Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art

The Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA), Emphasis in Art degree provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in fine arts, including painting, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, sculpture, metals, photography, and drawing. This degree offers an emphasis in creative problem-solving that is required in most career fields. With an associate degree, students may pursue a career as a practicing artist. With a bachelor or graduate degree in fine arts, students may also pursue a career in museums, galleries, community-based art organizations, or art instruction.

Details

Field of Interest

Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Type

Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8311

Total credits required

61-71

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Effective Term

Fall 2024

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students who wish to transfer to an art school should contact an art faculty member at their institution for more information.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn

Demonstrate foundational skills in the use of art process and media to enable effective visual communication and personal expression.
Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and aesthetic/perceptual literacy to solve visual, technical and conceptual problems in various media.
Communicate and collaborate effectively while recognizing diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
Interpret the social, cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts that influence the production and interpretation of art.
Engage in ethical personal and professional artistic practices, with an awareness of copyright laws, intellectual and artistic freedom, civic responsibility, and standards of the field.
Use the critique process to present and develop fine art portfolios for transfer, career development, or personal use.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$66,570

Craft Artists

$38,260

Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

$45,590

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$46,350

Self-Enrichment Teachers

$48,240

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements: Cultural [C] and Global [G] or Historical [H] Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
			Critical course Gateway course		3
			Critical course		3
			OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area	MA	3–6
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).		FYC or FYC	3
or	or				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
			Critical course		3
			Critical course		3
or	or			H, HU or H, HU	3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
				L	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	( is a direct transfer, is an elective transfer recommended for marketing and professional development)		1–3
or	or		G, H, HU or G, H, HU	3
or or	or or		SB or SB or SB	3
SB, C	Social & Behavioral Sciences area with the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. area		SB, C	3
			SQ	4
				3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Area	Credits
			3
		CS	3
or	or	SG or SQ	4
			3
			3

Program Electives

Restricted Electives Credits: 12-13

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Requisites	Area	Credits
		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		3
	HU	3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.		3
		3
		3
		3
		3
		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.		3
		1
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.		3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements: Cultural [C] and Global [G] or Historical [H] Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
		Critical course Gateway course		3
		OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area	MA	3–6
or	or			1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).		FYC or FYC	3
					3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
	Critical course		3
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
		L	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
					3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or			H, HU or H, HU	3
or or	or or			SB or SB or SB	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or			G, H, HU or G, H, HU	3
SB, C	Social-Behavioral Sciences area with the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Designation.			SB, C	3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
				SQ	4
					3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	( is a direct transfer, is an elective transfer recommended for marketing and professional development)		1–3
				3
			CS	3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or			SG or SQ	4
					3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
					3

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