Trinidad State College

Associateof Arts

Build your first two years of a Bachelor of Arts degree at a fraction of the cost — with guaranteed transfer credit across Colorado's four-year universities.

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AA Degree Available • 60 Credit Hours

A smarter path to your bachelor's degree

The Associate of Arts is designed to complete the lower-division (freshman and sophomore) requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. Every course in this program is a Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways course recognized by Colorado's public four-year universities — so your credits follow you wherever you go.

Earn your AA at TSC, then transfer seamlessly into a BA program in Liberal Arts, Psychology, History, English, Economics, or dozens of other fields — spending far less than you would at a four-year institution from day one.

Stylized artist painting on an easle with paint flying everywhere.

Where You Can Go

Fields this degree prepares you for

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Build critical thinking, creativity, and a broad academic foundation adaptable to many careers.

English

Develop advanced writing, literary analysis, and communication skills valued across industries.

Psychology

Explore human behavior and mental processes as a foundation for counseling, research, or social services.

History

Understand the events and ideas that shaped our world — and how to research and communicate about them.

Economics

Ground yourself in economic principles for careers in finance, policy, business, or graduate study.

Sports Management

Combine a passion for sports with business fundamentals in administration, marketing, and management.

Program Cost

Tuition rates are identical at Trinidad and Valley campuses. Fees vary slightly by campus and credit load — see the full schedule for exact per-term totals. Estimates do not include books, supplies, or room and board. Rates are for 2025–2026 and subject to change.

In-State Resident

$175/cr hr

$291/cr hr minus $116 COF stipend

Must be a Colorado resident to qualify for the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF).

WUE Student

$288/cr hr

$403.50/cr hr minus $116 COF stipend

Western Undergraduate Exchange rate for residents of AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY & US Pacific territories. Learn more at wiche.edu

Out-of-State

$292/cr hr

Standard non-resident rate

COF stipend does not apply. Financial aid, scholarships, and payment plans are available to all students regardless of residency.

Apply Now Course Specific Fees › Explore Financial Aid & Scholarships › Trinidad Tuition Schedule (PDF) › Valley Tuition Schedule (PDF) ›

Where You Can Study

This program is offered at the following TSC campus locations.

TrinidadTrinidad, CO 81082

Trinidad Campus

Address: 600 Prospect StPhone: (719) 846-5011

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ValleyAlamosa, CO 81101

Valley Campus

Address: 1011 Main StPhone: (719) 589-7000

Campus MapView ›

Associate of Arts

Click any semester to see the full course list.

Program Code:AA_AAConcentration: CIP Code:24.0101

Semester One

Core general education requirements in English composition, mathematics, life sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

13credit hours

⌄

ENG 1021 – English Composition I: GT-CO1 (3 credits)
MAT 1240 – Mathematics for Liberal Arts: GT-MA1 (4 credits)
SC1 – Physical and Life Sciences GT Pathways Course with Lab (3-4 credits)
SS1, SS2, SS3 – Social and Behavioral Sciences GT Pathways Course (3 credits)

Semester Two

English Composition II and a life science course, rounded out by electives spanning the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

16credit hours

⌄

ENG 1022 – English Composition II: GT-CO2 (3 credits)
SC1 – Physical and Life Sciences GT Pathways Course (4 credits)
AH1, AH2 – Arts and Humanities GT Pathways Course (3 credits)
SS1, SS2, SS3 – Social and Behavioral Sciences GT Pathways Course (3 credits)
AH3, AH4 – Arts and Humanities GT Pathways Course** (3 credits)

Semester Three

General education requirements in arts and humanities, social sciences, communication, and history, fulfilled through guided elective choices.

15credit hours

⌄

AH1, 2, 3, 4 or So/Beh Sci, or HIS – Arts/Hum or So & Beh Sci/or History GT Pathways
Elective – Social and Behavioral Sciences GT Pathways Elective

Choose one: (3 credits)

COM 1150 – Public Speaking
COM 1250 – Interpersonal Communication: GT-SS3

Choose one: (3 credits)

HIS 1310 – Western Civilization:Antiquity-1650: GT-HI1
HIS 1320 – Western Civilization: 1650-Present: GT-HI1
HIS 1110 – The World: Antiquity-1500: GT-HI1
HIS 1120 – The World: 1500-Present: GT-HI1
HIS 1210 – US History to Reconstruction: GT- HI1
HIS 1220 – US History since the Civil War:GT-HI1

Semester Four

A flexible block of elective credits including a required arts and humanities course, rounding out the degree with personalized academic choices.

16credit hours

⌄

Elective – Elective - Misc. (3 credits)
Elective – Arts and Humanities GT Pathways Elective (3 credits)
Elective* – Elective - Misc. (3 credits)
Elective* – Elective - Misc. (3 credits)
Elective* – Elective - Misc. (3 credits)
Elective* – Elective - Misc. (1-3 credits)

** Arts and Humanities must be taken from at least two different areas.

Total Program Credits: 60

Approved Electives

Full elective course list

Filter by category to find courses that match your interests and transfer goals.

COM 1850 – Career Communication
COM 1150 – Public Speaking
COM 1250 – Interpersonal Communication: GT-SS3

COM 2020 – Intercultural Communication: GT-SS3
ENG 1020 – Technical Writing I: GT-CO1
ENG 2021 – Creative Writing I: GT-AH1

ART 1110 – Art Appreciation: GT-AH1
ART 1111 – Art History Ancient to Medieval: GT-AH1
ART 1112 – Art History Renaissance to 1900: GT-AH1
ART 1113 – Art History 1900 to Present: GT-AH1
HUM 1015 – World Mythology: GT-AH2
HUM 1021 – Humanities: Early Civilization: GT-AH2
HUM 1022 – Humanities: Medieval–Modern: GT-AH2
HUM 1023 – Humanities: Modern World: GT-AH2
LIT 1015 – Introduction to Literature I: GT-AH2
LIT 2001 – World Literature to 1600: GT-AH2
LIT 2002 – World Literature After 1600: GT-AH2
LIT 2005 – Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in U.S. Literature: GT-AH2
LIT 2011 – American Literature to Civil War: GT-AH2
LIT 2012 – American Literature After Civil War: GT-AH2
LIT 2021 – British Literature to 1770: GT-AH2
LIT 2022 – British Literature Since 1770: GT-AH2
LIT 2055 – Children's Literature: GT-AH2
LIT 2059 – Survey of African American Literature: GT-AH2
MUS 1020 – Music Appreciation: GT-AH1

MUS 1021 – Music History Medieval thru Classical: GT-AH1
MUS 1022 – Music History Early Romantic Period to the Present: GT-AH1
MUS 1025 – History of Jazz: GT-AH1
PHI 1011 – Intro to Philosophy: GT-AH3
PHI 1012 – Ethics: GT-AH3
PHI 1013 – Logic: GT-AH3
PHI 1014 – Comparative Religions: GT-AH3
PHI 2005 – Business Ethics: GT-AH3
PHI 2014 – Philosophy of Religion: GT-AH3
PHI 2020 – Philosophy of Death and Dying: GT-AH3
SPA 2011 – Spanish Language III: GT-AH4
SPA 2012 – Spanish Language IV: GT-AH4
THE 1005 – Theatre Appreciation: GT-AH1
THE 1008 – Theatre Script Analysis: GT-AH1
THE 2011 – Development of Theatre Greek–Renaissance: GT-AH1
THE 2012 – Development of Theatre Restoration to Modern: GT-AH1
THE 2015 – Playwriting: GT-AH1

AGY 2140 – Introductory Soil Science: GT-SC1
AST 1110 – Planetary Astronomy with Lab: GT-SC1
AST 1120 – Stellar Astronomy with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 1004 – Biology: A Human Approach: GT-SC1
BIO 1005 – Science of Biology with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 1111 – General College Biology I with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 1112 – General College Biology II with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 2101 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 2102 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 2104 – Microbiology with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 2120 – General Zoology with Lab: GT-SC1
BIO 2121 – Botany with Lab: GT-SC1
CHE 1011 – Intro to Chemistry I with Lab: GT-SC1

CHE 1012 – Intro to Chemistry II with Lab: GT-SC1
CHE 1111 – General College Chemistry I with Lab: GT-SC1
CHE 1112 – General College Chemistry II with Lab: GT-SC1
ENV 1010 – Natural Disasters: GT-SC2
ENV 1111 – Environmental Science with Lab: GT-SC1
GEO 1011 – Physical Geography: Landforms with Lab: GT-SC1
GEY 1111 – Physical Geology with Lab: GT-SC1
GEY 1112 – Historical Geology with Lab: GT-SC1
PHY 1105 – Conceptual Physics with Lab: GT-SC1
PHY 1111 – Physics Algebra-Based I with Lab: GT-SC1
PHY 1112 – Physics Algebra-Based II with Lab: GT-SC1
PHY 2111 – Physics Calculus-Based I with Lab: GT-SC1
PHY 2112 – Physics Calculus-Based II with Lab: GT-SC1
SCI 1105 – Science in Society: GT-SC2

AGE 2045 – Agriculture Economics: GT-SS1
AGR 2106 – World Interdependence: Population and Food: GT-SS3
ANT 1001 – Cultural Anthropology: GT-SS3
ANT 1003 – Introduction to Archaeology: GT-SS3
ANT 1004 – Archaeology Laboratory: GT-SS3
ANT 1006 – Physical Anthropology Laboratory: GT-SS3
ANT 1208 – Archaeology of World Rock Art: GT-SS3
ANT 2125 – Anthropology of Religion: GT-SS3
CRJ 1010 – Intro to Criminal Justice: GT-SS3
ECO 2001 – Principles of Macroeconomics: GT-SS1
ECO 2002 – Principles of Microeconomics: GT-SS1
GEO 1005 – World Regional Geography: GT-SS2
GEO 1006 – Human Geography: GT-SS2
PSC 1011 – American Government: GT-SS1

PSC 2020 – Introduction to Political Science: GT-SS1
PSY 1001 – General Psychology I: GT-SS3
PSY 1002 – General Psychology II: GT-SS3
PSY 2221 – Social Psychology: GT-SS3
PSY 2222 – Psychology of Death and Dying: GT-SS3
PSY 2331 – Positive Psychology: GT-SS3
PSY 2440 – Human Growth and Development: GT-SS3
PSY 2441 – Child Development: GT-SS3
PSY 2552 – Abnormal Psychology: GT-SS3
SOC 1001 – Introduction to Sociology I: GT-SS3
SOC 1002 – Introduction to Sociology II: GT-SS3
SOC 2005 – Sociology of Family Dynamics: GT-SS3
SOC 2016 – Sociology of Gender: GT-SS3
SOC 2031 – Sociology of Deviant Behavior: GT-SS3
SOC 2037 – Sociology of Death and Dying: GT-SS3

CIS 1180 – Intro to PC Applications
HPE 1000 – Intro to Physical Education & Sport
HPE 1001 – Intro to Coaching
HPE 2000 – Perspectives in PE & Sport
HPE 2001 – Sports Law
HPE 2031 – Care & Prevention of Athletic Injury
HPR 1170 – Anatomical Kinesiology

HWE 1050 – Human Nutrition
HWE 1061 – Fitness and Wellness
PED 1001 – Conditioning Lab
PED 1002 – Weight Training I
PED 1010 – Weight Training II
PED 2037 – Varsity Sports
REC 1001 – Recreation: Principles & Practice

Guaranteed Transfer to Colorado's public universities

Every course in the AA degree is a Colorado GT Pathways course — accepted at CSU, CU, MSU Denver, and all other Colorado public four-year universities. Your credits aren't at risk; transfer is guaranteed by state policy.

GT Pathways Transfer Information ›