Online programs may also cost less than in-person options, especially since degree-seekers do not have traveling costs. Students should consider time requirements when choosing associate degree programs. Learners who want to earn their degrees quickly, for instance, should avoid programs with high credit requirements. Additionally, degree-seekers with hectic schedules should choose asynchronous programs, since synchronous options require set attendance times.
An online associate program should prepare for career goals, and all program costs should not exceed the student's budget. Whether students plan to transfer to a bachelor's program or pursue immediate careers, they can benefit from an associate degree. An associate degree explores the most fundamental aspects of a subject over a two-year period. Bachelor's degrees build on this knowledge and often take four years to complete.
For instance, an associate degree may include an oral communication class, while bachelor's curriculums advance into cross-cultural and organizational communication coursework. Students can pursue associate degrees at community colleges and, in some fields, earn employment with no additional education. For instance, preschool teachers only need an associate.
Other careers, however, require a degree from a four-year college or university, such as K educators. Both degrees include general education requirements and major courses. Learners at both degree levels may qualify for financial aid. Students can typically complete certificates and associate degree programs in two years.
Certificate programs often include only field-specific courses, while associate of arts AA and associate of science AS programs also require general education classes. Learners can transfer associate coursework into bachelor's programs for quicker graduation, especially if their associate school participates in transfer agreements with four-year institutions.
Associate degrees can also prepare learners for certain career roles, like preschool teacher or paralegal, without additional education. AA degrees cover liberal arts subjects, like humanities, sociology, communications, and English. Programs usually focus on general education to prepare for transfer into liberal arts bachelor's programs, but they also offer specialty concentration courses in areas like early childhood education, social work, or digital photography.
Students can finish these associate degrees in two years, with possible careers including teacher assistants , desktop publishers , photographers , and social and human service assistants. AS programs incorporate liberal arts courses, but require more scientific and technical coursework than AA degrees.
AS programs include general studies curriculums that help learners transfer into different bachelor's programs, but they also offer focuses like accounting, paralegal studies, business administration, information technology, and pre-dental education, which prepare for entry into specific bachelor's programs. AS students can graduate in two years and pursue a variety of careers, including as paralegals , web developers , bookkeepers , and information clerks. While AAS coursework can transfer into a four-year program, it is more common for AAS graduates to pursue work after graduation without earning a bachelor's degree.
In this respect, these degrees are sometimes considered terminal. These two-year, career-centered programs prepare for jobs in healthcare, engineering, construction, or home repair, including positions like dental hygienist , surgical technologist , welder , hairdresser , or construction equipment operator. Read on to understand some of the basics of getting your associate degree. Understanding these basics can help you make the right decision for yourself given important factors like your educational, financial and professional goals.
An associate degree generally takes about two years to complete. It generally takes 60 course credits to complete an associate degree. This generally takes around two years for full-time students, or more years for part-time students. Associate degrees can prepare students for jobs in the medical, engineering, computer science, or legal fields, among many others. Admission requirements to associate degree programs can vary from college to college. Generally, however, they require the following:.
Some colleges and departments may have GPA requirements as well. Requirements, Costs, and More. Students may be able to use their associate degree to transfer into a four-year program, but others go directly into the workforce. Associate of Arts AA : Associate programs focused on business, humanities, arts, or social sciences are often called Associate of Arts degrees. Associate of Science AS : Associate programs in a field related to science or math are often called Associate of Science degrees.
Along with a AA, the AS is typically recommended by schools for students who want to transfer to four-year programs. These programs are generally designed to prepare students for a specific occupation or work in a specific field after graduation. Fields can include computer science technology, hospitality management, paralegal studies, law enforcement, welding, among many others.
Here are the basic differences. Data on average annual tuition and weekly earnings comes from the College Board and the Bureau of Labor Statistics respectively [ 2 , 3 ]. Here are some reasons why starting at a community college for your undergraduate degree might make sense for you:.
Of course, in addition to obtaining the required amount of credit hours, you may also need to fulfill other requirements in order to graduate from community college. In most cases, you'll need to make sure you've paid your tuition in full, or that you have at least signed off on all of your loans. Individual community colleges have their own requirements for graduation, meaning that you may have to check some other things off your list besides just getting the credit hours that you need.
It's best to consult with your academic advisor about what these graduation requirements are, so you're prepared to walk at commencement. The main difference between an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree is that an associate's degree is what you receive after completing 60 credit hours of college, whereas a bachelor's degree is what you receive after completing credit hours of college. Both can be completed at your own pace, but in general, a bachelor's degree credit hours are higher and take two more years to earn than an associate's degree.
There's no doubt that while you can certainly get a decent job with an associate's degree an associate's degree may actually be better aligned to your career path , that a bachelor's degree usually leads to higher-paying jobs and more opportunities.
Also, some students prefer the experience that comes with attending a four-year school versus the experience that comes with attending a two-year school. Though, sometimes, people like the flexibility that comes with attending a community college.
It all depends on what kind of student you're, what type of college experience you want to have, what your career goals are and how much money you're looking to spend on your education overall.
Perhaps after attending a two-year school and getting your associate's, you're interested in switching over to a four-year school and getting your bachelor's degree. People do this all the time, and it's a rather common practice. In order to do this, you'll just need to make sure that your 60 credit hours earned in your associate program can be transferred over to the four-year university that you want to attend.
If this is something you have in mind before even getting your associate's, then you should make sure that you take courses in something that's relevant to your prospective bachelor's program. This is because when it's time to declare your major, many four-year colleges will want to see that you already have some background in the field of study you're interested in pursuing. If you don't have the specific course background required, then you may need to take additional classes before applying again, or once you get accepted.
An associate's degree is still an amazing achievement and can certainly help you out job-wise, even if you never continue with your education thereafter. There are many different industries that are eager to hire someone with an associate's degree:. Though every hiring manager is different, it's likely that your chances of getting one of these jobs after obtaining an associate's degree are much higher than without one. That being said, you'll still likely need to go through a series of training courses before starting the associate degree jobs.
Before enrolling in an associate program especially if you're considering it over a bachelor's program , there are several things you should consider. First and foremost, pursuing a degree of any kind, including an associate's degree, takes a lot of time an effort. Even if you can take your time getting through the program, you should keep in mind the hard work that goes into obtaining the degree.
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