About Our Degrees

Colorado Mountain College offers several degree options for students. Whether a student’s academic goal is to complete a bachelor’s degree at CMC, transfer to another college or university, or upgrade technical job skills, CMC’s degree and certificate programs are designed to challenge and prepare students for greater educational and professional success.

The degree and certificate requirements in this catalog are current for the 2024-2025 academic year. Degree and certificate programs are reviewed on an annual basis, and there may be additions, deletions, and/or changes for the current academic year. Students are encouraged to work with their Student Success Team to ensure successful progress to degree completion when developing their degree plan and course-taking strategy.

The Programs of Study  pages in this catalog summarize our current degree and certificate offerings, including program requirements. More information about our programs is also available on the CMC Programs page.

Online and virtual classroom courses give students the ability to attend CMC remotely if they are unable to attend in person. While these modalities have created greater access for students, please note that CMC cannot guarantee that all courses needed to complete a degree will be offered in a virtual or online environment.

NOTE: Not every degree is offered at every campus or location.

Planning a Bachelor Degree

A bachelor’s degree from CMC provides students with knowledge and training beyond the high school and associate degree level. Students need a high school diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) by exam (GED, HiSET, or TASC) to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. The fundamental requirement for a bachelor’s degree is the successful completion of a minimum number of credit hours, usually 120 semester credit hours.

CMC bachelor’s degrees contain a minimum of 39 or more credits in a specific content area referred to as majors, with at least 20 of these required credits at the upper-division level (3000-4000). Some bachelor’s degrees also include the option to minor in a defined area of study. Minors require 15-21 credits, with at least two upper-division courses. Students may pursue multiple minors. Minors are recorded on a student’s official transcript. Minors must be added to a bachelor’s program and completed prior to graduation. Minors cannot be added after the bachelor’s degree is posted.

Bachelor of Arts Degrees

Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees offer a liberal arts education that includes the Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) General Education curriculum. This curriculum includes a minimum of 31 credits of general education across five content areas plus three credits of communication. General education requirements will differ between degrees. Please consult your Student Success Team and the specific program pages in this catalog for more information.

Bachelor of Science Degrees

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees are designed to provide bachelor’s degrees in the areas of leadership, science, and technical degrees and also include the Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) General Education Curriculum. This curriculum includes a minimum of 31 credits of general education. General education requirements will differ between degrees. Please consult your Student Success Team or the specific program pages in this catalog for more information.

Bachelor of Applied Science

Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Media (BAS IMD) is designed to expand student capabilities to work in the modern media landscape, focused on content creation, communication, and marketing to expand student capabilities to work in the modern media landscape, focused on content creation, communication and marketing.

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Leadership and Management (BAS) degree is designed to prepare individuals as managerial and supervisory personnel in a variety of professions, building on technical specialties and developing leadership knowledge and skills.

To graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science, students must have graduated with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in a specific discipline from CMC or another regionally accredited school with a minimum of 60 credits. See applicable CMC AAS degrees below.

Bachelor Degree Requirements

These requirements apply to any bachelor’s degree completed at CMC:

1. With the exception of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, transfer credit may be awarded for upper-division courses if those course credits were earned through an accredited four-year program as upper-division coursework.
2. To graduate, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including courses and credits for general education, program requirements and program elective courses.
3. To graduate, a student must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C average) or P (passing) or better on all courses taken at CMC. Some of our bachelor’s degrees have grade minimum requirements for courses in that program of study.
4. At least 80% of the credits earned at CMC applied toward graduation must be letter-graded.
5. A minimum of 30 college-level credit hours that apply to the student’s declared degree program, must be earned at CMC. The remaining coursework toward the degree can be transfer, credit for prior learning or awarded credit.
6. Students must submit a Petition to Graduate in order for CMC to verify and record the completed degree. Please see the Graduation  section for more information.

Planning an Associate Degree

To enroll in required coursework for an associate degree, students must demonstrate college-level proficiency through ACT/SAT scores, college transcripts, placement tests or high school GPA. Students with low proficiency in reading, writing, or mathematics may enroll in support courses prior to enrolling in or concurrently with courses required for the degree. This could affect the sequence in which students take courses and may extend the time required to earn a degree. For more details, please see Academic Placement Methods .

Associate of Arts Degree

An Associate of Arts (AA) degree offers a liberal arts education that includes the Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) General Education Curriculum. This curriculum includes a minimum of 31 credits in communication, humanities, social sciences, mathematics and science. In addition to this required content, students are encouraged to explore a broad range of subjects through elective coursework in the fine arts, behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, literature, business and humanities.

CMC offers several Associate of Art degrees with emphasis areas that are part of a Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement and can be identified by the ◆ symbol on the Programs of Study  page.

The Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement determines that if you graduate with one of these Associate of Arts degrees with an emphasis, you will be able to transfer to another Colorado institution and complete the corresponding bachelor’s degree in no more than an additional 60 credits (for a total of 120 credits).

NOTE: Agreements for selected transfer degrees may require up to an additional 66 credits (for a total of 126 credits). See the information about Transfer Degrees page on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website to see which bachelor’s degrees are part of this program.

Additionally, there are specific Associate of Arts degrees with emphasis areas that are unique to CMC and are not associated with Statewide Articulation Transfer Agreements. These degrees are considered generally transferrable and/or may have institution-specific transfer agreements or may transfer directly into one of CMC’s bachelor’s degrees. These CMC specific associate degrees can be identified by the ✽ symbol on the Programs of Study  page.

Associate of Science Degree

The Associate of Science (AS) degree is designed for students seeking a four-year degree in math or science-related disciplines. Coursework includes the Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) General Education Curriculum (minimum 31 credits) in communication, mathematics, arts and humanities, history, social and behavioral sciences, and natural and physical sciences.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs focus on knowledge and skills within a specific Career and Technical Education (CTE) area. AAS degrees comprise of at least 15 credit hours of General Education courses as indicated in the specific AAS degree plans. CTE degrees at CMC can lead students into a challenging and rewarding career directly upon graduation. Work experience incorporated directly into some AAS degree plans allows students to practice their skills before entering the workforce in their area of study and training. To stay current with the latest trends, CMC partners with industry leaders to develop, review, and enhance its CTE programs. AAS programs include both skills training and pertinent general education coursework.

Associate of General Studies Degree

CMC offers the Associate of General Studies (AGS) degrees for students whose needs are not met by CMC’s other degree programs. Students may design the Associate of General Studies degree to fit their personal needs, upgrade job skills or prepare for professional school. This degree includes the Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Curriculum; however, the degree itself is not considered Guaranteed Transfer.

Associate Degree Requirements

These requirements apply to any associate degree completed at CMC:

1. Completion of at least 60 credit hours.
2. Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C average) or P (passing) or better on all courses taken at CMC.
3. A minimum of 15 college-level credit hours that apply to the student’s declared degree program must be earned at CMC. The remaining coursework toward the degree can be transfer, credit for prior learning or awarded credit.
4. No more than six semester hours applied toward graduation may be Special Topics (courses numbered 1075 or 2075).
5. At least 80% of the credits earned at CMC applied toward graduation must be letter-graded.
6. If a student already has a CMC associate degree, they must earn at least 15 additional credits not already applied to the first degree to receive a second associate degree.
7. Students must submit a Petition to Graduate in order for CMC to verify and record the completed degree. Please see the Graduation  section for more information.

Planning a Certificate of Occupational Proficiency

Certificate of Occupational Proficiency (COP) programs provide specific knowledge and training to enhance career and technical skills, usually focused within a larger CTE program offered at CMC. Programs leading to a COP can typically be completed in one year or less. Many AAS degrees include embedded COPs that apply toward AAS degree requirements.

Some COPs may require that students demonstrate college-level proficiency through ACT/SAT scores, college transcripts, placement tests or high school GPA. Students with low proficiency in reading, writing, or mathematics may enroll in support courses prior to enrolling in, or concurrently with, courses required for the certificate. For more details, please see the Academic Placement Methods  section.

Students may be required to meet specific physical or academic standards prior to admission or enrollment into certain programs or courses. Please see your Student Success Team for details.

While CMC is an eligible institution for federal student aid programs, certificate programs must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please consult with a CMC financial aid specialist for more information.

Certificates of Occupational Proficiency Requirements

Completion of all requirements for the specific program.

1. Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C average) or P (passing) or better on all courses taken at CMC.
2. At least 80% of the credits earned at CMC applied toward graduation must be letter-graded.
3. A minimum of nine college-level credit hours must be earned at CMC. For those certificates requiring a total of nine credits or less, 50% of credits must be taken at CMC. The remaining coursework toward the certificate can be transfer, credit for prior learning or awarded credit.
4. Students must submit a Petition to Graduate in order for CMC to verify and record the completed certificate. Please see the Graduation  section for more information.

Planning a Certificate of Completion

CMC offers several Certificates of Completion (COC) to students who complete a group of courses with a particular focus. A COC attests to the successful completion of specific courses designed to establish knowledge or skills in an area of interest. Individual courses are posted on a student’s transcript; however, the certificate is not an awarded program. COCs are not recognized on a transcript in the same way as COPs or other CMC degrees. Please see your Student Success Team member for more information.

The Certificates of Completion are not formally state-recognized certificates; therefore, they are not eligible for financial aid.