Students who enroll in an Associate of Arts program often are taking a less expensive approach to pursuing a four-year degree. By going to the local community college, students live at home, saving on housing fees, and pay lower tuition rates in general than at four-year universities. Most two-year colleges have agreements with universities stating that their associate degree meets the general education requirements of a bachelor's degree, meaning that students need to take only more specialized courses at the university to obtain a bachelor's degree after acquiring an associate degree. Students can earn Associate of Arts degrees in fields such as social sciences, education and humanities and the arts.
These two-year degrees typically are for students who want to pursue a four-year degree in areas such as engineering, computer science, chemistry or physics, but who may not be sure of their area of concentration. Like the Associate of Art programs, this degree provides you with foundational knowledge and readies you to transfer to a four-year institution, while saving money in the first two years of college.
The Associate of Applied Science degree prepares students for immediate employment upon graduation in fields such as nursing, automotive technology, electronics technology and dental hygiene. In many of these programs, students spend at least some of their class time in facilities that mirror the workplace as well as participate in internships or co-op programs. The Associate of Science in Nursing degree, which focuses on technical skill more than theory, is one of the fastest ways to become a registered nurse.
Associate of Business Administration degree programs focus on the core business subjects of accounting, economics and marketing, allowing graduates to gain employment as managers, assistant managers, supervisors and other related administrative positions. Many students transfer to a university after earning this two-year degree to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Business Management. A number of schools offer online business associate degrees, providing an affordable and flexible option for working students.