What is an Associate Degree?
An associate degree is a two-year degree, meaning that for most people, it takes two years of full-time study to earn this degree. When you have your associate degree, you will have completed your freshman and sophomore years of college. To earn an associate degree, you will need to complete 60 semester credits of study (or 90 quarter credits). This equals about twenty college courses. Most associate degrees are awarded by private career colleges or by public community colleges. However, an increasing number of four-year colleges are giving students the option of earning an associate degree en route, after they complete the first two years of their four-year bachelor’s degree. These programs are often called 2+2 programs. Associate degrees have been popular for the last twenty years. Increasingly, people are turning to associate degrees as a quicker, less expensive route to career change than the traditional bachelor’s or four-year degree. The associate degree takes half as long, and t
An associate of arts or associate of science degree is generally a two-year degree made up of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. It is made up of 60 credit hours, which you can complete over two years – full-time or online. Associate of arts degrees are offered at most community colleges and in a range of subjects. Here are some examples of the pre-majors on offer: • Art • Accounting • Criminal Justice • English • History • Psychology • Social Science • Political Science • Elementary, Middle Grades, or Special Education • Business Administration • English Education • International business • Computing • Physical Science In addition, you will undertake some core subjects: • English Composition • Humanities/Fine Arts • Mathematics • Natural Sciences • Social/Behavioral Sciences • Speech/Communication An associate degree in arts or science is widely accepted, and the credits earned at a community college can usually be used towards a bachelor’s
An associate degree is a college degree awarded after the completion of about 20 courses or 60 credit hours. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete and may prepare students for a specific career and/or enable them to apply earned credits toward a four-year bachelor’s degree program. More than a half million associate degrees are awarded every year in the United States, and distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to earn associate degrees. What types of associate degrees are available? Associate degrees are either occupational degrees or transfer degrees. Occupational degrees prepare students to work in a particular field upon graduation and include the Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Applied Arts, Associate of Applied Technology, and Associate of Occupational Studies. Occupational degree programs are generally more hands-on than transfer degree programs or traditional four-year bachelor’s degree programs, but still require genera
