Aims Community College: Your Path to Success Through Diverse Degree Programs

Aims Community College offers a wide array of accredited degree and certificate programs designed to equip students with the tools for success in their chosen fields and in life. With over 200 programs to choose from, Aims provides various pathways to earn an associate degree, often with lower tuition costs, that can seamlessly transfer to a bachelor’s program. Aims Enrollment Coaches stand ready to guide prospective students through the enrollment process, answering questions and providing support.

Enrollment and Financial Aid

Applying to Aims is free and the enrollment process is designed to be straightforward. To help students finance their education, Aims offers various forms of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, and loans. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 43 percent of undergraduates received grant or scholarship aid, with the average award being $5,486.

Tuition and Fees

For the 2020-2021 academic year, in-district tuition and fees were $1,826, in-state tuition and fees were $2,762, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $10,418. Books and supplies were estimated to cost $1,475.

Academic Overview

Aims Community College operates on a semester-based academic calendar. The student-faculty ratio is 15-to-1, ensuring personalized attention for students. Aims has an open admissions policy and recognizes credit for life experiences, making education accessible to a diverse range of students.

Student Demographics

In Fall 2022, Aims had a total enrollment of 5,981 students, with 1,707 enrolled full-time and 4,274 enrolled part-time. The student body includes a diverse ethnicity distribution, with 31% of students under 18, 46% between 18-24, 22% between 25-64, and 0% over 65.

Read also: Tuition at Aims

Diverse Degree and Certificate Programs

Aims Community College offers degrees and certificates in 47 different fields. Here's a glimpse into some of the popular and specialized programs available:

Accounting

Students can learn the fundamentals of business and personal accounting, including bookkeeping, budgeting, account management, cost accounting, tax preparation, and payroll. Graduates can transfer to a bachelor's program or begin their careers as accounting or payroll clerks.

Advanced Nurse Aide

This five-week program provides Colorado-certified nurse aides with advanced professional skills to work in acute care hospital settings. Students learn the role of the CNA in hospitals, sterile technique, surgical patient care, advanced urinary and nutrition skills, and advanced respiratory and cardiovascular monitoring skills.

Automation and Manufacturing

Students can discover how computer-aided drafting (CAD) skills apply in the manufacturing field. An automation certificate allows students to learn the fundamentals and more advanced techniques of PLC controlled lab trainers, as well as how to program and troubleshoot industrial equipment.

Automotive Technology

A variety of automotive certificates are available, including programs focused on brakes, electrical systems, and diesel electrical systems. The Brakes Certificate builds upon the knowledge and skills gained in the Basic CAD certificate program. The Electrical Certificate includes an additional class on diesel electrical systems. An AYES certificate is also available. The courses and internship will provide students with the necessary skills to succeed in entry-level tech positions in the automotive industry. Students also gain knowledge and hands-on skills in automotive collision repair shop management and safety, structural and non-structural auto repair, metal finishing, movable automotive glass and hardware, metal welding and cutting, surface preparation and refinishing, panel repair and replacement. Students also study how automatic transmissions and transaxles work and how to repair them. Gain hands-on skills in auto shop safety, hydraulics, electronics, power flow, transmission and transaxle removal and replacement and more.

Business Administration

Students can learn the business fundamentals of records management, word processing techniques, office software, and other skills that keep an office functioning smoothly. They can also select an area of concentration such as bookkeeping, multimedia, or supervisory management and apply what they learn during an internship at a local organization with guidance from instructors. A middle-level managerial duties with this management certificate are also available.

Agriculture

A certificate covers the fundamentals of farm and ranch management, finance, and marketing and communication for agriculture. Students learn about food supply and distribution for the world’s population and the economic principles of agriculture. An agricultural education associate degree is available to explore a passion for teaching and help shape the next generation of agricultural workers and scientists. This is a liberal arts degree with designation (DWD). Students study foundational business, economic, finance, and marketing and communications principles related to agricultural businesses while learning about world population dynamics and issues related to food supply. Students gain general agricultural knowledge and skills in livestock and crops, precision agriculture and information technology while getting hands-on experience as an employee intern in the agribusiness industry. Students also study animal anatomy, animal physiology, livestock nutrition and health, housing, feeds and feeding with this associate of science degree. Students learn about how livestock feeds global food systems, agricultural economics, and live animal carcass evaluation.

Aviation

Students can jump start their air traffic career learning air traffic control language and procedures in the classroom. Take what you've learned into the state-of-the-art simulation lab at Aims, building your skills with hands-on experience using radar and non-radar simulators. Students can earn FAA airframe and powerplant certifications individually, or earn an A&P certificate by pursuing both in the Aims Aircraft Maintenance Technician program. Aircraft maintenance technicians inspect, repair and provide maintenance service for commercial aviation aircraft, business jets, smaller general aviation aircraft and helicopters of all sizes. An Aviation Airframe Technician, also known as an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic, is a certified professional who performs inspections, maintenance and repairs on an aircraft's structural components, including the fuselage, wings, landing gear and control surfaces. They are responsible for ensuring the airframe's integrity, safety and adherence to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations by replacing defective parts, using precision tools and documenting all work performed. This certification requires the student to take the FAA Powerplant Test, which includes a written, oral and practical component administered by an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner. This certificate program teaches you the core skills to become an airframe maintenance technician on aircraft. Learn the tools, materials and processes to inspect and repair aviation airframe systems, including electrical components, surfaces and structures, landing gear, hydraulics, and pneumatics, flight controls, rotorcraft, avionics and other aircraft systems. Get experience in private pilot flight training and instrument rating, which teaches you to fly in more difficult weather conditions.

Allied Health

This degree track offers five paths: study healthcare law and ethics, diseases, and pharmacology for medical assistants and customize your allied health professional coursework that matches your career goal. You can focus on becoming a medical clinical assistant, a nurse aide, a phlebotomist, a front office medical assistant or a sterile instrument technician.

Welding Technology

Students can learn basic and advanced arc welding techniques including metal, gas metal, flux-cored, and gas metal tungsten with this welding technology certificate program.

Read also: Jobs at Aims Community College

Audio Production

Core coursework introduces students to the concepts of mass media and the principles of audio for music, film, and video. Students learn basic audio production techniques such as operating audio equipment and producing tracks. Students build on their skills to produce live sound and advanced digital editing techniques and create their own passion project.

Animation

Students learn the basics of 2D and 3D animation.

Engineering

This transfer degree prepares students to apply to an engineering bachelor’s program at the Colorado School of Mines. Students learn modeling, programming, design, industrial technologies, CAD, mathematical and scientific principles along with soft skills like teamwork, critical thinking, analytics, and effective communication that will help them succeed in a four-year program.

Computer Aided Drafting

Students explore the classes that will teach you about computer aided drafting to start or advance your career supporting engineering, construction, architecture and manufacturing teams.

Liberal Arts

This two-year program prepares students to complete their bachelor's degree at a four-year school. General requirements round out a deep dive into literature with a focus that best works for your bachelor's program and might include world literature, ethnic literature, American or British literature, the literature of women and Shakespeare.

Fire Science

Students gain the skills tested for Firefighter I and II certification and hazardous materials (hazmat) training along with driving, hydraulics, health and instructional methodologies.

French

Students learn how to speak conversational French and interpret and present the language and integrate their ability with an understanding of French culture. Students develop intercultural communication strategies across disciplines.

Geography

Students learn about the relationship between environments and human societies, the principles of topography, climate, natural resources, patterns of population and settlement, religion, ethnicity, language and economic development. Students study globalization and the geopolitical and economic relationships between more developed and less developed regions.

Geology

Students combine lecture courses with hands-on laboratory time to study Earth’s materials, structure, and surface landforms, geologic time and the geologic processes responsible for Earth’s internal and external features. Students learn about the development of Earth through geologic time along with an investigation and interpretation of sedimentary rocks and features, the record of ancient environments, fossil life forms and physical events in Earth’s history within the framework of plate tectonics.

Graphic Design

Students learn web fundamentals for graphic designers, including HTML and web design and do a deep dive into Adobe design software used by industry professionals. Practice everything you’ve learned and build a portfolio you can show to potential employers and choose between an internship with a local company and an in-depth web presentation software class.

Liberal Arts Degrees: AA and AS

Aims offers flexible options for earning a bachelor’s degree through its liberal arts associate degree programs, available at all Aims campuses. The Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees provide a broad foundation for further study.

Degree with Designation (DWD)

A degree with designation (DWD) is similar to declaring a major at a four-year college or university. These liberal arts degree concentrations allow you to focus your coursework in a particular subject area, giving you a head start toward your major when you transfer to a four-year school as a junior in that degree path. The associate of arts liberal arts degrees are a good option if you’d like to earn a bachelor’s degree in a subject area other than science, mathematics or technology, offering more flexibility in choosing elective courses including art, English, or history.

Aims2UNC Partnership

Aims Community College has partnered with the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) through the Aims2UNC initiative, streamlining the path for students to seamlessly transition between the two colleges.

Student Support Services

Aims Community College provides comprehensive support services to help students succeed. These include:

Academic/career counseling: Guidance and support for academic and career planning.
Employment services: Resources to help students find employment opportunities.
Credit for life experiences: Recognition of prior learning and experience.

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