Associate Degree Programs

What is an associate degree?

An associate degree (sometimes called a “two-year” degree) is an undergraduate college degree that is awarded by community and junior colleges (sometimes called “two-year colleges”), technical schools, and some four-year colleges and universities. Associate degree programs are designed to take two years of full-time study to complete (but part-time students may take longer), and generally require students to take various general education courses like English, math, and science. An associate degree can be a stepping-stone toward earning a bachelor’s degree or can prepare you to enter the workforce directly.[2851]

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    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012). See also Quick Guide: Your College Degree Options, College Board, www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/college-101/quick-guide-your-college-degree-options. ↑

What are some of the advantages of pursuing an Associate Degree?

An Associate Degree is a great option for many people because:

    It can be earned in only 2 years;
    It costs less than a 4-year degree;
    It gets you into the workforce faster;
    The programs are more flexible, and can be scheduled around work or other obligations;
    It can be a low-cost stepping stone to a 4-year college or university, if you transfer credits (see PG. 875 for more information on transferring credits).

What types of Associate Degrees are there?

There are two categories of associate degrees:

    Associate of Arts (AA)/Associate of Science (AS)
    Associate of Applied Arts (AAA)/Associate of Applied Science (AAS).

AA and AS degree programs tend to be designed for students who eventually want to earn a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. Therefore, these programs focus more on preparing students for higher levels of academic study. The courses offered and credits earned in an AA or AS program are meant to be easily transferred to a four-year college. (See PG. 875 for information on transferring credits.)

The “Applied” degrees (AAA and AAS), on the other hand, are more geared toward preparing students for a particular career. Therefore, these programs emphasize more technical and vocational skills. AAAs and AASs are the college degree equivalent of CTE certificates.[2852]

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    Olivia Crosby, Associate Degree: Two Years to a Career or a Jump Start to a Bachelor’s Degree, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2002-03. ↑

How can I decide if an Associate Degree is right for me, and which type I should get?

An AA or AS degree may be a good choice if your main priority is not just to gain practical job skills, but also to sharpen your academic skills, explore diverse areas of study, and engage in critical analysis. They may also be a good choice if you intend to continue on to get your bachelor’s degree, but you want to save on costs. When you transfer your AA or AS credits to a four-year college, you can get up to half of the required credits for your bachelor’s degree at a fraction of the cost.[2853]

An AAA or AAS degree may be a good choice for you if you want to learn technical skills for a specific occupation, but you also want to have a college degree (not just a certificate). These degrees are also good for you if you want the technical, practical skills to work now, but you think that you might eventually want to get a higher college degree.[2854]

NOTE: In California, all public (state-funded) universities are required to guarantee a number of openings for students transferring from California Community Colleges (one transfer student for every two freshman admitted). This means that you have a good chance of getting into a California State University or a University of California school if you transfer in from a community college.[2855]

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    Olivia Crosby, Associate Degree: Two Years to a Career or a Jump Start to a Bachelor’s Degree, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2002-03. ↑

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    Olivia Crosby, Associate Degree: Two Years to a Career or a Jump Start to a Bachelor’s Degree, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2002-03. ↑

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    Stanford Criminal Justice Center/Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law & Social Policy, Degrees of Freedom: Expanding Opportunities for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Californians (Feb. 2015); see also U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational and Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need ( 2012). ↑

How much will it cost to earn an Associate Degree?

Comparing Types of Associate Degrees:

AA/AS may be right for you if…

AAA/AAS may be right for you if…

You want to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree;

You want a college degree;

You want to transfer your credits to a 4-year college or university;

You want a college degree;

You want to sharpen your academic skills;

You want to get into the workforce sooner;

You want to get into the workforce sooner

You want to get into the workforce

The cost of earning an Associate degree varies greatly depending on the institution that you enroll in.

    In California, public community colleges are among the most economical choices for earning a college degree. Technically, there is no tuition, however, there are enrollment fees that are charged per credit-unit that you take.
    At the time of publication, the enrollment fee for California residents is $46 per credit-unit.[2856]
    This per-unit enrollment fee is for California residents and is the same for all public community colleges across the state.
    Full-time enrollment is generally 12 credit-units per week (1 credit-unit = 1hour of class time), but you can take more or less if you like. (You may be eligible for a waiver of this fee, see PG. 886 for information on waiving community college enrollment fees.)
    Private community colleges and four-year colleges are the most expensive options (costs vary greatly, but may be several thousands of dollars).

IMPORTANT: Tuition or per-unit fees do not include other costs associated with enrolling in a college program such as books, school supplies, and transportation.

!

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    See Cal. Cmty Colls. Chancellor’s Office, http://www.cccco.edu/. ↑

How do I find an Associate Degree program?

If you’re currently incarcerated:

In a federal prison: Federal correctional facilities offer Associate degrees through the Occupational Education Program.[2857] Programs vary by facility, so check your Unit Team to find out what Associate degree programs are available in your facility.[2858]

In a California state prison: Currently, San Quentin State Prison is the only CDCR facility that offers an in-facility Associate degree program.[2859] If you are housed in any other facility, your only options may be Distance Education (see PG. 876 for more information) or correspondence courses (see PG. 878 for more information).

In a California county jail: Education programs vary greatly across county facilities. You will need to check with your facility’s education department to see if any Associate degree programs are offered. (Note: Because of the time commitment required by college degree programs, many county jail facilities, which generally house people only for limited periods of time, may not offer them. However, this may be changing as people who are sentenced under realignment find themselves serving more extended county jail sentences.)

If you’re formerly incarcerated:

    Research schools and programs at your local public library
    Visit an America’s Job Center of California (see PG. 838 for information on America’s Job Centers).
    Search for your local community college on the Internet:
    California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office at http://www.cccco.edu/.
    American Association of Community Colleges at http://www.aacc.nche.edu.
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    U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5353.01, OE Programs (Dec. 17, 2003) at 4, www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5353_001.pdf. Note: All federal correctional facilities are mandated to offer OE training, with these exceptions: metropolitan correctional centers, metropolitan/federal detention centers, the Federal Transportation Center, satellite camps, and the administrative maximum facility. U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, A Directory of Bureau of Prisons’ National Programs (May 21, 2014) p.6. ↑

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    U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5353.01, OE Programs (Dec. 17, 2003). ↑

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    About Us, Prison Univ. Project, http://www.prisonuniversityproject.org/about-usPUP reference. ↑