Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art

Fine Arts
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Course Sequence

Field of Interest

Field of Interest: Visual and Performing Arts

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

Details icon Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
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
2025-2026
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 to earn a degree with this emphasis.

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Demonstrate foundational skills in the use of art process and media to enable effective visual communication and personal expression.
  2. Apply critical thinking skills, the creative process, and aesthetic/perceptual literacy to solve visual, technical and conceptual problems in various media.
  3. Communicate and collaborate effectively while recognizing diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
  4. Interpret the social, cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts that influence the production and interpretation of art.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the critique process to present and develop fine art portfolios for transfer, career development, or personal use.
  7. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Opportunities

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 Maricopa County-based annual median 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.

Craft Artists

$17,782

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$46,695

Painters, Sculptors, Illustrators, and Other Fine Artists

$20,731

Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers

$72,944

Self-Enrichment Education Teachers

$41,772

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

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 Student Center 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.

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.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART111 Drawing I Critical course Gateway course 3
ART112 Two-Dimensional Design Critical course 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher level course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL View requisites FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART113 Color Critical course 3
ART115 Three-Dimensional Design Critical course 3
ARH101 or
ARH102		 Art from Prehistory Through Middle Ages or Art from Renaissance to Modernism H, HU or H, HU 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL View requisites FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking View requisites OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry L 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ART255AB or
ART255		 The Portfolio or Art Marketing 1–3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU course selection varies based on selected Transfer Plan HU 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication View requisites SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 3

Ready to get started?

Follow one of the options below to get started on your personal career pathway.

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Click here for MCC’s easy-to-use Enrollment Steps.

Program Information

Learn more about and find contact information for the Fine Arts program.

General Help

Ask general questions over the phone at 480-461-7400 or via online chat.

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.

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, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=190015).

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.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA) in Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Art