Degree Types (2020-2021)
HFC offers many pathways to earning college credit. Students may choose to obtain an Associate Degree with the intention of transferring to a four-year university or earn an Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement in a career-related field. Whatever path students choose, HFC highly recommends working with a HFC Academic Advisor or Counselor to develop an educational plan to meet their goals.
Programs of Study
Transfer Programs
Programs of study designed for transfer to a four-year college or university:
- Associate in Arts (AA) – intended for students who plan to pursue a non-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Bachelor Degree.
- Associate in Applied Arts (AAA) - intended for students who wish to pursue the visual or performing arts.
- Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) - intended for students who wish to study the fundamentals of art and concentrate on their specific medium of interest.
- Associate in Science (AS) – intended for students who plan to pursue a STEM Bachelor Degree.
- Associate in General Studies (AGS) – intended for student who are undecided but wish to earn college credits while exploring career options. HFC strongly recommends working with a HFC Counselor to develop and educational plan.
Career Programs
Programs of study designed to prepare students for entry into a specific career field or to upgrade skills for those students already employed. Many career programs also transfer to four-year colleges and universities for those students who plan to pursue a Bachelor Degree.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) – intended for students who plan to pursue a Culinary Arts Bachelor Degree.
- Associate in Applied Arts (AAA), Associate in Applied Science (AAS), and Associate in Business (AB) – intended for students who plan to pursue an occupational-focused two-year degree.
- Certificates of Achievement – intended for students who plan to pursue an occupational-focused program with fewer required credits. Many programs of study are designed such that the credits students earn during the achievement of certificates may be applied to an Associate Degree.
General Requirements for Degree Types
Bachelor Degree
A bachelor's degree will be awarded to all students who have completed an approved program, provided the following conditions have been fulfilled:
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit with a 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher.
- Complete General Education and Degree Specific Graduation Requirements.
- Complete all required and elective courses for the Program of Study. Go to WebAdvisor and select Program Evaluation to find this information.
- Developmental courses do NOT meet General Education, Degree Specific Requirements), or Program Requirements nor count towards the minimum requirement of 120 semester hours.
- Complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit at HFC.
- Transferability of courses maybe restricted based upon program specific policies and requirements.
- A student holding a Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited college or university will be given transfer credit equivalencies that meet the General Education Requirements for graduation.
- All financial obligations to HFC have been met.
Associate Degree
An associate degree will be awarded to all students who have completed an approved program, provided the following conditions have been fulfilled:
- Earn a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit with a 2. 00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or higher.
- Complete General Education and Degree Specific Graduation Requirements.
- Complete all required and elective courses for the Program of Study. Go to WebAdvisor and select Program Evaluation to find this information.
- Developmental courses do NOT meet General Education, Degree Specific Requirements, or Program Requirements nor count towards the minimum requirement of 60 semester hours.
- Complete a minimum of 20 semester hours of credit at HFC. The balance of credit may be transferred in from other sources (usually accredited colleges). Students must work with the HFC University Transfer, Academic Advising, and Career Counseling Office and/or the Admissions, Registration, and Records Office to establish an official record of transfer credit at the College.
- A maximum of 40 semester hours of credit from any HFC associate degree may be applied toward meeting the requirements of another degree. In other words, to earn a second associate degree at HFC an additional 20 semester hours of credit must be earned and all second degree requirements must be met. The same rule applies for all subsequent degrees.
- A student holding a Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited college or university will be given transfer credit equivalencies that meet the General Education Requirements for graduation.
- All financial obligations to the College have been met.
Degree Requirements
In addition to Required Core and Required Support Courses, all students working towards the completion of an associate or bachelor degree must satisfy Degree Specific Requirements AND General Education Requirements. The following summary lists graduation requirements for all HFC degrees.
| Degree Type |
Minimum Number of General Education Credits |
Computer Technology Degree Requirement Credits |
Science and Math Degree Requirement Credits |
Required Core and Support Courses |
Minimum Number of Credits that Must be Taken at HFC |
Minimum Number of Credits Required for Graduation |
| Associate in Arts (AA) |
30 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in Applied Arts (AAA) |
15 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in Business (AB) |
15 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) |
30 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in General Studies (AGS) |
15 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in Science (AS) |
30 |
3 |
24 |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Associate in Applied Science (AAS) |
15 |
3 |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
20 |
60 |
| Bachelor in Science (BS) |
30 |
N/A |
N/A |
Varies by Program of Study |
30 |
120 |
HFC’s Philosophy on General Education
General Education is defined as a culmination of learning experiences that enable students to attain the knowledge and skills needed by every college graduate. General Education establishes a foundation of skills and understandings to enable success in employment and further education.
In line with its belief that General Education competence should be defined by the College to meet the needs of the external communities in which its graduates must function, HFC has collected and restated expectations identified by employers, alumni, and four-year universities. HFC’s Institutional Outcomes reflect those expectations and we require our students to successfully complete courses that will lead towards competence in these areas. Hence, all students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 30 General Education credits for all Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts, Associate in General Studies, and Associate in Science degrees, or a minimum of 15 General Education credits for all Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Business degrees.
How do Students Benefit from General Education?
General Education empowers our students to develop independent, critical and creative thinking skills while fostering an appreciation of the diversity, tolerance, understanding, and acceptance needed for success in a global society. HFC's General Education Courses are designed to produce graduates that meet the following Institutional Outcomes:
- Civil Society and Culture—U.S. and Global: Students will compare and contrast the United States with other nations or world regions, addressing social (economic, political and cultural) issues, patterns of diversity or aspects of inequality.
- Communication: Students will effectively communicate ideas appropriate to their discipline using standard English, through written and verbal communication.
- Computer Technology: Students will demonstrate skills for computer technology, including Internet, network and advanced file operations. Skills will include organizing, managing, and presenting data using office productivity software. Students will also identify security and integrity threats and identify unethical actions within their social or professional environments.
- Critical Thinking and Information Literacy: Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate information and identify the need for research to draw conclusions, formulate inferences, solve problems and make decisions. Students will also demonstrate information literacy skills by locating, evaluating, selecting, organizing, synthesizing, and ethically documenting information from multiple sources using both informal and formal formats, as appropriate for diverse writing situations.
- Quantitative Literacy: Students will apply quantitative skills to analyze situations and make decisions in a variety of contexts.
HFC has designed its Associate in Arts, Science, and General Studies degrees to allow students the opportunity to satisfy the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) while completing their degree, with no duplication of credits. Most Programs of Study incorporate General Education Courses in the Required Core or Required Support courses. Students are encouraged to work with HFC’s Academic Advisors and Counselors to craft an educational plan.
Certificates of Achievement
Programs of Study leading to a Certificate of Achievement are available. These programs are highly specialized and intended to provide skills that will increase students’ opportunities for employment or promotion. There are three types of certificates: Basic, Complex, and Advanced.
Level 1: Basic Skills Certificate
The learning domain must be limited to a single technology or skill area, and the certification candidate should be able to:
- Accomplish basic tasks in the domain without assistance;
- Solve common problems within the domain without assistance;
- Assist in more advanced tasks; and
- Describe the technical structure of the domain.
At HFC, the following academic conditions apply to a Level 1 Certificate:
- The certificate includes a maximum of 18 credit hours;
- 25% of coursework may be transferred from another institution with written approval of the appropriate Associate Dean; and
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required of all certificate coursework.
Level 2: Complex Skills Certificate
The learning domain must encompass either multiple technologies/skill areas or a complex single technology. The certification candidate should be able to:
- Serve as a resource for others;
- Solve moderately complex problems without assistance; and
- Perform advanced tasks within the domain.
At HFC, the following academic conditions would apply to a Level 2 Certificate:
- The certificate includes a maximum of 18 credit hours;
- 25% of coursework may be transferred from another institution with written approval of the appropriate associate dean; and
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required of all certificate coursework.
Level 3: Advanced Skills Certificate
The learning domain must encompass multiple technologies or skill areas. The certification candidate should be able to:
- Troubleshoot complex problems;
- Confidently traverse the scope of the domain, from the most basic material to complex issues involving interfaces outside the domain;
- Present “significant experience;” and
- Complete a hands-on assessment/lab exam/project.
At HFC, the following academic conditions would apply to a Level 3 Certificate:
- Certificate candidate would be required to have a related associate degree or higher, or a minimum of 2 years of recent, verifiable work;
- Certificate includes 5-30 credit hours;
- 25% of coursework may be transferred from another institution with written approval of the appropriate associate dean; and
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required of all certificate coursework.
To receive a certificate, all financial obligations to the College must be met.