Programs of Study

To enable students to achieve their academic and occupational goals or to pursue cultural and personal interests, the College offers the following programs. Enrollment in other than registered or otherwise approved programs may jeopardize a student’s eligibility for certain student aid awards. If you are undecided what academic and career path to follow, explore CareerLink.

Transfer Programs

These curricula allow the student to complete the first two years of study toward a Baccalaureate Degree. The student is eligible for the A.A. (Associate in Arts) or the A.S. (Associate in Science) Degree. The third and fourth years of study are then completed at a four-year institution to which the student transfers.

Career Programs

These curricula are designed to provide students with the technical competence required for success in a specific commercial or technical field. These programs require the equivalent of two years of full-time study and lead to the A.A.S. (Associate in Applied Science) Degree.

Individual Studies Program

These curricula are specifically designed for the full or part-time student desiring a flexible course of study that meets individual interests or needs. Depending on the program of study, the student is eligible for the A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. Degree.

Certificate Programs

In addition to the degree programs, the College offers certificate programs consisting of special sequences of courses leading to technical proficiency in specific fields. Students completing a certificate program may apply credits earned toward appropriate degree programs.

Jointly Registered Programs

To facilitate and encourage the smooth transition from two of Jefferson’s associate degree programs to baccalaureate degree programs at SUNY Potsdam, the two institutions have formalized agreements by which qualified students are accepted jointly by both Jefferson and SUNY Potsdam in the following programs:

• Jefferson’s Business Administration, A.S. degree programs with SUNY Potsdam’s bachelor of science degree program in Business Administration.
• Jefferson’s Liberal Arts: Childhood Education A.A. (Teacher Education Transfer) program with SUNY Potsdam’s bachelor of arts degree program in Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 2) or Childhood Education (grades 1–6).

For further information about these jointly registered programs, contact the Admissions Office at JCC.

Degree Requirements

To Qualify for an Associate Degree a student must:

1. Satisfactorily complete requirements of a program of study leading to the Degree. Curriculum requirements are outlined on each degree program page.
2. Meet all other College requirements for graduation as listed in the section titled Academic Information.

Students may petition course substitutions within a curriculum but must receive formal notification of petition approval before altering their program of study.

Whenever substitutions are authorized by the College, the modified program must meet the following general requirements (New York State Board of Regents' Administrative Policies for Associate Degrees):

Associate in Arts (A.A.)

The course of study leading to this Degree should be an organized curriculum composed primarily of courses in the pure liberal arts and sciences. At a minimum, there should be 45 semester credit hours of work taken in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. The exact balance within the 45 credit hours among these major fields is at the institution's discretion, but there should be reasonable distribution of work in these categories as well as depth in some.

Associate in Science (A.S.)

The course of study leading to this Degree should be an organized curriculum composed of courses in the liberal arts and sciences. At least 30 semester hours of credit should be offered in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. The exact balance within the 30 credit hours among these major fields is at the institution's discretion but there should be a reasonable distribution of work in these categories as well as appropriate depth in one.

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

The course of study leading to this Degree should be an organized curriculum with a minimum of 21 semester hours of credit drawn from the liberal arts and science areas comprising work distributed in the humanities, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. In general, the 21 credit hours should be distributed with balance among the major areas.