Is an associate's degree worth anything?

Answer 1

It depends. There are many good careers that can be secured with an associates degree, however they are usually within the science or applied science area. These would include:

* Associates in Science (AS)

* Associates in Applied Science (AAS)

Let us take a look at just some of the career opportunities that are available with the associates degree.

Associate of Science (AS)

* Registered Nurse

* Emergency Health Services

* Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Treatment

* Information Systems Technology

* Radiation Therapy

* Respiratory Therapy

* Restaurant Management

* Radiology

* Nuclear Medicine

* Diagnostic Medical Sonography

* Sports Management

* Radiation Therapy

Associates in Applied Science (AAS)

* Administrative Support

* Civil Engineering Technology

* Dental Hygiene

* Electronics Engineering Technology

* Fire Science Technology

* Game Design, Creation, Development

* Mechanical Engineering Technology

* Physical Therapy Asisstant

* Paralegal

* Interpreters for the Deaf

* Interpreter of spoken Languages

The above are just some of the career paths available. Most of the above degrees are fully transferable to four year colleges and universities.

Now let us take a look at the Associates of Arts (AA) degree. This type of degree is typically designed for transfer to a four year institution. In general, it completes the first two years of the general cluster area required by the four year school. Thus, the student will have more courses in English composition, humanities, Social Sciences, exact sciences, with specific foundational courses particular to the individuals selected program of study.

The community college is a great place to start for a number of reasons to include:

* Easy entrance

* Smaller college community

* More individualized help

* Close to home

* More affordable

* Better student to professor ratio

So you can decide for yourself whether an associates is worth it. Every one is an individual having his/her own set of needs wants and desires. What may be the best practice for one, may not necessarily be the best practice for others. Still, I hope the above will help you in that decision making process.

Answer 2

Yes, you can get a better job with an associates, or use it as a stepping stone to a BA degree. Earning an associates degree is a great way to break down the 4 years it takes to get the BA because it lets you accomplish something in the middle!

Answer 3

No education is a waste of time. However, because of the competitive nature of the field today, it would be in your best interest to pursue the minimum of a bachelor's degree in this field. Still, many individuals start with the associates degree, and for many reasons, some of which include the following.

* Community colleges are less expensive to start out with. You can cut the cost of a four year degree almost in half by starting at a community college first, and then transferring to four year college or university to finish up the last two years. * There are typically smaller classroom sizes at the community college with a better professor to student ratio, which means more individualized attention. * Some students do not meet the entrance requirements of the four year college or university, thus they start at the community college first, then transfer later. * The community colleges are typically more family oriented, with a strong sense of community. * Some students like to be close to home, thus they start at their home county community college. * Some careers only require an associates degree.