An associate degree is an academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, business colleges and some bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.
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. It is the lowest in the hierarchy of postsecondary academic degrees offered in these countries. It is also equivalent to the UK's foundation degree and France's diplôme d'études universitaires générales or DEUG. In 2000, Hong Kong introduced associate degrees, as an equivalence to higher diplomas. These programmes are mainly provided through affiliated colleges at universities. In 2004, Australia added "associate degree" to the Australian Qualifications Framework. This title was given to more academically focused advanced diploma courses. However, very few courses yet use the new title.
AA (Associate of Arts)
AS (Associate of Science)
APS (Associate of Public Service)
AAB (Associate of Applied Business)
AAS (Associate of Applied Science; or in some cases, Associate of Arts and Sciences)
AIT (Associate of Industrial Technology)
AOS (Associate of Occupational Studies)
ABA (Associate of Business Administration)
AAT (Associate of Arts in Teaching)
AF (Associate of Forestry)
AT (Associate of Technology)
AE (Associate of Engineering; or, in some cases, Associate in Electronics Engineering Technology)
AET (Associate in Engineering Technology)
AN (Associate of Nursing)
AGS (Associate of General Studies)
ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) Associate degree
It is possible to break the associate's degree into two general categories.
Generalized categories or types of associate degrees
These degrees form 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. They include:
An Associate of Arts degree is often awarded for programs that are terminal or intended for transfer to a four-year college or university, 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 [1].
The Associate of Science degree is similarly awarded to terminal students or to potential transferees 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 transferrable. 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 bachelors degree.
Transfer degree
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. This kind of degree is for students who intend to enter the work force upon graduation.
The Associate of 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 of 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.
Career or professional degrees
It is possible to categorize associate degrees by their liberal arts requirements. For example, New York State classifies its programs as follows: [2]
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.
Liberal Arts 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..
Time requirementsWittstruck (1975) notes that the associate's degree goes by several different names formally:
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:
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
business and commerce technologies
data processing technologies
health services/paramedical technologies
mechanical/engineering technologies
natural science technologies
public service-related technologies Names of associate degrees
Annual number awarded
According to recent US Department of Education data, over half a million associate's degrees were awarded in the US academic year 1999-2000; this was approximately one-fifth (19.1 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.
Recent IPEDS data
Looking at these data by race/ethnicity, we see:
Degrees conferred 1999-2000 by race/ethnicity
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
Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies
Nursing (R.N. training)
Business administration and management, general
General studies
Business, general
Administrative assistant/secretarial science, general
Electrical, electronic and communication engineering technology
Liberal arts and science, general studies and humanities, other
Electrical and electronic engineering-related technology
Biological and physical sciences
Degrees Conferred: 149,243
- to Men: 55,200
to Women: 94,043
Degrees Conferred: 40,258
- to Men: 4,288
to Women: 35,970
Degrees Conferred: 24,894
- to Men: 8,805
to Women: 16,089
Degrees Conferred: 24,118
- to Men: 9,301
to Women: 14,817
Degrees Conferred: 12,283
- to Men: 4,324
to Women: 7,959
Degrees Conferred: 9,328
- to Men: 370
to Women: 8,958
Degrees Conferred: 8,510
- to Men: 7,646
to Women: 864
Degrees Conferred: 8,270
- to Men: 3,193
to Women: 5,077
Degrees Conferred: 7,840
- to Men: 7,075
to Women: 765
Degrees Conferred: 7,072
- to Men: 2,885
to Women: 4,187 Program of study
The NCES data above are from 2,784 institutions (1,345 public, 727 private not-for-profit, and 712 private for-profit).
Associate-granting institutions
For details about the above figures and for more information, see the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) web page [3], particularly the report Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2000 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 1999–2000 [4].
Older data
Since 1976–1977, more than 50% of associate's degrees have been earned by women. Though female students are beginning to enter occupational curricula in which women have been traditionally under-represented, most women who obtain occupational associate's 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.)
88% of the degree recipients in health services and paramedical technologies (compared to 89% in 1971–1972)
65% of the degree recipients in business and commerce technologies (compared to 47% in 1971–1972)
52% of the degree recipients in public service-related technologies (compared to 38.6% in 1971–1972)
50% of the degree recipients in data processing technologies (compared to 30% in 1971–1972)
41% of the degree recipients in natural science technologies (compared to 24% in 1971–1972)
9% of the degree recipients in mechanical and engineering technologies (compared to 2% in 1971–1972) Advantages
Koltai (1984) presents a comprehensive analysis of the current status of the associate's degree. He reports several issues that need to be addressed as community college educators plan associate's 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 associate's 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.
the relatively low prestige of the degree in higher education
college-by-college variation in subject area and unit requirements
the fact that many colleges and universities prefer their own transfer requirements rather than accepting the associate's degree as qualifying students for transfer
the need to keep up with high technology in vocational associate's degree programs
the desirability of competency-based programs that certify the learning outcomes of associate's degree programs
the need for more honor sections to attract and retain gifted students
the types of courses for terminal two year programs are not adequate (or not transferable) for a four year college
- to Men: 2,885
- to Men: 7,075
- to Men: 3,193
- to Men: 7,646
- to Men: 370
- to Men: 4,324
- to Men: 9,301
- to Men: 8,805
- to Men: 4,288
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