Great Books Associate Degree Track
(AA Track)
Earn High School & College Credit concurrently for an AA Degree by 12th Grade
- Classical curriculum and pedagogy adopted and perfected by the Church over 14 centuries
- Restores receiving the AA/BA Degrees to age 17-18
- Saves tens of thousands in college costs (tuition, room, board)
Three accredited colleges offer an Associate Degree (AA) or Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS)
Known as the AA Degree Track, this track allows our students to earn their AA/AAS Degrees by 12th grade
AA Track FAQ
Q. What does “AA Bundle” mean?
A. That simply is a package of courses resulting in an AA Degree, including up to 75 college credits, for a fixed annual price ($3,975 before any discount) with the tuition equalized over four years.
Q. What courses are included in the Angelicum/CIU AA Bundle?
A. The 4-Year Great Books Program (48 college credits) and 10 CIU courses (30 college credits). The CIU courses can vary depending on the Degree Plan selected by the student.
Q. What courses are included in the Angelicum/UST AAS Bundle?
A. The 4-Year Great Books Program (48 college credits) and 5 UST courses (15 college credits). The UST courses can vary depending on the Associate’s Degree selected by the student. UST offers seven different Associate of Applied Science degrees (AAS) rather than an Associate’s Degree (AA).
Q. Why are no new students being accepted in the Angelicum/Holy Apostles AA track?
A. We are phasing out the Holy Apostles (“HAC or HACS”) AA Track over the next three years and replacing it with the CIU and UST AA Bundles (and other opportunities for our students – see Great Books College Credit & BA Degree Program) which will approach our educational vision more closely. In particular, CIU allows our Angelicum students to take up to 10 CIU courses (vs. 5 at HAC), which, if completed, can enable our students to earn a total of 90 college credits (typically three years of college) by the completion of 12th grade (vs. 75). Additionally, on a case-by-case basis, CIU will allow Angelicum Seniors to complete their BA degrees (requiring 10 more courses) by the completion of 12th grade (a 3.0 GPA must be maintained).
Q. I see that the Angelicum/CDU AA Track Bundle includes 78 college credits – how does a student reach the 120 credits you mention while with the Angelicum Academy?
A. All Angelicum students after the completion of the Great Books Romans year, may add any or all of the four Angelicum Theology Online courses (3 college credits each) taught by Fr. Joseph Fessio, Th.D., a student of Pope Benedict the XVI and founder of Ignatius Press, at any time, all of which CIU accepts towards its BA degrees: 78 + 12 = 90 credits total. These courses are $225 per credit (rather than $400), which if taken would reduce the CIU BA cost by $1,300, to a total of only $31,400.
Q. I am currently taking Great Books courses in the Angelicum/Holy Apostles AA Track. May I continue this track to completion, or may I transfer into the Angelicum/CDU or Angelicum/UST AA Bundle if I wish?
A. Yes, to both questions. Because students are at different Great Books levels, with different total credits earned, please give us a call or email if you have any questions about transferring into the Angelicum/CIU or Angelicum/UST track. Angelicum students wishing to transfer from the HAC AA track to the CIU AA track who have or will have earned more than 60 college credits will need to do so for the Summer semester, 2024 to transfer more than 60 credits.
Q. Is the AA Bundle price of $ 3,975 fixed for the next four years, until completion of the AA degree?
A. We hope so. However, we do not control the tuition of either CIU, UST or HAC, so it is possible that they might raise their tuition some, but historically like us they do so rather rarely and minimally to address increased expenses. But if they do, only about ½ of any increase might affect our tuition price – meaning it is possible, but if so it should not be very significant.
Please let us know if you have any questions not addressed above or elsewhere on our website. Thank you.
Sample AA Degree Plan
The CIU degree plan below provides a sample of how Angelicum students in the AA Degree Track for 2, 3, or 4 years can earn anywhere from 12 to 33 college credits per year, resulting in up to 90 college credits. 60 credits are required for Associates degrees (AA = Associate of Arts Degree; AAS = Associate of Arts in Applied Science Degree) by 12th grade, all online. Students wishing to transfer to a residential college will typically complete their 12th grade and 24-60 college credits with the Angelicum Academy and then transfer to one of our associated colleges with one to two years of college already completed and paid for at great savings.
To earn 30 CIU credits per year requires students to take 2 CIU courses per semester beginning in the summer after Sophomore year (Romans). This would be ten 3-credit courses per year spread over five CIU semesters each year (Summer, Fall I, Fall II, Spring I, Spring II); in addition to the Great Books courses taken in the Fall and Spring Angelicum semesters each year, and completion of the Angelicum Theology Online courses at any time (asynchronous) during the final 2 years. If a student finds this schedule too difficult, they can, of course, extend the time (number of semesters) for up to 4 additional years, at no additional cost.
CIU also accepts AP credits, so students who have successfully completed some as freshman or sophomores can transfer those to CIU thereby reducing the number of credits they need to earn in their junior or senior years.
CIU Course Catalog
*Catholic International University (CIU) was formerly Catholic Distance University (CDU)
