Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science

Details

Field of Interest

Behavioral Science and Human Services

Degree Type

Associate in Arts (AA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8137

Effective Term

Fall 2026

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

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	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP120	Introduction to Counseling		Critical course Gateway course	SB, SCB	3
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+).	Critical course	FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC	3
MAT14+	College Mathematics	Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT085, or MAT09+, or MAT103 or MAT114 or MAT115.	Critical course OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. Note: Students planning to transfer to ASU for the BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science can take (MAT14+ OR MAT15+) AND PSY230++ prior to transfer to avoid taking a higher level math.	QNR	3–6
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology		Critical course	SB, SCB	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP240	Introduction to Counseling Skills	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in CAP120.	Critical course		3
OCM	Oral Communication			OCM	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, WCM or FYC, WCM	3
PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL	Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor. and Corequisites: PSY230. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor.	Critical course	CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR	3–4

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP220	The Counselor in a Multicultural Society	Prerequisites or Corequisites: CAP120 or permission of Instructor.		C	3
PSY290AB or PSY290AC (LEC)	Research Methods or Research Methods	Prerequisites: ENG101 or ENG107. Prerequisites or Corequisites: PSY230 or PSY230WL or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: ENG101 or ENG107. Prerequisites or Corequisites: PSY230 or PSY230WL or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: PSY290AC lab course.	Critical course	L, NSI, SG or L, SG	4
AHM	Arts and Humanities			AHM	3
Elective	Elective				3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
CAP260	Career Development for the Helping Professions	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101.	L	3
BIO100 or BIO160 or BIO181++ or BIO201++ or NSI	Biology Concepts or Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or General Biology (Majors) I or Human Anatomy and Physiology I or Natural Sciences	No requisites or No requisites 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 (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 No requisites	NSI, SQ or NSI, SQ or NSI, SQ or NSI, SG or NSI	4
AHM	Arts and Humanities		AHM	3
IAM	Institutions of the Americas		IAM	3
Elective	Elective			0–3

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	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP120	Introduction to Counseling		Critical course Gateway course	SB, SCB	3
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+).	Critical course	FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MAT14+	College Mathematics	Prerequisites: An appropriate District placement, or a grade of C or better in (MAT052, MAT053, and MAT055), or (MAT055, MAT056, and MAT057), or MAT085, or MAT09+, or MAT103 or MAT114 or MAT115.	Critical course OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206.	MA	3–6
PSY101	Introduction to Psychology		Critical course	SB, SCB	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP240	Introduction to Counseling Skills	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in CAP120.	Critical course		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, WCM or FYC, WCM	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL	Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor. and Corequisites: PSY230. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (PSY101 and eligibility for MAT14+ or higher as indicated by appropriate district mathematics placement) or permission of Instructor.	Critical course	CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR	3–4
OCM	Oral Communication			OCM	3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP220	The Counselor in a Multicultural Society	Prerequisites or Corequisites: CAP120 or permission of Instructor.		C	3
PSY290AB or PSY290AC (LEC)	Research Methods or Research Methods	Prerequisites: ENG101 or ENG107. Prerequisites or Corequisites: PSY230 or PSY230WL or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: ENG101 or ENG107 Prerequisites or Corequisites: PSY230 or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: PSY290AC lab course.	Critical course	L, NSI, SG or L, SG	4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AHM	Arts and Humanities			AHM	3
IAM	Institutions of the Americas			IAM	3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CAP260	Career Development for the Helping Professions	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101.		L	3
BIO100 or BIO160 or BIO181++ or BIO201++ or NSI	Biology Concepts or Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or General Biology (Majors) I or Human Anatomy and Physiology I or Natural Sciences	No requisites or No requisites 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 (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 No requisites		NSI, SQ or NSI, SQ or NSI, SQ or NSI, SG or NSI	4

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Area	Credits
AHM	Arts and Humanities	AHM	3
Elective	Elective		3
Elective	Elective		0–3

Courses Not Currently Offered

Scottsdale Community College does not currently offer these courses. These courses may be offered by other Maricopa Community Colleges as indicated below. Alternative courses, as outlined in the term-by-term course listing above, may also meet the same requirements for your degree or certificate.

Courses listed in this pathway map that are not currently offered at Scottsdale Community College
Course Number	Course Name	Offering Colleges
CAP120	Introduction to Counseling	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
CAP220	The Counselor in a Multicultural Society	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
CAP240	Introduction to Counseling Skills	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
CAP260	Career Development for the Helping Professions	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
ENG107	First-Year Composition for ESL	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Mesa, Phoenix, Rio Salado, South Mountain
ENG108	First-Year Composition for ESL	Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Mesa, Phoenix, Rio Salado, South Mountain
PSY230WL	Introduction to Statistics with Lab	Estrella Mountain, Glendale
PSY231	Laboratory for Statistics	Mesa, Rio Salado
PSY290AC (LEC)	Research Methods	Mesa

General Electives

Select additional 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.

Students may be required to complete a language course at the elementary or intermediate level or demonstrate proficiency through this level as indicated by assessment. Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information.

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.