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For other degrees, see Academic degree. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing

An associate degree is an academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, business colleges and some bachelors degree-granting colleges/universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries A business college is a school that provides education above the high school level but could not be compared to that of a regular University or College. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and

Common abbreviations are:

In the United States and, more rarely, Canada, an associate degree is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college or university degree. The Associate of Arts ( AA) is a two-year undergraduate degree offered by many Community colleges or Junior colleges in the United States. The Associate of Science ( AS) is a two-year undergraduate degree offered by many Community colleges or Junior colleges in the United States. An Associate of Science in Nursing ( ASN) is an entry-level Tertiary education Nursing degree. An Associate of Science in Nursing ( ASN) is an entry-level Tertiary education Nursing degree. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects It is the lowest in the hierarchy of postsecondary academic degrees offered in these countries. @@@ main@@@ - title Hierarchy@@@ keywords structure; sociology; information@@@ review@@@ - It is also equivalent to the UK's foundation degree and France's diplôme d'études universitaires générales or DEUG. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Foundation Degree is a Vocational Qualification introduced by the Government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available In 2000, Hong Kong introduced associate degrees, as an equivalence to higher diplomas. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders A higher diploma is an academic award in Hong Kong and Ireland. These programmes are mainly provided through affiliated colleges at universities. In 2004, Australia added "associate degree" to the Australian Qualifications Framework. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. This title was given to more academically focused advanced diploma courses. However, very few courses yet use the new title.

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Associate degree

Generalized categories or types of associate degrees

It is possible to break the associates degree into two general categories: transfer degrees and career or professional degrees.

Transfer degree

This degree forms the foundation of a bachelors degree by allowing students to complete all of the general education requirements prior to (possible) transfer to a four year university, although not all classes taken as general education will reliably transfer as general education. In formal education a curriculum (plural curricula) is the set of courses and their content offered at a School or University. They include:

An Associate of Arts degree is often awarded for programs that are intended for transfer to a four-year college or university, usually with a major in the social sciences or humanities, but may be awarded as a terminal degree.

The Associate of Science degree is similarly awarded to terminal students or to potential transfer students to a four-year college or university, but the areas of concentration are usually in mathematics, natural sciences, or technology.

The Associate of Fine Arts degree is typically awarded to student in Music, Theater, and Art (either performance or education related) and is usually transferable. In many cases, general education requirements are not satisfied upon conferral.

The Associate of Arts in Teaching degree (or in some cases an associate of arts with an emphasis in teacher education) allows students who transfer to any participating four-year institution to receive full credit for their approved lower-division education courses. The intent is to encourage a larger, more diverse pool of students who want to become teachers by allowing students to test their interest in teaching early in their academic career and to shorten the time it takes them to obtain their baccalaureate degree. With this degree, one can also do Paraprofessional Education (Teacher's Aide) work. One can get this degree with a concentration in Paraprofessional Education, and assist teachers in the classroom, while pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Career or professional degrees

The Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded to students who are permitted to relax some of the general education requirements in order to study more course work in their program area. This kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation.

The Associate in Industrial Technology This kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation. It is awarded in fields of industrial technologies such as Computers, Electronics, Radio and Television Broadcasting, and Engineering. It may also be for those who continue on to a four year university program.

The Associate in Business Administration degree is often awarded for programs that are terminal, but may also be intended for transfer to a four-year college or university, usually with a major in one of the business majors.

The Associate in Occupational Studies degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation. There are generally no liberal arts requirements for this degree.

Liberal Arts requirements

It is possible to categorize associate degrees by their liberal arts requirements. For example, New York State classifies its programs as follows: [1]

Associate in Occupational Studies (A. O. S. ): no courses in the liberal arts and sciences.

Associate in Applied Science (A. A. S. ): one-third of the work shall be in the liberal arts and sciences.

Associate in Science (A. S. ): one-half of the work shall be in the liberal arts and sciences.

Associate in Arts (A. A. ): three-quarters of the work shall be in the liberal arts and sciences.

Time requirements

The associate degree is most often awarded to students completing educationally broad based post secondary programs requiring at least one but generally no more than two years of full-time study. In some instances, particularly allied health programs, three years is the norm. For students who place into developmental (sometimes called pre-college or remedial) courses, the time will be extended since these credits will not apply toward the associates.

A a, called a certificate, is awarded for specific studies that complete in a one year program or less, for example certification in a particular subfield of information technology may only run for four to six months. A certificate is an official Document affirming some fact For example a Birth certificate or Death certificate testifies to basic facts regarding Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support

However, for an associates degree it is not unusual for students to study part time, and therefore take more than two years to complete the degree. According to fall 2004 IPEDS data, 61 percent of US community colleges students are enrolled part time. To accommodate working students, most US community colleges offer required course during evening and weekend hours and, increasingly, online (the Sloan Consortium reports that 51% of all degrees earned online are associates degrees. ) [1]

Names of associate degrees

Wittstruck (1975) notes that the associates degree goes by several different names formally:

  • Associate of/in (name of speciality)
  • Associate of Applied (name of speciality)
  • Associate of/in Arts
  • Associate of Arts and Sciences
  • Associate of/in Applied Arts
  • Associate of/in Applied Science
  • Associate in General Education
  • Associate of/in General Studies
  • Associate of Individualized Study
  • Associate in Nursing
  • Associate of/in Occupational Studies
  • Associate in Physical Therapy
  • Associate in Industrial Technology
  • Associate of/in Science
  • Associate of Science in Nursing
  • Associate in Specialized Business
  • Associate in Specialized Technology
  • Associate in Technical Arts
  • Associate of/in Technical Studies
  • Associate of/in Technology

Data on associate degrees are frequently disaggregated by curriculum: vocational or nonvocational. The Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) counts nonvocational degrees under the category "Arts and Sciences or General Programs"; vocational degrees are counted under six headings:

Annual number awarded

Recent IPEDS data

According to recent US Department of Education data, over half a million associates degrees were awarded in the US academic year 1999-2000; this was approximately one-fifth (19. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and 1 percent) of the 3,010,714 degrees conferred. A total of 573,620 associates degrees were conferred by Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas that year; men earned 228,958 and women earned 344,662.

Most associates are conferred by public institutions. Of the 573,620 noted above, 452,933 were earned at public institutions, 48,463 were earned at private not-for-profit institutions, and 72,224 were earned at private for-profit institutions. Most students are earning associates degrees at public institutions; 79. 0 percent of the 1999-2000 associates degrees were conferred by publics, 8. 4 percent by private not-for-profits, and 12. 6 percent by private for-profits. (Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding. )

Associate degrees account for about a quarter of the degrees conferred by public institutions, only a small fraction of the degrees not-for-profit institutions granted, and about one-fifth of the degrees private for-profit schools granted. Associates comprise 24. 1 percent of all degrees earned at public institutions, only 6. 2 percent of all degrees earned at private not-for-profits, and 20. 5 percent.

Degrees conferred 1999-2000 by race/ethnicity

Looking at these data by race/ethnicity, we see:

Race Ethnicity Total Number Percentage of Total
White, Non Hispanic 100,230 43. 1 percent
Asian/Pacific Islander 58,428 10. 2 percent
Hispanic 57,974 10. 1 percent
African American 57,329 10. 0 percent
American Indian/Alaska Native 6,282 1. 1 percent
Non-Resident Alien 10,116 1. 8 percent
Race/Ethnicity Unknown 17,261 3. 0 percent

Program of study

The following are the 10 largest programs of study at Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions (50 states and District of Columbia). Totals are then broken down by sex.

Associate degrees Conferred 1999-2000 by Program of Study
Degree Total Degrees Conferred To Men To Women
Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies 149,243 55,200 94,043
Nursing (R. N. training) 40,258 4,288 35,970
Business administration and management, general 24,894 8,805 16,089
General studies 24,118 9,301 14,817
Business, general 12,283 4,324 7,959
Administrative assistant/secretarial science, general 9,328 370 8,958
Electrical, electronic and communication engineering technology 8,510 7,646 864
Liberal arts and science, general studies and humanities, other 8,270 3,193 5,077
Electrical and electronic engineering-related technology 7,840 7,075 765
Biological and physical sciences 7,072 2,885 4,187

Associate-granting institutions

The NCES data above are from 2,784 institutions (1,345 public, 727 private not-for-profit, and 712 private for-profit).

More information

For details about the above figures and for more information, see the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) web page [2], particularly the report Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2000 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 1999–2000 [3].

Older data

The number of associate degrees awarded rose rapidly in the 1970s. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. In 1981–1982, 434,515 associate's degrees were awarded, representing a 25% increase over the number of associate's degrees awarded during 1973–1974. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. All of the increase is accounted for by growth in the number of vocational degrees awarded. Between 1973–1974 and 1981–1982, percent changes in the number of associate's degrees awarded were as follows:

In terms of absolute numbers, 158,000 nonvocational and 276,493 vocational degrees were awarded in 1981–1982. Of the vocational degrees awarded:

The growing popularity of vocational degrees is not necessarily a sign of the diminution of the transfer function, because many occupational students transfer to senior institutions. Indeed, a study conducted by the State University of New York (SUNY) found that 29% of SUNY community college students receiving vocational associates degrees in 1980 transferred to a four-year institution. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)

Illinois data also shed light on transfers with vocational associates degrees. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Of the 3,871 students who transferred with an associates degree from an Illinois community college to an Illinois senior institution in Fall 1979, 19% (727) held the associate in applied science (AAS) degree. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) While the baccalaureate attainment rate for AAS transfers (19%) was lower than the baccalaureate attainment rate of those transfers with Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees (31%), it was higher than the attainment rate of those community college transfers who had earned no associate's degree at all (11%).

Students who earn this degree

Since 1976–1977, more than 50% of associate's degrees have been earned by women. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Though female students are beginning to enter occupational curricula in which women have been traditionally under-represented, most women who obtain occupational associates degrees remain in health, office, and public service occupations. The 1981–1982 data reveal that women made up:

Of the nonvocational associate's degrees awarded in 1981–1982, 54% were awarded to women (compared to 43% in 1971–1972).

(See above for more recent data on degrees conferred by program of study. )

Advantages

Advantages include lower costs, more evening classes for those with day jobs, and often a more convenient location. Many students first attend a local community college before transferring to four-year college for a combination of these reasons. See Community College for a more detailed list of the advantages. A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries

Problems

Koltai (1984) presents a comprehensive analysis of the current status of the associates degree. He reports several issues that need to be addressed as community college educators plan associates degree programs for the future. These issues include:

In light of these issues, Koltai recommends that colleges establish testing and placement procedures for entering students, specify competency standards for degree graduates, improve the pre-service and in-service professional development of community college faculty, and establish associates degree committees to work with faculty, students, four-year institutions and businesses in improving counseling, job-placement, and transfer. In response, many community colleges have made arrangements with four-year institutions (usually those nearby or that offer advanced training in a specialized field) whereby the associates degree and the related hours will normally meet the "core" requirements for the first two years towards a bachelor's degree.

References

Notes

  1. ^ Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006. The Sloan Consortium.

External links


Dictionary

associate's degree

-noun

  1. An academic degree awarded after the equivalent of approximately 2 years of college education.
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