47 Online Associate of Arts Programs

The Associate of Arts degree will provide you with the academic knowledge and practical skills needed to successfully transfer to a 4-year college or university to earn your bachelor's degree. Its coursework prepares you for different areas of study, emphasizing the humanities and social sciences.

Associate in Arts (AA-DTA) The Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) Associate Degree, sometimes called the Associate in Arts or Associate in Arts and Sciences, is the community college degree designed to transfer to most Bachelor of Arts programs at four-year institutions in Washington.

Courses in diversity studies examine core concepts related to difference, identity, and belonging. You will explore contemporary and historical relationships of power and social change as well as connections between race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, environment, social class, and religion. Classes are interdisciplinary and emphasize hands-on learning.

Philosophers systematically explore fundamental issues, ideas, and truths to understand better our place in the world and why we do what we do. Among many questions, philosophers consider what it means to live a good life, the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the relationship between the individual and society. Philosophy students develop logic, general problem-solving, communication, and persuasion skills applicable to many careers, including business, STEM, law, teaching, health, and the arts.

The Associate in Arts for Transfer (ADT) is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. Students completing these degrees(ADT) are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not to a particular campus or major.

The Mathematics Department offers a range of courses for a variety of needs and plans of study. We support the professional and technical programs as well as the transfer programs. We offer several PreCollege courses that satisfy requirements for students obtaining certificates and students preparing for college-level mathematics courses. Our college-level courses prepare students for the sciences and engineering curriculum, satisfy prerequisites for admission to colleges of business and education, and create the foundation of undergraduate mathematics curriculum for math majors.

In a recent survey, our students expressed a high level of satisfaction with the English program, citing the expert personal attention from the department's dedicated instructors. We provide a sequence of composition courses designed to develop and strengthen critical thinking and writing skills that students need to succeed in their college work. We also offer a variety of elective courses in literature, creative writing, and journalism that fulfill Humanities distribution requirements and, in some cases, the Cultural Diversity requirement for the AA degree. Many of our courses are available online.

Why do we dream? Can intelligence be increased? Which treatments for anxiety are most effective? How can negative stereotypes be changed? Why is it more difficult for adults to learn a new language? What makes the sexual nature of humans unique in the animal world? These are just a few of the many issues addressed in psychology, a science that explores the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and environmental basis of both normal and abnormal behavior.

The Music Department provides students a wide range of opportunities to learn music and grow as a performer. Our instructors bring diverse skills and approaches to teaching. Student ensembles at Edmonds College have numerous performance opportunities throughout the academic year.

Where did we come from? What makes us human? How are we similar to and different from other people? Where do we go from here? If these questions inspire you, you may enjoy an anthropology career. Anthropology is the holistic study of humanity. We draw from biology, social sciences, and humanities to better understand our experiences as humans. Anthropology graduates pursue careers in academia, government, cultural and natural resources, medicine, public health, forensics, museums, tourism, and business.

Research has shown that strong communication skills provide the necessary foundation needed to be successful in business, social, and personal relationships. According to the National Communication Association, “At its foundation, communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, and is the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry.”

Political scientists examine how societies govern themselves at the local, state, national, and international levels. We consider how power connections create the institutions, practices, and relations of governance and ask big questions about “Who gets what, when, and how?” You will develop skills in planning and development, research, analysis, communication, and civic engagement. We prepare you for careers in public service, law, business, and more when you graduate.

Why do some people have access to adequate water or health care, and others don’t? How does climate change drive political conflict? If you’re intrigued by these questions, consider majoring in Geography. Geographers study how human society and culture interact with the physical environment. They explore what we build, where we build, and why.

Sociology examines how societies shape people's lives and how individuals shape the societies in which they live. Sociologists study social institutions, like the family, education, and criminal justice, as well as relations between groups based on race, gender, sexuality, and social class. Sociology courses allow you to gain skills for jobs in business, health care, criminal justice, government agencies, various nonprofit organizations, and other venues.

If you are fascinated by history and how it impacts the present, we have classes to satisfy your curiosity. The History Department offers African-American History, Western Civilization, World Civilization, US History, and Pacific Northwest History courses. You can use these courses to satisfy high school graduation requirements (for Running Start), social science distribution requirements for transfer degrees, and teacher certification requirements.