An associate's degree can is an option for students wishing to learn new skills quickly or obtain a college education without a four-year commitment. An associate's degree generally takes two years to complete and requires approximately 60 semester credits. Many community colleges, technical or vocational colleges and liberal arts colleges offer students associate's degrees in a range of subjects. Students enrolled in these program find that they generally pay lower tuition, take coursework directly related to their major and will earn more than high school-only graduates. Associate's degrees are commonly offered in high-demand areas that have a positive employment outlook. Top paying careers requiring an associate's degree include jobs in dental hygiene, paralegal services and nursing.
Most U.S. universities and colleges offer bachelor's degree programs, which consist of four years of study in the student's major and core curriculum. Bachelor's degrees are generally more expensive than an associate's degree and require double the time to complete, requiring approximately 128 semester credits. However, many students enroll in bachelor programs because a number of desirable careers require this credential. Generally graduates of bachelor's programs earn more money than associate's degree-only graduates. A bachelor's degree is also a prerequisite for individuals interested in graduate school or professional schools.
People who have earned an associate's degree can generally enroll in a bachelor's program and transfer their credits to the new program. Many community colleges who offer associate's degrees have agreements or transfer programs with local colleges and universities that make the transfer easy and are designed to ensure students get credit for the two-year program they completed. Students wishing to enroll in a bachelor's program at a school that does not have any special agreement can apply as a regular transfer student. The new college will evaluate the associate's degree transcripts and determine which equivalent courses to grant credit for, on a course-by-course basis. For example, if a course titled "ACCT 100: Intro to Accounting" is determined to be the equivalent or "ACCT 101: Intro to Financial Accounting," this course will be counted toward the bachelor's degree as such. Generally, students who transfer to a bachelor's program with an associate's degree receive credit for any of the coursework that is required for the bachelor's degree that is considered an equivalent.
Many U.S. high schools offer junior and senior students an opportunity to take classes that earn both high school and college credit at the same time. Many of these dual credit programs are offered in conjunction with local community colleges and can actually result in some high school students graduating with an associate's degree at the same time they graduate from high school. These students often enter college for the first time with an associate's degree and significantly reduce the costs and time associated with a bachelor's degree. Some colleges and universities also offer similar dual enrollment programs with community colleges, allowing students to earn credit toward an associate's degree and bachelor's degree at the same time.