Associate’s Degree Program: Overview, Types, Career and Admission Requirements

An associate’s degree is a 2-year foundational program that aims to help students to achieve academic knowledge as well as technical skills. The degree is taken at the undergraduate level so that students can either directly enter workplace quickly (improving employment prospects) and/or further prepare for a bachelor’s degree study in their selected field

Types of Associate Degree Program

Associate degrees are of four types – 1. AS (Associate of Science) 2. AA (Associate of Arts) / Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) 3. AAS (Associate of Applied Science) and AAA (Associate of Applied Arts). While, AS and AA are focused at students wanting to pursue a bachelor’s degree program, the ‘applied’ course types such as AAS and AAA are targeted occupational/vocational degree programs that train students in the specific skills. Off late, Online associate’s degree are also gaining popularity, due to their affordability and flexibility, permitting students to work while they study, often at an economical fee.

Career: Why Choose an Associate’s Degree?

For students wanting to get immediate employment at a cost-effective rate, an associate’s degree is a qualification at its own right, giving students an opportunity in several trade jobs that typically doesn’t require any educational qualification but just an associate degree. These include paralegal, pre-school teachers, web developer, medical assisting jobs and even healthcare technicians.

Moreover, students can transfer their associate course into Bachelor’s degree programs for more rapid graduation specially if their institute partakes in transfer agreements with 4-year institutions. Associate degree programs also come handy if a student wants to pursue a 4-year Bachelor’s program but do not have enough grades.

Associate’s Degree Program: Admission Requirement

To enrol into an associate degree program, student requires a high school diploma. Although the entry requirements for associate’s degrees are less competitive than for bachelor’s degrees, some universities and colleges expect enrolling students to have a specific GPA.

Students without credit may also require SAT or ACT scores. Other additional admission requirements might include writing samples, personal statements and recommendation letters.

Is an Associate Degree Worth It?

An associate degree meets the norms and conditions for entry-level careers, certifications and licenses. So, if you are focused on it, it is definitely worth it. In case, you plan to get into bachelor’s program, you can even join the program halfway through after pursing your associate degree program.