Associate Degrees for In-Demand Careers

By Sophia Peters

An Associates degree is an academic degree that is usually awarded through community colleges, junior colleges and some four-year colleges and universities. To get an associates degree at most colleges, you need to at least 60 undergraduate credit hours.

On average, if you take classes full-time, you can earn your associates degree in about two years. However, part-time students enjoy are quite flexible with online classes and have a broad selection of classes that they require to complete their program of study.

Generally there are two options in associate programs. There are those that will prepare you for a professional degree and those that you can use to work toward your general education course requirements. The programs require you take general courses, program of study requirements and elective courses. In full time programs you can expect to take about four semesters or 15 credit hours. In some accelerated distance programs you would complete the same requirements but with more flexibility although the rigor is the same in most programs.

Two-year degrees are available in a variety of areas in business and management, education, and liberal arts. Some online degree options to consider are business, accounting, nursing, criminal justice, education, early childhood development, computer and information systems, health administration, medical administration as an example.

General education coursework is important in associate degree programs. You can expect to take courses in communications, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities. This will lead you to either an associate in science (A.S.) or an associate in arts (A.A.) degree. This will depend on the track that you choose.

Both professional and occupational degree programs give their graduates the advantage of being qualified for entry-level positions in professions such as medical assisting, computer networking, computer programming, nursing, paralegal, and criminal justice. These programs offer graduate the advantage of expedited entry into their profession.

As a general rule you need to have a GED or high school diploma to get admission into a degree program. As an additional requirement, SAT or ACT might be needed. Nonetheless some colleges might accept related or relevant work experience for those that do not have a diploma. However, it is always good to check with the college you are applying to if this is the case in their entry requirements.

With more adults working full time, yet wishing to return to college to get a degree or develop their knowledge and skills set, the need and demand for flexible online programs has also grown. One way to help you make the right decision is to conduct research on what online programs are accredited. In addition, also find out if they offer financial aid as an option to those who want to attend school full time. - 32384

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