Signs that an Associate Degree is Best for You

An Associate Degree is an academic degree obtained from junior colleges, community colleges and bachelor’s degree-granting universities and colleges when a two-year study has been completed.

The common abbreviations of an associate degree are AA (Associate of Arts), AAS (Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Arts and Sciences), ABA (Associate of Business Administration), AGS (Associate of General Studies), AS (Associate of Science), AOS (Associate of Occupational Studies) and AAT (Associate of Arts in Teaching).

An associate degree is credited as the freshman and sophomore level of a four-year university or college. It may be the lowest in postsecondary academic degrees in the United States but it is still equivalent to an education.

Associate degrees are given to students who have completed their education in a broad based secondary programs that requires them to at least have two years of full-time study.

It is normal for students to take up an associate degree on a part-time basis. This is the best way to accommodate students who are also working. A majority of community colleges in the United States offer associate degree programs in the evenings and on weekends. They even have an online programs.

Those obtaining associate degrees are equating the number of students who are pursuing Master’s degrees and post-graduate degrees such as Law.

Here are the advantages of signing up for an associate degree:

1. Lower costs.

2. If you have a day job, you can register for evening classes. Choose the location that is most convenient for you.

3. You can fix your schedule in such a way that will allow you to attend your classes and do your priorities (work) at the same time.

4. Associate degrees are for students who can't afford living on campus for four years. These are also for students who can't afford a four-year education. Like community colleges, campuses offering associate degrees are targeted to students’ local needs, not national needs.

5. There is an “open enrollment” policy which lets anyone plan a goal for their college education. This gives students with mediocre grades in high school the benefit of a college education or something equivalent.

6. Tuition fees for associate degrees are significantly lower compared to those of the private or public institutions with the traditional four-year educations. That is why students who come from low-income families or working students opt for associate degrees. Add to the fact that they also accept educational grants and scholarships.

So if you can benefit from the reasons stated above, ask yourself why you should spend thousands of dollars when an associate degree can provide you the same thing at a lower cost?