Academic Catalog

Graduation & Transfer Requirements

The Associate Degree and Graduation Requirements

The California Community College Board of Governors has authorized the Cerritos College Board of Trustees to confer the associate degree. A candidate may not automatically receive the associate degree upon completion of unit and course requirements, and is typically required to file a petition for the degree.

Cerritos College offers four types of associate degrees: Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T), and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).

College education is usually thought of as consisting of two parts: specialized education and general education. All associate degrees include specialized education, which prepares students for vocational competence or scholastic attainment in a particular field. Students accomplish this by successfully completing required coursework for their chosen major.

General education, on the other hand, is coursework that meets the common goals of all students, introducing them to comprehensive areas of knowledge and providing an opportunity for students to develop intellectual skills, technological literacy, affective and creative capabilities, social attitudes, and an appreciation for cultural diversity. 

Statement of Philosophy for General Education Coursework

Cerritos College offers an array of general education coursework to students so that they may learn concepts and methods of inquiry that have breadth, depth and relevance to their lives. The general education curriculum includes coursework from the liberal arts, humanities, science, mathematics, arts and social sciences disciplines. Possession of knowledge from these disciplines will contribute to personal growth, professional development and citizenship by increasing students’ awareness of the past and present and by developing their creative, adaptive and critical thinking abilities. The general education curriculum will provide students with opportunities to:

  • Develop a lifestyle that will enhance physical and mental health and wellness
  • Develop logical and cogent arguments, reaching conclusions that are based on comprehensive inquiry
  • Adapt and apply technology to facilitate the acquisition and effective use of information
  • Communicate clearly and proficiently through both oral and written expression
  • Enhance the appreciation of artistic offerings
  • Become informed citizens and problem-solvers to deal with current and future societal issues
  • Appreciate the contributions of different cultures, eras, and traditions to the human experience
  • Develop an appreciation for the value of ethics, integrity, honesty, self-management, and the welfare of others

Catalog Rights

Catalog rights establish the catalog year a student may use for completing a Cerritos College degree or certificate. The catalog year represents the academic year beginning with the fall term and including the subsequent spring and summer terms.  

Catalog rights protect students from being held responsible for changes made to the course requirements for a specific degree or certificate in the years following their initial enrollment, so long as continuous attendance is maintained. A student’s catalog rights will default to the catalog in effect at the time continuous attendance was established. Students may elect to assume rights to a catalog other than the default as follows

  • The catalog in effect at the time all requirements for the award are met; or
  • The catalog in effect at any intervening term between the time the period of continuous attendance began and the time all requirements for the award are met. 

Students with coursework from a California Community College (CCC) and/or California State University (CSU) prior to starting Cerritos College can elect to assume catalog rights as listed above for purposes of awarding an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) or full certification of CSU general education, Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). For students pursuing an ADT, full certification of CSU general education, IGETC for CSU, or Cal-GETC is required; however, universities have their own catalog rights policies and students may be required to take additional courses after transfer. 

Continuous Attendance

A student is considered in continuous attendance if he/she receives a grade (A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I, or W) in any semester, fall or spring, during each academic year. Continuous attendance is not broken at Cerritos College if a student transfers to another accredited institution, maintains his/her continuous attendance at that institution, and returns to Cerritos College to complete his/her degree. (Designated programs may require students to return to Cerritos College in good standing. Please check with the Counseling office regarding these programs.)

Requirements for the Associate Degree

Scholarship & Residence

  1. Satisfactory completion of at least 60 semester units of degree-applicable lower division credit courses with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in the degree-applicable courses. 
  2. At least 18 semester units of focused study in a major or interdisciplinary area of emphasis with a grade of "C" or better, or "P" if the course is taken on a "pass-no pass" basis, in each course to be counted for the major. 
  3. At least 24-28 semester units of general education, including minimum coursework in English Composition, Oral Communication and Critical Thinking, Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning, Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Ethnic Studies. 
  4. Satisfactory completion of at least 12 semester units of study at Cerritos College to meet the residence requirement.
  5. A student may earn multiple associate degrees by completing the major requirements for each degree and the appropriate general education for that degree; achieving grades of "C" or better or Pass in each major course; earning a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher the degree-applicable courses; and completing a minimum of 60 degree-applicable units.
  6. Credit toward an associate degree is not granted for non-degree applicable units or classes taken as part of the Adult Education Program.

Petitioning for the Associate Degree

  1. Responsibility for filing a petition for graduation rests with the student, and all transcripts for high school and prior college work attempted, including test scores, must be on file for the petition to be considered. The petition can be found on the Admissions & Records website or in the Admissions & Records Office.
  2. Students not in continuous attendance at Cerritos College must meet degree requirements for graduation in effect at the time of readmission.

Students with Baccalaureate Degrees

Those students who have been awarded a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States will be exempt from the Cerritos College general education requirements, should they pursue an AA or AS at this institution. Official transcripts from the degree-granting institution must be submitted to the Admissions & Records Office for evaluation. Please see your counselor if additional information or clarification is desired.

Cerritos College Associate Degrees (AA/AS)

General Education requirements for an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree at Cerritos College can be met in one of two different ways: the Cerritos General Education Curriculum (CGEC) or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC).

Cerritos General Education Curriculum (CGEC) is designed primarily for those students interested in preparing for a vocational career upon graduation. It may also be used by university transfer students and for students in vocational majors who may possibly wish to transfer in the future. However, there are courses listed under CGEC that are not transferable for general education credit to the four-year universities. Therefore, students wishing to use this option should see a Cerritos College counselor for guidance on selecting the general education pattern that will best match their educational and career goals. Please see the CGEC description page for further details, including grade requirements and courses approved for CGEC.

California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) is designed primarily for students who will transfer to a California State University (CSU) or a University of California (UC) campus, and is required for students seeking an AA-T or AS-T. Students may also use this pattern to complete AA or AS general education requirements. The Cal-GETC pattern may not be recommended for some majors at certain CSU or UC campuses. Please see the Cal-GETC description page for further details, including grade requirements and courses approved for Cal-GETC.

The significant differences between CGEC and Cal-GETC are:

CGEC requires a minimum of 24-28 units. It may be used to fulfill the general education requirements of an AA or AS degree, which also requires a minimum of 18 units of specified “major” courses and electives, if necessary, to total a minimum of 60 degree-applicable units. Courses used to mee

Cal-GETC requires a minimum of 34 units. It may be used to fulfill the general education requirements of an AA, AS, AA-T, or AS-T degree, which also requires specified "major" courses and electives, if necessary, to total a minimum of 60 degree-applicable units. All courses must be passed with a grade of "C," or Pass, or higher. 

If a student only wishes to transfer at an upper division level and is not seeking an associate degree, a minimum of 60 transferable units is required. See the Transfer Requirements section and meet with a counselor.

There are important differences between the two GE patterns. In order to select the one that best meets each individual’s associate degree and transfer goals, students should see a Cerritos College counselor.

Continuing students with catalog rights prior to the current academic year may have the option of using a different general education pattern, such as Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C (also known as IGETC), which may be found in previous catalogs. 

Certificates of Achievement

Cerritos College is authorized to award a Certificate of Achievement to any student who satisfactorily completes an organized curriculum designed for a specific occupational goal.

Requirements for Certificates of Achievement

Scholarship & Residence

  1. Successful completion of an organized career/technical curriculum with an occupational goal of at least 16 units as specific. Course requirements are detailed in the "Programs of Study" section of this catalog.
  2. Maintenance of at least a 2.0 GPA in all required courses, including a GPA of 2.0 for all departmental courses specified, as well as a 2.0 for all courses outside the major designated as requirements in the curriculum pattern.
  3. Minimum of 12 units of study in residence at Cerritos College.
  4. Units earned toward a Certificate of Achievement may be applied toward an associate degree.
  5. Courses completed for a Certificate of Achievement that are also to fulfill requirements for the major in an associate degree must be completed with a grade of Pass, or “C” or better.
  6. Credit toward a Certificate of Achievement is not granted for classes taken as part of the Adult Education Program.

Petitioning for the Certificate of Achievement

  1. Responsibility for filing a petition rests with the student, and all transcripts for high school and prior college work attempted, including test scores, must be on file for the petition to be considered. The petition can be found on the Admissions & Records website or in the Admissions & Records Office.
  2. Students not in continuous attendance at Cerritos College must meet certificate requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

Verifications of Completion

Locally approved certificate programs may consist of one or more courses that lead to an occupationally relevant set of skills.