An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior
colleges, technical colleges, bachelor's degree-granting colleges, and universities upon completion
of a course of study usually lasting two years. In the United States, and some areas of Canada,
an associate degree is often equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college
or university degree. In spite of high unemployment, there is high demand for people with skills
that often require no more than an associate degree, such as lab technicians, teachers
in early-childhood programs, computer technicians, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals,
and machinists.
Time requirements An associate degree is awarded to students
who complete 90 quarter credit hours or 60 semester credit hours of schooling. Typically,
on a full-time schedule, this requires two years to complete.
Other requirements include "general education" courses, such as English composition, algebra,
social interaction, humanities, etc. Some people refer to associate degrees as "two-year"
degrees because it is possible to obtain the degree in approximately that length of time.
For students who place into developmental courses, the time will be extended since these
credits will not apply toward the associate degree. Conversely, high school graduates
who enter college with a high amount of transfer credits could finish the degree in less than
two years. In rare circumstances, some students take one year to earn the associate degree.
Other credentials, called either a certificate or a diploma, may be awarded for specific
studies that either do not meet the associate degree requirements for general education
or for program length. For example, certification in a particular field of information technology
may only run for four to six months and will most typically require coursework only in
that subject matter, without any "Gen Ed" requirement. At 2-year colleges in the United
States, more students attend part-time than full-time. To accommodate part-time students,
many of whom work, most US community colleges offer required courses during evening and
weekend hours and increasingly, online Names of associate degrees
Data on associate degrees are frequently disaggregated by curriculum: vocational or nonvocational.
The Higher Education General Information Survey counts nonvocational degrees under the category
"Arts and Sciences or General Programs," and vocational degrees fall under six headings:
Business and commerce technologies Data processing technologies
Health services/paramedical technologies Mechanical/engineering technologies
Natural science technologies Public service-related technologies
Europe and Australia The Foundation degree in the United Kingdom
Diploma of Higher Education in Scotland and the Higher Certificate in the Republic of
Ireland can be considered European equivalents of associate degrees. These programs are mainly
provided through affiliated colleges at universities. France formerly offered the General Academic
Studies Degree from 1973 until implementation of the Bologna Process between 2003 and 2006.
The diplôme universitaire de technologie is a two-years degree delivered by an IUT.
In 2004, Australia added "associate degree" to the Australian Qualifications Framework.
This title was given to more academically focused advanced diploma courses. However,
very few courses yet use the new title. In the Netherlands, there were four pilots
between 2005 and 2011 to assess the added value of the associate degree. In 2011 the
associate degree has been added to the Dutch system of higher education as a means to close
the gap with the vocational education system. Canada
In the province of Ontario, a college is an educational institution which awards a 1 year
certificate, 2-year diploma or a 3-year advanced diploma in technical or career programs. Universities
offer 3 or 4-year bachelor's degrees, and at times partner with career colleges to offer
joint diploma-degree programs. For example, the University of Toronto and Centennial College
offer a joint Diploma-Degree program in Paramedicine. Students are eligible to enter these programs
once they have completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma program at a high school, focusing
their studies on college preparation. Students who wish to attend university must study a
different stream of academics while obtaining their OSSD.
In the province of Quebec, an associate degree is roughly equivalent to a college diploma,
which is delivered by a college-level institution. Students can take two different paths to obtain
a college diploma. One way consists of completing a pre-university program, which normally has
a duration of two years and prepares the applicant for university-level studies. The other way
consists of completing a technical or career program in a college. Normally, courses of
this nature have a duration of three years and enable the student to enter the work force
directly after obtaining their diploma. Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, associate degrees, first introduced into the territory in 2000 with the aim to
increase the number of students with post-secondary qualifications, are generally regarded as
an inferior substitute to bachelor's degrees. The quality of teaching and graduates have
been under doubt since it was introduced. Many degree-awarding and non-degree-awarding
institutions start to offer associate degree courses following the government's encouragement;
some of them are accused of over-admission for profits. Students who do not do well enough
for university admission in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination,
the public examination sat by the territory's students in the final year of their secondary
education, enroll in associate degree courses with the hope to obtain a place for government-funded
bachelor's degree courses. As the number of university graduates continues to increase,
more and more associate degree holders are finding it difficult to get employed and receive
the salaries that were advertised by the government or the institutions. Although the recognition
of associate degrees gradually improved in recent years, it was generally regarded as
one of the worst flaws of the Hong Kong education system.
United States In the United States, associate degrees are
usually earned in two years or less and can be attained at community colleges, technical
colleges, vocational schools, and some colleges. A student who completes a two-year program
can earn an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science. A.A. degrees are usually earned
in humanities, business, and social science fields. A.S. degrees are awarded to those
studying in scientific and technical fields. Students who complete a two-year technical
or vocational program can earn an Associate of Applied Science. They may also have the
option to use the credits from the associate degree toward a bachelor's degree.
Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees are offered at a number of universities
around the United States, including Pennsylvania State University, Florida Institute of Technology,
Liberty University, and New England College. Notes
References Bragg, A. K. Fall 1979 Transfer Study. Report
3: Second Year Persistence And Achievement. Springfield: Illinois Community College Board,
1982. ED 230 228. Koltai, L. Redefining The Associate Degree.
Washington, D.C.: American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, 1984. ED 242
378. Wittstruck, J. R. Requirements For Certificates,
Diplomas And Associate Degrees: A Survey Of The States. Denver, CO: State Higher Education
Executive Officers Association, 1985. I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman. Making the
Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006. The Sloan Consortium, 2006.
External links Associate degree: Two years to a career or
a jump start to a bachelor’s degree – More information on Associate Degrees provided
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.