificate
The Maricopa Community College District Academic Certificate (area of emphasis) is a defined and coherent program of
study that is recommended for students who wish to gain additional expertise in an academic area. While this pro-
gram of study can result in proficiency in specified skills and competencies, as well as mastery of knowledge, it is not
designed to prepare someone for employment in a specific occupation. The content for an Academic Certificate (area
of emphasis) may be derived from a variety of disciplines or it can be discipline specific. The Academic Certificate does
not require a general studies component even though requirements of the certificate may include courses that currently
meet specific general studies designations such as Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, etc.
Academic Policies that Govern the Academic Certificate (area of emphasis):
• Generally ranges from 12-39 credit hours in courses numbered 100 or above, although there is no minimum num-
ber of credit hours required for an Academic Certificate;
• Requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better for completion;
• Follows the graduation policies within the general catalog;
• Accepts one of the courses that is cross-referenced with other courses;
• Includes both courses and their modular equivalents, either the course or the modular equivalents will satisfy the
Academic Certificate requirements;
• Does not presume block transfer value — consequently, in most cases the Academic Certificate should not be a
subset of an existing transfer degree;
• May have admission criteria establisbed by the college if and when appropriate;
• Is for the most part college specific.
