An associate degree is typically offered by a two-year college. These colleges are usually called public community colleges. Some private career colleges also offer associate degrees. There are times when a four-year college will award an associate degree. If a student is working toward a bachelor's degree, the college may grant them their associate degree after two years. At this point, the student will still continue on to receive their bachelor's degree.
When a specific amount of credits have been earned towards a defined degree, the student will receive his associate degree. An associate degree requires 60 credits to complete, which breaks down to about 20 courses. You'll have to take a certain amount of required classes as well as a specific number of elective classes that you can choose.
Students opt to earn an associate degree because they can receive a degree faster than they would in a four-year program. Overall, it's less expensive --- often far less expensive --- to earn an associate degree. Students who already have college credits and want to add to them quickly in order to get a degree will seek out an associate degree. If you already have 60 credits, you may find a college that will work with you to get you an associate degree as quickly as possible. There are also several online colleges that offer degrees. This is beneficial because students can work around their work or family schedule and still earn a degree.
Several technical jobs and trades don't require more training than an associate degree. Graduates will be eligible for jobs in surveying, nursing, logistics, electronics, technical writing, computer programs and medical records and health care, assuming their associate degree relates to the field they seek out for a job. If you know the type of career you want, make sure to look into the prerequisites before choosing your educational path.