Associate's Degree

Undergraduate degrees consist of Bachelor's and Associate's degrees.

Associate's Degrees are 2 years degrees consisting of a major, with a few general education classes typically being required. These are often received by students at community colleges, specifically set up to grant only Associate's degrees. Graduates with AS (Associate of Science) or AA (Associate of Arts) degrees often transfer these credits to schools with 4 year Bachelor's academic programs, and sometimes use the AA/AS as a stepping stone to help them get into the 4 year college.

Is the Associate's Degree worth achieving? Though it depends on your needs and desires, the Associate's Degree is considered by many to be a very minimal achievement. Given the very tentative quality of the modern high school education, a 2 year college degree, from schools that sometimes accept almost anyone, is not the most reputable.

Community colleges that offer only Associate's Degree program often have instructors who have degrees less than a Doctorate. PhD's at community colleges sometime feel there is a stigma associated with these types of institutions. Classes at these schools are sometimes instructed by Master's degree graduates.