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	Categories: Arts and Humanities Degree Business Degree Computer Science Degree Criminal Justice Degree Education Degree Engineering Degree Health Degree Information Technology Degree MBA Degree Medicine Degree Paralegal Studies Degree Science Degree Social Science Degree Teaching Degree Trades and Careers Degree Levels: Associates Degree Accelerated Degree Bachelors Degree Masters Degree Doctoral Degree Dual Degree Certificate Program Diploma Program Seminar Program

Associates Degree

An associate's degree is a degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges and some bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities in Canada and the United States upon completion of a course of study equivalent to the first two years in a four-year college or university. It is the lowest in the hierarchy of academic degrees offered in these countries. Common abbreviations are AA (Associate of Arts), AS (Associate of Science) and AAS (Associate of Applied Science).

Generalized categories or types of Associate's Degrees

It is possible to break the Associate's Degree into three general categories.

An Associate of Arts degree is often awarded for programs that are terminal or intended for transfer to a four year college, usually with a major in the social sciences or humanities. It is also awarded to General Studies students, those who decline to select an area of concentration.

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

The Associate of 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. Typically, this kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation.

Time requirements

The associate degree is most often awarded to students completing postsecondary programs requiring at least one but no more than two years of full-time study. More often, a lesser diploma, called a Certificate, is awarded for only a one year program. It is not unusual for students to study more than two years to complete the requirements for an associate's degree.

Associate's Degree - General Studies

Associate's Degree — General Studies

A solid foundation of general studies can lay the groundwork for students wishing to explore their educational and professional opportunities before committing to a career-specific degree program.

Associate of Science in General Studies (ASGS)

The AS in General Studies is an excellent option for students who have already earned some college credits or have military experience that may be transferred into this program, and who wish ultimately to pursue a bachelor's degree. The AS in General Studies will fulfill the associate-level requirements for most bachelor's completion programs, and the curriculum is designed to seamlessly transition into many of Colorado Tech Online's career-focused Bachelor's degree programs, including the curriculum is designed to seamlessly transition into many of Colorado Tech Online's career-focused Bachelor's degree programs, including the:

Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in:
- Finance
- Health Care Management
- Human Resource Management
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
- Project Management

Electives in the Associate of Science in General Studies will not provide a concentration but rather an interdisciplinary foundation for your future studies.

Students can earn a Professional Certificate in Professional Communication as they work towards the completion of the Associate of Science in General Studies. This résumé-enhancing credential is built into the degree program without adding any additional courses or cost.

Stonecliffe College Online is an academic division of Colorado Technical University. Colorado Technical University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. (For more information, visit the NCA Higher Learning Commission website.)