Programs FAQs

What types of programs does HACC offer?

HACC offers 107 academic degree programs with either a career or transfer focus. Students can earn degrees with any of the following designations:

• Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
• Associate in Arts (AA)
• Associate of Fine Arts (AFA)
• Associate in Science
• Certificates of Proficiency
• Diploma

Career-focused degrees prepare you for entry into the workforce. HACC also offers non-credit workforce training programs.

Transfer-focused programs prepare you to transfer to a four-year institution.

HACC’s Certificate of Proficiency programs are for students with specific occupational goals. These degrees are designed to allow you to complete your studies within one year, or two consecutive semesters.

We also offer diploma programs for students who want a specific technical skill as quickly as possible. Diploma programs offer concentrated study of technical job skills and are designed to be completed in one semester.

HACC’s admissions professionals can help you decide what degree program best suits your needs.

Why do students choose HACC?

There are many reasons students choose HACC. Many students come for affordable career training. Others pick HACC for credits they can apply toward a bachelor's program at a four-year college or university. HACC’s articulation agreements with many four-year institutions allow students to transfer seamlessly from HACC to another institution.

What accreditation does HACC have?

HACC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education granted HACC's initial accreditation in April of 1967 and reaffirmed it most recently in June 2018. Learn more about the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, or contact them at:

1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
267-284-5011

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has authorized the College to award the associate degree. In addition to Middles States accreditation, specific programs within our healthcare, art and automotive areas have specific national accreditation..

How do I earn an associate degree?

You must complete an approved program of at least 60 credits and have a cumulative and program GPA of at least a 2.0. Associate degree students are required complete the First Year Seminar and take courses in core knowledge areas:

• Humanities and the Arts
• Mathematics and/or Natural and Physical Sciences
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Wellness
• Written and Oral Communications

How do I earn a certificate of proficiency?

You must earn at least 30 credits in an approved program and have a cumulative and program GPA of at least a 2.0. Fifteen of the 30 credits required to graduate must be completed at HACC. Of those credits, six must be taken in the area of concentration for the certificate.

How do I earn a diploma?

You must earn 16 credits in an approved program and have a cumulative and program GPA of at least a 2.0. Of the 16 credits, nine must be completed at HACC.

What is the First Year Seminar course requirement?

HACC, like colleges around the country, has a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course requirement to help ensure your success as a student. Students meet this requirement by either taking appropriate coursework or use credit by exam.

The FYS course helps students to:

• Create an academic plan utilizing the College’s career and advising resources
• Demonstrate goal-setting skills
• Demonstrate acceptance of personal responsibility
• Apply decision-making models
• Use technology resources including the College’s student portal, email and online course management system
• Locate College policies related to the student experience including grading, attendance, academic honesty, code of conduct, registration and financial aid

National evidence and HACC’s own data shows that students who complete college success courses like our FYS stay enrolled in college, have higher grade point averages and graduate on time at levels that surpass students who don’t take similar courses.

Students pursuing an associate degree are required to take a 1- or 3-credit FYS course based on their HACC placement test scores. Students should take an FYS course during their first semester. Academic advisors can help students choose the best FYS course requirement for their program. 

It is strongly advised for students who test into two or more developmental courses to take a 3-credit FYS course. All other students can take either a 1- or 3-credit FYS course. Some programs may have the FYS requirement built into a required course. Students may attempt to earn credit for FS 102, a 1-credit FYS course, by taking an exam, and should ask their academic advisor how to begin the credit-by-exam process

What is the purpose of core knowledge area courses?

Core knowledge area elective courses are part of HACC’s associate degree requirements and are designed to ensure students receive a broad range of content areas and ways of thinking. These courses represent the standard for General Education Requirements in higher education, and are often the foundation of articulation agreements with four-year institutions. In addition, these courses constitute the 30-credit framework mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Through our core knowledge courses, students obtain knowledge and skills that are integrated throughout the coursework of every associate degree program and reflect HACC’s values and priorities. These include:

• Quantitative literacy - Quantitatively literate students appropriately and correctly use numerical data specific to the task.
• Communication - Effective student communicators create and express ideas in speaking and writing in a clear, organized manner appropriate for the intended audience.
• Critical thinking - Critical thinkers problem solve, create and evaluate. Critical thinking encompasses and is assessed through the following general education goals: information literacy, technology literacy, cultural awareness, communication and quantitative literacy.
• Technology literacy - Technologically literate students effectively use and apply technology appropriate to the task.
• Information literacy - Information-literate students access, evaluate and cite sources to meet information needs.
• Cultural Awareness - Culturally aware students investigate issues related to global interdependence and reflect upon their impact as global citizens.

Are the core knowledge areas requirements the same for all students?

The courses required to complete the core knowledge requirements to graduate may vary. Associate in Arts graduates will complete more courses in the humanities and arts than in math or science. In contrast, graduates of an Associate in Science degree will have completed more courses in math or science rather than in humanities and arts.