To complete an associate's degree, you must take between 60 and 80 credits of coursework, depending on your specific program. The majority of classes account for three credits, with some being two or one credits, again depending upon your specific program. This translates into between 20 and 25 classes, usually taken within four semesters or two school years. On average, students take between 12 and 18 credits per semester, or four to six classes.
In the United States, there are three classes of associate degrees: the Associate of Arts degree, the Associate of Applied Science degree and the Associate of Science degree. To obtain one of these degrees in the traditional format, you need a combination of general education classes, core and support classes, and electives.
The general education requirements provide a foundation for your major and for lifelong learning. It also provides an introduction to a broad range of fields of study that gives an essential understanding for a successful undergraduate.
The requirement can be as little as three credits to as high as 26 credits to complete, depending upon your specific program. In other words, between one and nine classes.
The core and support classes focus on skills applicable to your major. They provide the depth needed, as the general education credits provide the breadth. The core and support classes give a basis for the rest of the work you do in your field of study.
Depending on your program, this requirement ranges from 25 to 50 credits, or between nine and 17 classes.
Most programs require a small amount of elective credits. These credits allow you the freedom to choose classes of interest that are related to your major.
This requirement is usually between three and nine credits, or one to three classes. Electives are important even if they are not required because potential employers will appreciate the extra bit of training you have acquired.