Majors and Certificate Programs
All associate degree majors are designed to fully reflect the faculty’s philosophy of curriculum, as outlined in A Definition of an Educated Person.
The College offers two types of associate degree majors—occupational and transfer—as well as occupational certificate programs.
Occupational Majors
Occupational programs are designed primarily to prepare graduates for entry-level employment in positions that require both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Bucks offers occupational programs in a wide range of fields, including accounting, culinary arts, graphic design, medical assisting, networking technology, nursing, and paralegal studies.
Although occupational programs are designed for students seeking employment immediately after completion, many of the courses in these programs are transferable to baccalaureate institutions. Transfer is made easier due to the College’s accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; the School of Business, Innovation, and Legal Studies’ accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); the School of Arts and Communications’ accreditations by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM); and the Associate Degree Nursing Program’s accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Students should consult with the Office of Advising and Transfer Services for information about course transferability.
All occupational programs are guided by advisory committees. Practitioners in the various fields meet with College faculty to discuss the skills and abilities needed for the job market. These advisory committees and the ongoing evaluation they provide ensure that the College's occupational programs are relevant and up-to-date.
Occupational degree programs require four or more semesters of full-time study for completion and include courses that provide both concentrated study in a particular field and general education designed to broaden a student's knowledge and skills beyond the area of concentration.
Occupational certificate programs usually require two or more semesters for completion, and all the required courses focus on occupational skills.
Transfer Majors
Transfer programs are designed to parallel the first two years of study in a variety of subject areas at the baccalaureate institutions to which our students most frequently transfer. The transfer of course credits is determined entirely by the receiving institution. Students planning to transfer to a bachelor’s degree–granting institution are encouraged to obtain a current catalog for that institution. Bucks courses should be selected to align with the requirements at that school. Many area colleges and universities have transfer (articulation) agreements with Bucks County Community College. Information on these agreements is available through academic department offices and the Office of Transfer and Planning.
The type of major does not necessarily limit a student’s options after completion. Students who complete an occupational major may successfully transfer many of their credits to a baccalaureate institution. Students who complete a transfer major may successfully secure entry-level employment after graduation.
Students must work closely with an academic advisor in choosing courses for a major. While the responsibility for the selection of courses is the student’s, the advice and help of an academic advisor is based upon knowledge and experience and can aid the student in making wise and constructive major and course decisions.
Most majors are designed to be completed in four semesters of full-time (15 to 17 credits) study. A variety of circumstances such as a change in major, or required work in English, mathematics or reading as a result of placement testing, may require a longer time for completion. A recommended sequence of courses is provided for each semester. This schedule is given as a guide for students in planning their course selections. Students are urged to complete all courses required by placement testing immediately. The time of year a student enters a major may require the student to depart from the recommended sequence. In any case, students must work with an academic advisor in planning their individual courses of study.
Certificate Programs
A certificate of completion is awarded to a student who successfully completes a prescribed program. Depending on the program, certificate requirements may be completed in one or more semesters. All required courses in certificate programs focus on developing occupational skills. Credits earned in a certificate program may be applied toward an associate degree.
Online Majors
Visit Bucks Online to see which programs of study can be completed entirely through eLearning courses.
Financial Aid Applicants or Recipients
Students seeking financial aid should note that all Title IV federal program grants and loans require enrollment in a degree-granting or eligible certificate program. Certificate programs with fewer than 16 credits are not eligible. Students must be pursuing a degree or certificate to receive financial aid.
A Definition of an Educated Person
A Statement from the Faculty
Education can help us live more complete and meaningful lives by nurturing essential values and skills. By valuing uniqueness and diversity, we accept our responsibility for their protection. By valuing open-minded inquiry, we may accept that, while we can seek certainties, perspectives may be the best we can gain. By valuing growth as a lifelong process and recognizing change as inevitable, we may work towards goals whose fruition may lie beyond our lifetime. By valuing the ability to analyze and make reasoned judgments, we may gain insights into ourselves and our world and a greater understanding of the interdependency of all things. By valuing the ability to communicate, we may give expression to our vision of the world where people can work cooperatively to improve their environment and the condition of their lives.
We believe that the curriculum of Bucks County Community College must endeavor to nurture such values and foster such skills. It must seek to empower its students by making them aware of the influences that affect their lives and confident of their ability to effect change in their lives and in the world. It must help them to make connections among disciplines, help them develop an integrated view of knowledge, and help them recognize that their use of knowledge always carries consequences, as well as moral and ethical responsibilities.
Bucks County Community College offers over 90 associate degree program majors and academic certificates. Jump to the alphabetical list.
Arts and Communication
Transfer
Certificate Programs
Business, Innovation, and Legal Studies
Transfer
Occupational
Health Sciences, Kinesiology, and Sport Studies
Transfer
Occupational
Language and Literature
Transfer
Certificate Programs
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Transfer
Occupational
Social and Behavioral Science
Transfer
Certificate Programs
Special Non-Degree Programs
- 0080 Non-Degree/Guest
- 0089 Non-Degree/Non-Certificate Seeking
- 0098 High School Dual Enrollment*
- 0099 High School Enrichment
*These programs may require approval for entering applicants.
Alphabetical Listing
Transfer Programs
- 1201 Art and Art History
- 1003 Biology
- 1105 Biomedical Sciences
- 1009 Business Administration
- 1004 Chemistry
- 1120 Communication Studies
- 1103 Computer Science
- 1189 Criminal Justice
- 1203 Cybersecurity
- 1206 Dance
- 1205 Data Science
- 1028 Engineering
- 1200 English
- 1188 Environmental Science
- 1197 Exercise Science
- 1214 Film, Photography, and Digital Arts
- 1001 Fine Arts
- 1209 General Studies
- 1204 Global Studies/World Languages
- 1110 Graphic Design
- 1202 Guided Studies
- 1031 Health/Physical Education
- 1108 Health Science
- 1196 History
- 1102 Information Science
- 1045 Journalism
- 1002 Liberal Arts
- 1006 Mathematics
- 1019 Music
- 1194 Neuroscience
- 1211 Occupational Therapy
- 4192 Pre K-4 Early Education
- 1183 Psychology-Interpersonal Emphasis
- 1060 Psychology Pre-Professional Emphasis
- 1207 Public Health
- 1117 Science
- 1180 Secondary Education: History
- 1177 Secondary Education - Mathematics
- 1059 Social Science
- 1130 Social Work
- 1154 Sport Management
- 1210 Theater Arts
Occupational Programs
- 2019 Accounting & Analytics
- 2207 Advanced Technology
- 2220 Baking and Pastry Arts
- 2119 Biotechnology
- 2194 Brewing & Fermentation Science
- 2204 Business
- 2136 Computer Networking Technology
- 2210 Culinary Arts
- 2205 Diagnostic Medical Sonography*
- 2034 Education - Paraprofessional Instructional Assistant
- 2178 Emergency Management
- 2193 Engineering Technology
- 2171 Event Planning and Management
- 2158 Fire Science
- 2191 Health Information Technology
- 2022 Hospitality Management
- 2164 Information Technology Studies
- 2203 Medical Laboratory Technician*
- 2035 Nursing*
- 2211 Paramedic
- 2128 Paralegal/Legal Studies
- 2202 Radiography*
- 2070 Technical Entrepreneurship
- 2212 Veterinary Technician
Certificate Programs
- 3176 Accountancy
- 3207 Advanced Technology
- 3150 Baking and Pastry Arts
- 3186 Biotechnology
- 3202 Business Analytics
- 3200 Computed Tomography
- 3162 Computer Hardware Installation and Maintenance
- 3133 Computer Networking Technology
- 3211 Creative Arts and Entrepreneurship
- 3154 Culinary Arts
- 3179 Emergency Management
- 3205 Entrepreneurship
- 3143 Fire Science
- 3187 Furniture and Cabinetmaking
- 3209 General Education
- 3210 General Education - STEM
- 3203 Health Coach
- 3127 Historic Preservation
- 3213 Holocaust and Genocide Studies
- 3201 Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- 3208 Management
- 3174 Medical Coding/Billing
- 3129 Paralegal*
- 3212 Paramedic
- 3166 Phlebotomy
- 3099 Social Media Marketing
*These programs may require school approval for entering applicants.