Most colleges offer probably more associate’s degree programs than any other degree there is. This is because there are two basic types of associate’s degree paths whereas all the higher degree types are for the purpose of one path. A person studying for an associate’s degree either has a vocational goal or wants to apply the associate’s degree to a longer program of study targeted towards a professional or vocational goal at a higher pay level.

Understand the difference between an associate’s degree and certificate. A certificate is a type different from an associate’s degree in that it is intended to focus only on one technical area and usually does not include general educational requirements (history, science, etc.). The idea behind a certificate is to get the student trained and into the workforce. This means that if the student intends on pursuing a bachelor’s type of program later on, the education received in a certificate program is usually not directly transferable into a four-year bachelor program. Some types of certificate programs include emergency medical technician, administrative assistant, computer maintenance technician, e-business web designer, medical transcription, and many more.

An associate of arts degree (A.A.) is usually earned if the student wants to apply the work to a bachelor’s program. And typically, the bachelor’s type of program is also in the arts. These would be programs in music, drama, art, languages, and English to name a few. If your ultimate goal is an arts-type of program then you can have an interim credential while you continue your studies.

The associate of science degree (A.S.) is typically used for transfer into a bachelor of science program. This type of program usually includes a curriculum that is more specialized in the sciences. Just like the arts type of program, the associate of science student intends to either pursue a bachelor of science program in the same major or work in the field while continuing with the four-year studies. Typical degree programs in this area include computer science, business, math, pre-engineering, and more scientific/technical types.

The associate of applied science (A.A.S.) is focused mostly on purely technical vocational fields. The student in this type of program is usually purely focused on getting into the work force upon graduation. So here, you will not see curriculums with a lot of general education requirements but you will see focus on the particular core subjects. Typical fields one studies in an associate’s of applied science degree program are counseling, computer maintenance, e-business, graphic design, health information technology, law enforcement, and many more. This applied science program type is usually offered at junior and technical-vocational colleges.

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