Smart Start
The AA Program, a non-residential program, is structured such that successful completion of a total of sixty (60) credits over the course of two years results in the conferral of the University of Delaware Associate in Arts degree. The first year of the program consists of a set of common core courses, including a Freshman Seminar designed to promote academic success. The second year focuses on coursework in Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences or Languages. Students must complete the approved sixty (60) hours of coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in order for the AA degree to be conferred.

Winning Results
Students completing the AA Program will graduate with an Associate in Arts degree. The AA degree may serve as a bridge to completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Delaware. The goal is to enable access to any of the University of Delaware's 90+ Bachelor of Arts programs. All students in the Program who do complete 60 credits of required courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0 are guaranteed admission into a BA program on the Newark campus. While the GPA required for conferral of the AA degree is a 2.0, some majors have competitive entry requirements, requiring selection through an internal application process that applies to all students, including those completing the AA degree.

Benefits of the AA Program
The AA program was created to ensure that Delawareans are academically prepared for the rigors of a University of Delaware education. The program is designed to encourage successful completion of the AA degree and to allow a smooth transition to baccalaureate studies on the Newark campus. University of Delaware faculty will provide most of the instruction for the AA degree; however, some approved courses taught by Delaware Tech faculty and some courses transferred from other institutions also may be counted toward degree completion. Program participants will receive advisement and assistance from staff of the University Advisement Center, the Academic Services Center, the Writing Center, and the Preparatory Math Lab.

Students within the Program will carry a UD ID card and will be granted many of the same privileges as UD students at the Newark campus, including admission to athletic events, use of the Morris Library, and more.

Students will also have a Delaware Tech ID card and will be granted the same privileges as Delaware Tech students.

Positive attributes of the Associate in Arts Program are many, including:

• Small class sizes
• Close faculty contact
• Curriculum structured to help students prepare for an eventual major
• Learning community concept built into the program with students clustered in their courses
• LIFE (Learning Integrated Freshman Experience) cluster in the first semester, with peer mentors from the Newark campus.
• Tuition substantially reduced from current UD tuition