All Credit Programs of Study

Educational Program Effectiveness

The effectiveness of the educational program is evidenced by the performance of the students. Students completing an academic program of study will have a basis for success in continued education or workplace employment. Students completing a technical degree program of study or a technical or career certificate program of study will have a basis for success in workplace employment. All students are provided opportunities to develop intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually. Specifically:

1. Students who receive a degree from Hinds Community College will evidence the competencies described in the General Education Core. The ACT Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) will be administered annually to a sample of students who have completed the General Education Core.

2. Hinds Community College students who receive the Associate of Arts degree and pursue a baccalaureate degree at four-year institutions will perform as well as the native students at the transfer institutions.

3. Hinds Community College students who complete all degree requirements for an Associate of Applied Science degree or all program of study requirements for a technical or career certificate who score at or above the state/national norm on the Career Planning Assessment System (CPAS), will be employed in the field or a related field for which they are trained, and will meet employer expectations.

4. Graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing program will be successful on the initial writing of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX^®).

5. Graduates of other programs of study that require licensure for employment will be successful on their licensure examinations.

All Degree Programs

Minimum Requirements for an AA and an AAS Degree

The following minimum requirements for an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Applied Science Degree reflect the basic requirements set forth for an associate degree by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Mississippi Community College Board. These requirements apply to all AA and AAS degree programs.

All degree programs (Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science) will contain the 15-16 semester hours defined as General Education Core courses.

General Education Core

The purpose of the General Education Core is to instill in degree graduates a broader view of the human experience and to incorporate their own points of reference when viewing the world around them. General Education Core courses expose students to content areas in which they gain knowledge, acquire communication skills, and articulate their own perspectives on life situations separate from the area in which they are seeking a degree.

Students who earn an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Applied Science degree from Hinds Community College will evidence the following General Education Core competencies:

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Competence in critical thinking/problem solving is the intellectual ability to skillfully conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. Developing this competency includes acquiring the skills necessary to comprehend concepts, examine arguments, reason effectively, and present a conclusion or a solution to a problem. 

Written Communication: Competence in written communication is the ability to communicate appropriate structure, information, and analysis with clear, concise language that reflects college level expectation through writing. Developing this competency includes acquiring the ability to convey a logical argument in the assigned format without errors or plagiarism. 

Technology: Competence in technology use is to be an intelligent user of technology in relation to one’s field or program of study. Developing this competency includes mastery of technological skills applicable to said field or program of study. 

Oral Communication: Competence in oral communication is the ability to communicate orally and/or expressively in clear, coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience. Developing this competency includes acquiring poise and developing control of the language through experience in making presentations to different size audiences and with the use of media.

To ensure these competencies, all degree programs of study contain the following General Education Core courses:

Students who earn a degree from Hinds Community College by following the first two years of a program of study as shown in a senior institution’s catalog must complete the General Education Core requirements even if they are not contained within the first two years of that chosen program of study. Developmental courses cannot be used as electives to meet graduation requirements. For a list of developmental courses, see Admissions  section of this publication.

***Additional Graduation Requirement: Any student (first-time, transfer, and part-time) who begins at Hinds Fall 2007 and later will be required to take Orientation (LLS 1312 /RST 1312 ) to graduate from the College. Exception: Orientation credit (1-3 hrs) transferred to Hinds from another college will satisfy our orientation requirement.

Instructional Methods at Hinds Community College

*Note: The SEM instructional method is also used for many WFD, PDI, and CEU non-credit courses.