Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art

The Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA), Emphasis in Art degree provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in fine arts, including painting, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, sculpture, metals, photography, and drawing. This degree offers an emphasis in creative problem-solving that is required in most career fields. With an associate degree, students may pursue a career as a practicing artist. With a bachelor or graduate degree in fine arts, students may also pursue a career in museums, galleries, community-based art organizations, or art instruction.

Details

Field of Interest

Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Type

Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8311

Total credits required

61-71

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Effective Term

Fall 2024

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students who wish to transfer to an art school should contact an art faculty member at their institution for more information.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn

Demonstrate foundational skills in the use of art process and media to enable effective visual communication and personal expression.
Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and aesthetic/perceptual literacy to solve visual, technical and conceptual problems in various media.
Communicate and collaborate effectively while recognizing diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
Interpret the social, cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts that influence the production and interpretation of art.
Engage in ethical personal and professional artistic practices, with an awareness of copyright laws, intellectual and artistic freedom, civic responsibility, and standards of the field.
Use the critique process to present and develop fine art portfolios for transfer, career development, or personal use.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$66,570 Show expanded career information for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

Craft Artists

$38,260 Show expanded career information for Craft Artists

Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

$45,590 Show expanded career information for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$46,350 Show expanded career information for Museum Technicians and Conservators

Self-Enrichment Teachers

$48,240 Show expanded career information for Self-Enrichment Teachers

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art
Arizona State University (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art (Ceramics)
Arizona State University (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art (Painting and Drawing)
Arizona State University (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art (Photography)
Arizona State University (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art (Printmaking)
Arizona State University (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art (Sculpture)
Northern Arizona University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art
University of Arizona, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements: Cultural [C] and Global [G] or Historical [H] Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
			Critical course Gateway course		3
			Critical course		3
			OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area	MA	3–6
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ).		FYC or FYC	3
or	or				1–3
					1

Term 2Term 2Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2Term 2Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
			Critical course		3
			Critical course		3
or	or			H, HU or H, HU	3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
				L	3
					3
					1

Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or				1–3
			HU course selection varies based on selected Transfer Plan	HU	3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites		SB or SB or L or SB	0–3
				SB	3
				SQ	4
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
or or or or or or	or or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None or None	3
or or	or or			C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .			3
				HU	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective track at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or	or			H, HU or H, HU	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or or	or or			C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
				HU	3
or or	or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or	or or			C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .			3
or or or or or	or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 2D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None	3
or or	or or			C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
					3
or or	or or			C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3

Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
				SB	3
				CS	3
or	or			SG or SQ	4
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or or or	or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses		3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective track at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective track at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .			3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or	or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or or or or or or	or or or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None or None or None	3
or or or or	or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses		3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements: Cultural [C] and Global [G] or Historical [H] Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Critical course Gateway course		3
		OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area	MA	3–6
or	or			1–3

Term 2Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in or or ) or (B or better in ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ) or ( & Corequisites: or or or ).	FYC or FYC	3
or	or			3
				1

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or		Critical course		3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
				L	3

Term 4Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .	FYC or FYC	3
or	or			3
				3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
or	or		H, HU or H, HU	3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites	SB or SB or L or SB	0–3
			SB	3

Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
		HU course selection varies based on selected Transfer Plan	HU	3
			SB	3
or or	or or		C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
			HU	3
or	or		H, HU or H, HU	3
or or	or or		C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
or or	or or		C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
				3
or or	or or		C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3
or or	or or		C, HU or G, H, HU or H, HU	3

Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
			SQ	4
Transfer Option	Transfer Option			3
				3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.		3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.		3
			HU	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .		3
				3

Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or				1–3
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
				CS	3
or or or or or or	or or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None or None	3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective tracks at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or or or or or	or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 2D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None	3

Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or			SG or SQ	4
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective tracks at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
or	or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or	or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or	or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 3D Art courses		3
or or or or	or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses		3

Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10Term 10
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
Transfer Option	Transfer Option				3
or or or or	or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses		3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or .	Choose based upon intended elective tracks at NAU		3
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .			3
					3
or or or or or or or	or or or or or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in . or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor. or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.	Choose one of the following 2D or 3D Art courses	None or HU or None or None or None or None or None	3
					3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			3

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

C = Cultural Diversity in the US
CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
FYC = First Year Composition
G = Global Awareness
H = Historical Awareness
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design

L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics
SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

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