College Transfer Programs

The Arts and Sciences faculty are very experienced in teaching and instruct all levels of courses, from beginning courses through advanced. Our instructors encourage students to follow their passion and help students improve their skills and reach their goals by providing opportunities to excel, whether in it’s in the classroom or in the community. Most classes have fewer than 30 students so instructors can provide individual help and form personal connections with their students. Faculty time is devoted to teaching and helping students both in and outside of class as they gain the educational foundation that will support their pursuit of a degree. With a wide variety of courses to choose from, students can take the classes they want as well as the classes they need.

As a part of our mission to help students succeed, a variety of formal support options are available for students interested in extra help, such as tutoring at the Student Learning Center, Mastery Math and Writing, Supplemental Instruction, and other areas as needed. Both accelerated courses and extended course offerings are available to help meet a variety of student needs, while the flexibility of face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses allow students to create a schedule that works for them.

Students have the opportunity to perform in music and the arts from their first year of enrollment and beyond. Both the NIACC choir and band work with community performers and perform in a variety of venues. Various clubs, many of which are led by faculty members, give students numerous opportunities to expand their knowledge in various subject areas and connect with other students. Some of the academically-oriented clubs include the Math and Engineering Club, Robotics Club, and Art Club.

NIACC has a long-established strong academic reputation that provides a seamless transfer of courses to four year colleges and universities. Many faculty members communicate regularly with their colleagues at other institutions in the area to maintain high standards and help ensure that course content is consistent. Most students that complete their Associate in Arts degree at NIACC are able to transfer to a four-year college or university and enter with junior (third year) status. Students who transfer from NIACC are usually able to complete their four-year degree in about the same amount of time as non-transfer students, and their success rates compare favorably with students who began their careers at a four-year institution as well.

General Education and Other Transfer Courses

North Iowa Area Community College considers education to be the foundation of a democratic society. At the core of the educational experience is general education, an ongoing endeavor that engages students in acquiring the knowledge and tools necessary to understand their environment and contribute to their communities.

Each of NIACC’s degree programs provides varying levels of general education skill development through their distribution requirements:

To earn an Associate in Arts degree, a student must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours (s.h.) of credit in the communication distribution category and 8 s.h. in each of the humanities, social science, and natural science/mathematics distribution categories listed below, plus an additional 8 s.h. of credit selected from any of the aforementioned categories for a total minimum of 41 s.h. of general education credit within the degree program. Within the natural science/mathematics category, a student must select at least one mathematics and one science course.

Graduation Plan for Associate of Arts Degree  

To earn an Associate in Science degree, a student must complete a minimum general education core of 41 s.h. distributed in the following fashion: communication (9 s.h.); humanities and/or social science (8 s.h.); natural science/mathematics (20 s.h.); and distributed requirement (4 s.h.). Within the natural science/mathematics category, a student must select at least one mathematics and one science course.

Graduation Plan for Associate of Science Degree  

Listed as follows are the general education courses for the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees.

Please check with a counselor to verify your degree requirements.

Not all courses are offered every semester.

Degree Requirements

Associate in Arts (A.A.)

Completion of at least sixty-two (62) semester hours of work consisting of courses whose principal design is for a baccalaureate program. Up to 16 semester hours of career courses can be used as elective credit. Developmental courses cannot be used to meet this requirement.

Two Year Plans

Hundreds of North Iowa Area Community College graduates transfer to four-year colleges and universities every year. Whether you want to become a teacher, lawyer, engineer, physician, artist or (you name it!), we can get you started. And if you’re unsure about a major, NIACC is a great place to get your feet wet.

NIACC offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree in virtually any field. The Associate Degree earned provides you with the general education requirements and core courses needed to continue your education as a junior at a four-year school. For more details, see the complete list of Sample Schedules (2-Year Plans) .

Placement

Academic Advising

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information given in the curriculum section of the catalog, and academic advisors advise students to the best of their abilities. IT IS, nevertheless, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO BE CERTAIN THAT THE COURSES SELECTED WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE SOUGHT. Students should correspond with the transfer college and obtain verification of their complete program at North Iowa Area Community College.

For all beginning students, an entrance exam of ACT scores, SAT scores, or Accuplacer scores is required. Visit Course Placement Information for more information on the assessment scores used for entry-level advising.

*ACT scores are valid only if they are less than three years old. Students with outdated scores should contact the Admissions Office to schedule the appropriate assessment.