HFC offers many pathways to earning college credit. You 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 you choose, we highly recommend working with a HFC Academic Advisor to develop an educational plan to meet your specific 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 you for entry into a specific career field or to upgrade skills if you are already employed. Our career programs also transfer to four-year colleges and universities if you plan to pursue a Bachelor‘s Degree.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) – if you plan to pursue a Culinary Arts Bachelor‘s Degree.
- Associate in Applied Arts (AAA), Associate in Applied Science (AAS), and Associate in Business (AB) – if you plan to pursue an occupational-focused two-year degree.
- Certificates of Achievement – if you plan to pursue an occupational-focused program that has fewer required credits. Many programs of study are designed so that the credits you earn during the achievement of certificates may be applied to an Associate Degree.
General Requirements for Degree Types
Bachelor‘s Degree
A bachelor's degree will be awarded after you have completed an approved program, as long as you have fulfilled the following conditions:
- 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 Self-service and select Program Evaluation to find this information.
- Developmental courses do NOT meet General Education, Degree Specific Requirements), or Program Requirements nor count toward 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 after you have completed an approved program, as long as 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 Self-service and select Program Evaluation to find this information.
- Developmental courses do NOT meet General Education, Degree Specific Requirements, or Program Requirements nor count toward 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 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 toward 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 of Science (BS) | 30 | N/A | N/A | Varies by Program of Study | 30 | 120 |
HFC’s Philosophy on General Education (and why you should care)
tl;dr version: When you graduate from college, you will need a specific set of skills, no matter what your field. We've honed our understanding of these skills every year during our 85-year history. So, we require 15-30 credit hours in classes that will give you these valuable and necessary skills. These classes will be worth your time, and will pay off in the long run! Probably even sooner.
full version: 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 you to develop independent, critical and creative thinking skills while fostering an appreciation of the diversity, inclusion, understanding, and acceptance that you will need for success in a global society. HFC's General Education Courses are designed to produce graduates that are proficient in the following Institutional Outcomes that will equip you for your career and life:
- Civil Society and Culture—U.S. and Global: You 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: You will effectively communicate ideas appropriate to your discipline using standard English, through written and verbal communication.
- Computer Technology: You will demonstrate skills for computer technology, including Internet, network and advanced file operations. Skills will include organizing, managing, and presenting data using general productivity software. You will also identify security and integrity threats and identify unethical actions within their social or professional environments.
- Critical Thinking and Information Literacy: You 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. You 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: You will apply quantitative skills to analyze situations and make decisions in a variety of contexts.
HFC has designed our Associate in Arts, Science, and General Studies degrees to allow you the opportunity to satisfy the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) while completing your degree, with no duplication of credits. Most Programs of Study incorporate General Education Courses in the Required Core or Required Support courses. We strongly urge you to work with HFC’s Academic Advisors 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 are intended to provide skills that will increase your opportunities for employment and 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.