The requirements for an AA degree vary from school to school, but they generally require that a student has completed 48 to 60 credit hours of general education in specific areas.
The term general education describes courses that prepare a student for life by assimilating the ideas from a variety for fields. For example, general education courses may include an introduction to literature, philosophy, math and biology.
An AA degree will typically require two years to complete, but this can vary between institutions.
The AA degree is the first degree a college student will receive, which is eventually followed by a bachelor's, master's and finally, a doctoral degree.
Some companies will give employees raises in their salary for each degree they accumulate--AA degrees included.