An Associate of Art (A.A.) degree focuses on a liberal arts background as well as sciences with a main emphasis on the humanities. This type of degree is often suggested for students who wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in a field related to an arts or writing-based field. The core credit requirements for this type of associate degree general consist of approximately 41 credits. Nine credits are in communication with courses such as English composition and public speaking; six are in history with courses such as world history and U.S. history; eight are for the sciences with courses including astronomy and biology; three are for mathematics; six are for social sciences; and the remaining nine credits are for humanities, which include courses such as introduction to humanities, world literature, art appreciation and art history.
An Associate of Science (A.S.) degree also focuses on a background in liberal arts and sciences, but has a main focus on mathematics and science. This type of associate degree is suggested for students who plan on going into business, agriculture or engineering. The core credit requirements for this type of associate degree also usually consist of 41 credits. Nine credits are for communication courses; six are for history courses, nine are for humanities courses, which include music appreciation and elementary ethics; six are for social science courses; eight are for the sciences, which include courses such as human anatomy and physiology and an introduction to environmental science; the final three credits are for mathematics courses such as probability and statistics or precalculus.
An Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is designed for students who wish to enter directly into employment after completing their associate degree. Associate of Applied Science degrees are usually in areas such as nursing and medical assisting. The core credit requirements for this type of associate degree are generally between 33 and 35 credits. Three credits are for the fine arts, which include courses such as art history, theater arts and art studio; between nine and 11 are required for mathematics and science; nine are required for communications, which include courses such as English composition; three are for humanities, which consists of choices such as American studies, comparative literature and history; three are for foreign language; three are for computer science and technology; and the remaining three are for social sciences, which include anthropology, political science or human services.