In this short video, we'll discuss what an Associate's Degree is.

So what exactly is an Associate’s Degree?

That’s something you should have learned about in school, but you probably didn’t, so we’ll talk about it here… in Conscious Money School!

An Associate’s Degree is a type of Undergraduate Degree that’s one level above a High School Diploma or GED, but one level below a Bachelor’s Degree.

Our society places a lot of value and importance on pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree at a 4-year college, but it doesn’t often talk about the potential value of pursuing an Associate’s Degree at a 2 year college.

There are many different career routes that students can take after graduating high school.

Pursuing an Associate’s Degree is just one of those options, and it has its own advantages and disadvantages.

One big advantage is the cost, both in money and time.

Most students who choose to pursue an Associate’s Degree do so because it can help them save money while becoming more educated.

Getting this type of degree usually takes half the time of getting a Bachelor’s Degree (2 years compared to 4), and it’s usually less than half of the cost.

In some cases, it can way less half of the cost.

When someone pursues an Associate’s Degree, they either do so to get a specialized job after graduation, or so they can transfer their credits into a four-year college in order to get a Bachelor’s Degree.

It all depends on the student’s specific goals, and that will inform which major they choose.

Associate’s Degrees come in 2 main categories: Occupational and Transfer.

If a student aims to prepare for a specific career path and get a job right after graduation, they will pursue an Occupational Degree.

These degrees are more hands-on and help students gain the skills required for their job.

Examples of Occupational Degrees include Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Applied Technology (AAT), and Associate of Electrical Engineering Technology (AEET).

On the other hand, if a student aims to transfer into a four-year college and pursue a Bachelor’s degree, they will get a Transfer Degree.

These degrees offer more general education classes, such as English, Math, and Science.

The purpose of these courses is to give students a solid educational background in a broad range of subjects, but they don’t prepare students for a specific career upon graduation.

Examples of Transfer Degrees include Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS).

When pursuing this type of degree, it’s important to ensure that the credits will actually transfer into the Bachelor’s Degree program of your choice.

Students who pursue this type of degree may not know exactly what they want to do, so these first two years are vital for career exploration and learning about all of the possible options.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Air Traffic Controllers, at [ Ссылка ] (visited February 13, 2022).

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Radiation Therapists, at [ Ссылка ] (visited February 14, 2022).

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides, at [ Ссылка ] (visited February 13, 2022).

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