Center for Continuing Studies - Innovative Leadership for Lifelong Learning

Degree options

The Pathways Program for Incarcerated Students offers two degree options:

• The Associate in Arts degree is intended to provide a broad liberal arts and sciences background. AA programs require completion of the general education program and additional credits to total at least 60 semester credit hours. The AA program may serve as the foundation for a bachelor's degree.
• The Associate in Elective Studies degree program provides students the unique opportunity of designing their own program of study. The AES requires the completion of 60 semester hour credits, with no more than 30 credits in any one discipline. This degree is considered a terminal degree that does not lead to a bachelor’s degree, but may be a good option for those seeking education purely for personal development. Students wishing to complete an associate’s degree and continue on to a bachelor’s degree should choose the Associate in Arts program.

Credits earned from other accredited colleges and universities may, upon approval, be applied toward the student’s SCSU degree program.

What Can I do with an Associate Degree?
An associate degree is an academic degree awarded by many community colleges, junior colleges, and some bachelor degree seeking institutions. It is roughly the equivalent of the first two years of a four-year program. An Associate of Arts degree is specifically intended to transfer to a four-year college, where students then declare a major in their area of interest and work toward a bachelor's degree.

According to a study done by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the national rate of recidivism for inmates is 60%. This rate dropped to 13.7% for associate degree holders, 5.6% for bachelor degree holders, and 0% for those with a master's degree.

The degrees offered through the Pathways Program for Incarcerated Students can be used as a stepping stone to further education or solely as a means for personal growth and development.