An associate degree is an academic degree awarded by
community colleges, junior colleges, business colleges and some
bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion
of a course of study usually lasting two years.
Generalized categories or types of associate
degrees
It is possible to break the associate's degree into
two general categories.
Transfer degree
These degrees form the foundation of a bachelors
degree by allowing students to complete all of the general education
requirements prior to (possible) transfer to a four year university.
They include:
An Associate of Arts degree is often awarded for programs that are
terminal or intended for transfer to a four-year college or
university, usually with a major in the social sciences or
humanities. It is also awarded to General Studies students, those
who decline to select an area of concentration.
The Associate of Science degree is similarly awarded to terminal
students or to potential transferees to a four-year college or
university, but the areas of concentration are usually in
mathematics, natural sciences, or technology.
The Associate of Fine Arts degree is typically awarded to student in
Music, Theater, and Art (either performance or education related)
and is usually transferrable. In many cases, general education
requirements are not satisfied upon conferral.
The Associate of Arts in Teaching degree (or in some cases an
associate of arts with an emphasis in teacher education) allows
students who transfer to any participating four-year institution to
receive full credit for their approved lower-division education
courses. The intent is to encourage a larger, more diverse pool of
students who want to become teachers by allowing students to test
their interest in teaching early in their academic career and to
shorten the time it takes them to obtain their baccalaureate degree.
With this degree, one can also do Paraprofessional Education
(Teacher's Aide) work. One can get this degree with a concentration
in Paraprofessional Education, and assist teachers in the classroom,
while pursuing a bachelors degree.
Career or
professional degrees
The Associate of Applied Science degree is awarded
to students who are permitted to relax some of the general education
requirements in order to study more course work in their program
area. This kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the
work force upon graduation.
The Associate of Business Administration degree is often awarded for
programs that are terminal, but may also be intended for transfer to
a four-year college or university, usually with a major in one of
the business majors.
The Associate of Occupational Studies degree is for students who
intend to enter the work force upon graduation. There are generally
no liberal arts requirements for this degree.
Liberal Arts requirements
It is possible to categorize associate degrees by
their liberal arts requirements. For example, New York State
classifies its programs as follows:
Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.): no courses in the
liberal arts and sciences.
Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.): one-third of the work shall
be in the liberal arts and sciences.
Associate in Science (A.S.): one-half of the work shall be in the
liberal arts and sciences.
Associate in Arts (A.A.): three-quarters of the work shall be in the
liberal arts and sciences.
Time requirements
The associate degree is most often awarded to
students completing educationally broad based post secondary
programs requiring at least one but generally no more than two years
of full-time study.[citation needed] In some instances, particularly
allied health programs, three years is the norm. For students who
place into developmental (sometimes called pre-college or remedial)
courses, the time will be extended since these credits will not
apply toward the associates.
A lesser diploma, called a certificate, is awarded for specific
studies that complete in a one year program or less, for example
certification in a particular subfield of information technology may
only run for four to six months.
However, for an associates degree it is not unusual for students to
study part time, and therefore take more than two years to complete
the degree. According to fall 2004 IPEDS data, 61 percent of US
community colleges students are enrolled part time. To accommodate
working students, most US community colleges offer required course
during evening and weekend hours and, increasingly, online (the
Sloan Consortium reports that 51% of all degrees earned online are
associates degrees.) [1]
Many persons in the workforce earn bachelor's and the practice of
evening studies is so prevalent in the United States that the
numbers of Master's degrees as well as post graduate degrees like
Law degrees earned in evening classes frequently out number those
awarded for full day-time study[citation needed].
Names of associate degrees
Wittstruck (1975) notes that the associates degree
goes by several different names formally:
* Associate of/in (name of speciality)
* Associate of Applied (name of speciality)
* Associate of/in Arts
* Associate of Arts and Sciences
* Associate of/in Applied Arts
* Associate of/in Applied Science
* Associate in General Education
* Associate of/in General Studies
* Associate of Individualized Study
* Associate in Nursing
* Associate of/in Occupational Studies
* Associate in Physical Therapy
* Associate in Industrial Technology
* Associate of/in Science
* Associate of Science in Nursing
* Associate in Specialized Business
* Associate in Specialized Technology
* Associate in Technical Arts
* Associate of/in Technical Studies
* Associate of/in Technology
Data on associate degrees are frequently disaggregated by
curriculum: vocational or nonvocational. The Higher Education
General Information Survey (HEGIS) counts nonvocational degrees
under the category "Arts and Sciences or General Programs";
vocational degrees are counted under six headings:
* business and commerce technologies
* data processing technologies
* health services/paramedical technologies
* mechanical/engineering technologies
* natural science technologies
* public service-related technologies
