Academics » Areas of Study

Healthcare & Social Services Area of Study

You understand the importance of health and peace of mind. Whether you're tending to a patient, studying diseases, counseling those experiencing substance abuse disorders, providing dietary advice, or documenting medical information, Healthcare & Social Services will set you on a course to making a difference every day.

Explore pathways in Healthcare & Social Services:

Degree & Certificate Definitions

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree

    A two-year bachelor's degree that builds on your completed associate's degree and adds skills and knowledge to your resume.

  • Associate in Nursing (DTA/MRP) degree

    A three- to four-year degree for a student who plans to become a registered nurse. The first part (one to two years) has courses in a variety of subjects, including courses that prepare you for nursing training. You must complete these general education requirements and then apply for admission into the core nursing courses. The core nursing courses take two more years to complete.

  • Associate in Arts & Sciences (AAS/DTA) degree

    A two-year transfer degree with a wide variety of general education courses, plus introductory courses in your future major. It prepares you to transfer to a university as a junior. It is a good choice for a general associate's degree even if you are not sure you want to transfer.

  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree

    A two-year non-transfer degree that gives you knowledge and skills to use in the workplace right away.  Some AAS degrees have courses you have to complete in advance before applying to take the program's core courses.  Add the prerequisite courses to the time the whole program will take to complete.

  • Certificate

    A program that takes at least one year but less time than a degree.  It gives you skills and knowledge to use in the workplace right away.  Some certificates can be "stacked" with other coursework to add up to a degree.  Certificates are eligible for financial aid.

  • Certificate of Proficiency

    A cluster of courses designed to give you a specific job skill.  Most have three to five courses.  Some certificates of proficiency can be "stacked" with other coursework to add up to a larger certificate or a degree.  By themselves, certificates of proficiency are not eligible for financial aid.

  • What does DTA stand for?

    DTA refers to the "direct transfer agreement" among community colleges and universities in Washington state.  A DTA degree has the same kinds of general education courses as universities require their first- and second-year students to take.

  • What does MRP stand for?

    A "major-related program" (MRP) is a specialized transfer degree. Some university majors require a large number of major-related courses in the first and second year to be ready to transfer, and those courses are built into MRP degrees. There are DTA/MRP degrees and AS-T/ MRP degrees.