Degree, Certificate of Achievement and Certificate of Completion Requirements
I. Degree, Certificate of Achievement and Certificate of Completion
AWARD
Associate of Arts
Degree (AA)
CREDIT HOUR MINIMUM
REQUIREMENT REQUIREMENTS
60 – 74
35 credit hours of General Education
coursework as required by the NMHED to
include each of the following areas:
 Communication (9 credit hours)
 Math (3 credit hours)
 Laboratory Science (8 credit hours to
include at least one laboratory class)
 Social/Behavioral Science (6 – 9 credit
hours)
 Humanities/Fine Arts (6 – 9 credit hours)
COMMENTS



The Instructional School will consider
exceptions to the upper credit hour limit.
o Requires Deans Council, VPAA, CCC,
and Governing Board approval.
Courses meeting core general education area
requirements must assess CNM’s general
education and program level outcomes
The Office of Planning and Institutional
Effectiveness (OPIE) tracks and reports
completion data to NMHED and IPEDS.
In addition to the above NMHED required
General Education areas of learning CNM
requires Computer Literacy (3 credit hours)
Associate of Science
Degree (AS)
60 – 74
35 credit hours of General Education
coursework as required by the NMHED to
include each of the following areas:
 Communication (9 credit hours)
 Math (6 credit hours)
 Laboratory Science (8 credit hours to
include at least one laboratory class)
 Social/Behavioral Science (6 credit
hours)
 Humanities/Fine Arts (6 credit hours)
In addition to the above NMHED required
General Education areas of learning CNM
requires Computer Literacy (3 credit hours)



The Instructional School will consider
exceptions to the upper credit hour limit.
o Requires Deans Council, VPAA, CCC,
and Governing Board approval.
Courses meeting core general education area
requirements must assess CNM’s general
education and program level outcomes
The Office of Planning and Institutional
Effectiveness (OPIE) tracks and reports
completion data to NMHED and IPEDS.
AWARD
Associate of Applied
Science Degree
(AAS)
Certificate of
Achievement
Certificate of
Completion
CREDIT HOUR MINIMUM
REQUIREMENT REQUIREMENTS
60 – 74
15 credit hours of General Education
coursework to include one course from each
of the following areas:
 Written Communication
 Math
 Human Relations (Social/Behavioral
Science, Humanities/Fine Arts)
 Computer Literacy
 Choice of 3 credits selected from
Communication, Humanities/Fine Arts,
Laboratory Science, Mathematics or
Social/Behavioral Sciences
1 - 15
 A Certificate of Achievement must
provide employment related and/or career
enhancing skills necessary to succeed in a
job or a chosen field of study.
 The courses will often be a subset of
those required for a corresponding
Certificate of Completion or Associate’s
Degree.
16 - 59
 A Certificate of Completion may be
awarded for a specified course of study
within 16-59 credit hours.
 Certificates having 45 or more credit
hours must contain 6 general education
credit hours.
 The Certificate of Completion must
provide employment related and/or career
enhancing skills necessary to succeed in a
job or a chosen field of study.
 The courses will often be a subset of
those required for a corresponding
Associate’s Degree.
COMMENTS









The Instructional School will consider
exceptions to the upper credit hour limit.
o Requires Deans Council, VPAA, CCC,
and Governing Board approval.
Courses meeting core general education area
requirements must assess CNM’s general
education and program level outcomes
The Office of Planning and Institutional
Effectiveness (OPIE) racks and reports
completion data to NMHED and IPEDS.
Requires Deans Council, VPAA, CCC,
Governing Board and HLC approval.
OPIE tracks and reports completion data to NM
HED and IPEDS.
Must identify and annually assess technical exit
competencies if courses are not wholly assessed
within an existing Certificate of Completion or
Associate’s Degree.
Requires Deans Council, VPAA, CCC,
Governing Board and HLC approval.
OPIE tracks and reports completion data to NM
HED and IPEDS.
Must identify and annually assess technical exit
competencies if course content is not wholly
contained within an existing Associate Degree.
General Education Core Curriculum Requirements for the Associate of Arts (AA) Degree
9 credit hours+
Area I: Communication
(a) College-Level English Composition
3 credit hours
(b) College-Level Writing (a second course
building on the above)
3 credit hours
(c) Oral Communication
3 credit hours
+ Six (6) credit hours of writing and three (3) credit hours of oral communication required
Area II: Mathematics
(a) College Algebra or higher (except Math for Teachers courses)
3 credit hours
8 credit hours to
include at least one
laboratory class
Area III: Laboratory Science
Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences
6-9 credit hours*
Area V: Humanities/Fine Arts
6-9 credit hours*
Total to be selected
35 credit hours
Computer Literacy Requirement
** Computer Literacy is not a required New Mexico state general education area of learning. However, it is required
to fulfill CNM’s general education core.
3 credit hours
General Education Core Curriculum Requirements for the Associates of Science (AS) Degree
Area I: Communications
9 credit hours+
(a) College-Level English Composition
3 credit hours
(b) College-Level Writing (a second course building on the above)
3 credit hours
(c) Technical Writing or Oral Communication
3 credit hours
+Six (6) credit hours of writing and three (3) credit hours of oral communication required
Area II: Mathematics
6 credit hours
(a) College Algebra or higher (except Math for Teachers courses)
6 credit hours
8 credit hours to
include at least one
laboratory class
Area III: Laboratory Science
Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences
6 credit hours
Area V: Humanities/Fine Arts
6 credit hours
Total to be selected
35 credit hours
Computer Literacy Requirement
** Computer Literacy is not a required New Mexico state general education area of learning. However, it is required to
fulfill CNM’s general education core.
**3 credit hours
General Education Course Requirements for Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degrees and Certificates
The AAS degree requires 15 general education credit hours chosen from CNM’s approved list of general education coursework.
Human Relations
3 credit hours
Mathematics
3 credit hours
Written Communication
3 credit hours
Choice
3 credit hours
The Associate of Applied Science degree requires the successful completion of three (3) credit hours selected from
among the following five areas: Communication, Mathematics, Laboratory Sciences, Social/Behavioral Science,
Humanities/Fine Arts
3 credit hours
Computer Literacy Requirement
Total to be selected
15 credit hours
References
NMHED- New Mexico Higher Education Department
IPEDS-Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
HLC-Higher Learning Commission
State of NM General Education Common Core Curriculum taken from NM Higher Education Department website:
http://www.hed.state.nm.us/institutions/general-ed-core-course-transfer-curriculum.aspx
-Approved by ALT – April 2005
-Updated (name changes) – October 2007
-Updated (name changes) – May 2008
-Updated (Certificates) – Oct 2008
-Updated (remove Explanations) – April 12, 2010
-Updated (modify AS and AAS; restore and revise Explanations) – October 13, 2010
-Updated (remove HED approval, remove “at least two disciplines” from AA and AS degrees, add IT
1010 to General Education requirements, reword “Core Competencies”) – November 28, 2012
-Format updated, added AAS degree requirements, removed Explanations – April 2016