Associate Degree Online
An associate’s degree is an undergraduate academic degree that can be completed in two years. After the completion of an associate’s degree program some students pursue an additional two years of study in order to complete a bachelor’s degree. Associate’s degrees can be divided into two general categories:
- Transfer Degrees
- Professional or Career degrees
Transfer Degrees
An associate’s degree allows students to complete all the basic undergraduate level academic courses and thus forms a solid foundation of the bachelor’s degree. These general courses are then transferred to a four year bachelor’s degree program although at times some of the courses are not transferable. This is dependant on the nature and the requirements of the bachelor’s degree. Broadly this type of associate’s degree includes the following:
- Associate’s Degree of Arts
- Associate’s Degree of Teaching
- Associate’s Degree of Fine Arts
- Associate’s Degree of Science
Professional or Career Degrees A professional or a career associate degree is different from a transfer associate degree as it allows the students some relaxation in taking the general education courses and lets them focus more on taking courses in their own specific area of program. It is best suited for those who aim to enter into a professional life on completion of their two years associate degree. This type of degree focuses on preparing the students in solving real life problems and gives them enough skill and knowledge to be a successful part of the competitive work force. A professional associate degree includes the following:
- Associate Degree in Applied Sciences
- Associate Degree in Occupational Studies
- Associate Degree in Technology
- Associate Degree in Business Administration
Online Associate Degree An associate degree where takes less time and effort, it at the same time has the advantage that it can be pursued online, and more and more students are now enrolling for online associate degrees. In fact more than 50 % enrollments for online degrees are done for an associate degree. When comparing an online and an on-campus associate degree it will be seen that they are both the same in as far as the course work is concerned but an
associate degree online differs from the later as it taken completely through distance education i.e. by the internet. An
associate degree online however has the precedence over an on-campus associate degree as it can be done in one’s own pace and schedule, requiring the minimum resources. Online associate degrees can be pursued in myriad academic fields such as humanities, liberal arts, business, engineering, technology and etc. So in this way just like in a traditional university or school, a student when doing an associate degree online has many choices to choose from and is not bound by a few options.
An associate degree online also increases the chances of getting a better paid job and a much better career progression opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics an associate degree holder on an average earns approximately $36,348 per annum.