Associate degree
[] Generalized categories or types of associate degrees
It is possible to break the associates degree into two general categories: transfer degrees and career or professional degrees.
[] Transfer degree
This degree forms the foundation of a bachelors degree by allowing students to complete all of the requirements prior to (possible) transfer to a four year university, although not all classes taken as general education will reliably transfer as general education. They include:
An Associate of Arts degree is often awarded for programs that are intended for transfer to a four-year college or university, usually with a major in the social sciences or humanities, but may be awarded as a terminal degree.
The Associate of Science degree is similarly awarded to terminal students or to potential transfer students 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 transferable. 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 bachelor's degree.
[] Career or professional degrees
The Associate in 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 in Industrial Technology This kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation. It is awarded in fields of industrial technologies such as Computers, Electronics, Radio and Television Broadcasting, and Engineering. It may also be for those who continue on to a four year university program.
The Associate in 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 in 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.[] 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 a, called a , is awarded for specific studies that complete in a one year program or less, for example certification in a particular subfield of 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.)
[] Names of associate degrees
Wittstruck (1975) notes that the associates degree goes by several different names formally:
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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:
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business and commerce technologies
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technologies
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health services/paramedical technologies
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mechanical/ technologies
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natural science technologies
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public service-related technologies