Associate degree programs offer a focused curriculum to prepare participants for immediate career placement. Coursework generally focuses on a specific field of study rather than general education, including subjects of relevance to the area of study. The total duration of the program is shorter and less expensive than regular university education. Students looking for intensive, career-oriented training in business or industrial setting often find associate programs advantageous.
Candidates that graduate with associate degrees in a specific area of study can immediately embark on their careers after graduation. An associate degree qualifies them for careers in their chosen fields of study. Entering the job market directly after two years gives them the advantage of a professional head start over those with the regular university degree in the same field. Hands-on experience in the job equips them with further skills for career advancement.
It is more likely for associate degree graduates to get jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows the unemployment rate in 2001 was over 30 percent lower among associate degree holders than high school graduates. Also, in comparison to workers whose highest educational qualification was a high school diploma, associate degree graduates earned an extra $128 per week on an average, in 2001. According to the Bureau, several academic studies predict opportunities in job markets are greater for individuals whose career work is relevant to their degrees.
An associate degree program can also serve as an entry into a baccalaureate degree program. An associate program student can use some or all of his associate degree credits for a bachelor's degree program. With a transfer degree, a student can transfer his two years of associate degree wholly or partly to four-year college programs.