Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Community Health

To begin, connect with an advisor who can guide you through program options and next steps, including the application process.

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Community Health provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in community health, integrative health, health care coordination, and related health systems fields. Students planning to apply to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program should consult with a transfer specialist. Students seeking employment in the area of Community Health upon completion of a certificate or associate degree should refer to the Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Integrated Public Health: Community Health Work or the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Integrated Public Health.

Details

Field of Interest

Health Sciences

Degree Type

Associate in Arts (AA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Community Health (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8145

Total credits required

60-64

Catalog Year

2026-2027

Effective Term

Fall 2025

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected.

This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:
ASU (College of Nursing and Health Innovation), Community Health, BS
ASU (College of Nursing and Health Innovation), Health Care Coordination, BS
ASU (College of Nursing and Health Innovation), Integrative Health, BS

Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU .

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn

Describe the components of the United States health system and the professional roles typical in health care settings.
Interpret ethical, professional, and legal standards specific to the health care system.
Describe human health, behavior, and development across the life cycle.
Analyze individual and social determinants contributing to health outcomes and health inequities.
Summarize scientific information from diverse sources related to human health, wellness, and disease.
Evaluate sources of scientific health care data to support evidence-based practices.
Communicate health-related information to diverse groups in verbal, nonverbal, and written forms.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Health Education Specialists

$51,400

Medical and Health Services Managers

$117,420

Social and Community Service Managers

$69,700

Social and Human Service Assistants

$39,460

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	FYC or FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success			1–3
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology		SB	3
HCR230	Culture And Health		C, G	3
MAT140 or MAT141 or MAT142 or MAT145 or MAT146	College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics with Review or College Mathematics with Review	Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or No requisites or No requisites	MA or MA or MA or MA or MA	3–6
CFS205	Human Development		SB	3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
BIO156 or BIO156XT or BIO181 or BIO181XT	Introductory Biology for Allied Health or Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college level chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one-semester of college level chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended.	OR One Year of High School Biology	SQ or SQ or NSI, SQ or SQ	4
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [(ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113)], or a grade of B or better in ALT100, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor.	OR equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3
(CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA	(Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Chemistry with Lab	Prerequisites: C/better in [(CHM100 or hgh schl algebra or MAT140/hghr or EdReady Quant&Stat 70/hghr or Coll Alg 80/hghr) and (RDG100 or RDG100LL or hghr or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placemnt)] or permission of the dept. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: CHM130. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [(CHM100, or high school algebra, or MAT140 or higher, or an EdReady-Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics score of 70 or higher, or an EdReady-College Algebra score of 80 or higher) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placement)], or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.		NSI in combo w/ CHM130LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM130; or SQ	4
COM225	Public Speaking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent.		L	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
GBS221 or MAT206 or SWU225	Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in GBS220 or MAT217 or MAT218. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT14+, or MAT15+, or MAT187, or MAT188, or equivalent, or an appropriate District placement, or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT092 or completion of higher level mathematics course.	CS or CS or CS	3
BIO201 or BIO201XT	Human Anatomy and Physiology I or Human Anatomy and Physiology I	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (BIO156++, or BIO181++, or one year of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required. or Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in (BIO156 or BIO156XT or BIO181 or BIO181XT or one year of high school biology) and RDG100 or higher or eligibility for CRE101. CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.	NSI, SG or SG	4
BIO205	Microbiology	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (BIO156++, or BIO181++, or one year of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.	NSI, SG	4
HCR210	Clinical Health Care Ethics	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG102 or ENG108 or permission of Instructor.	HU	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
FON241 or (FON241 and FON241LL)	Principles of Human Nutrition or (Principles of Human Nutrition and Principles of Human Nutrition Laboratory)	No requisites or No requisites and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in FON241 or Corequisites: FON241.	NSI in combo w/ FON241LL; or NSI in combo w/ FON241LL;	3–4
BIO202	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO201 or BIO201XT.	NSI, SG	4
HCR220	Introduction to Nursing and Health Care Systems	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG102 or ENG108 or permission of Instructor.	H	3
HCR240 or (HCR240AA and HCR240AB)	Human Pathophysiology or (Human Pathophysiology I and Human Pathophysiology II)	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205, or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205 or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: HCR240AB or permission of Instructor. and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205 or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: HCR240AA or permission of Instructor.		4
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design		HU	3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	FYC or FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success			1–3
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology		SB	3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
HCR230	Culture And Health		C, G	3
MAT140 or MAT141 or MAT142 or MAT145 or MAT146	College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics with Review or College Mathematics with Review	Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT09+, or MAT103, or MAT114, or MAT115, or MAT12+. or No requisites or No requisites	MA or MA or MA or MA or MA	3–6
CFS205	Human Development		SB	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [(ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or RDG111, or RDG112, or RDG113)], or a grade of B or better in ALT100, or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor.	OR equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3
(CHM130 and CHM130LL) or CHM130AA	(Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory) or Fundamental Chemistry with Lab	Prerequisites: C/better in [(CHM100 or hgh schl algebra or MAT140/hghr or EdReady Quant&Stat 70/hghr or Coll Alg 80/hghr) and (RDG100 or RDG100LL or hghr or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placemnt)] or permission of the dept. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: CHM130. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [(CHM100, or high school algebra, or MAT140 or higher, or an EdReady-Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics score of 70 or higher, or an EdReady-College Algebra score of 80 or higher) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101 as indicated by appropriate reading placement)], or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.		NSI in combo w/ CHM130LL; and NSI in combo w/ CHM130; or SQ	4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
BIO156 or BIO156XT or BIO181 or BIO181XT	Introductory Biology for Allied Health or Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I or General Biology (Majors) I	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college level chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one-semester of college level chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101. One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended.	OR One Year of High School Biology	SQ or SQ or NSI, SQ or SQ	4
COM225	Public Speaking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent.		L	3
GBS221 or MAT206 or SWU225	Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in GBS220 or MAT217 or MAT218. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT14+, or MAT15+, or MAT187, or MAT188, or equivalent, or an appropriate District placement, or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT092 or completion of higher level mathematics course.		CS or CS or CS	3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
BIO201 or BIO201XT	Human Anatomy and Physiology I or Human Anatomy and Physiology I	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (BIO156++, or BIO181++, or one year of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required. or Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in (BIO156 or BIO156XT or BIO181 or BIO181XT or one year of high school biology) and RDG100 or higher or eligibility for CRE101. CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.	NSI, SG or SG	4
BIO205	Microbiology	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (BIO156++, or BIO181++, or one year of high school biology) and (RDG100, or RDG100LL, or higher, or eligibility for CRE101). CHM130 or higher or one year of high school chemistry suggested but not required.	NSI, SG	4
HCR210	Clinical Health Care Ethics	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG102 or ENG108 or permission of Instructor.	HU	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
FON241 or (FON241 and FON241LL)	Principles of Human Nutrition or (Principles of Human Nutrition and Principles of Human Nutrition Laboratory)	No requisites or No requisites and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in FON241 or Corequisites: FON241.	NSI in combo w/ FON241LL; or NSI in combo w/ FON241LL;	3–4
BIO202	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO201 or BIO201XT.	NSI, SG	4
HCR220	Introduction to Nursing and Health Care Systems	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG102 or ENG108 or permission of Instructor.	H	3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
HCR240 or (HCR240AA and HCR240AB)	Human Pathophysiology or (Human Pathophysiology I and Human Pathophysiology II)	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205, or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205 or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: HCR240AB or permission of Instructor. and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in BIO202 or BIO205 or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: HCR240AA or permission of Instructor.			4
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design			HU	3

General Electives

Select courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Course Area Key

C = Cultural Diversity in the US
CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
FYC = First-Year Composition
G = Global Awareness
H = Historical Awareness
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts & Design
L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics
NSI = Natural Sciences
SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=16456291.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Community Health

Health and Safety Requirments

Before you begin, you’ll need to meet key health and safety requirements set by our clinical partners. See what’s required and take your next step.

Waitlisted Resources

While you’re on the waitlist, take time to explore courses, short-term programs, and scholarships that can help you reach your goals and keep you moving forward.

Pre-Health Resources

Explore your future in healthcare with resources that help you understand career paths, program requirements, and next steps so you can start preparing with confidence.