Associate's degree

Associate Degree is the name for the completion of a U.S. or Canadian Community College (mostly state ) or junior college (mostly private). This conclusion is reached after a typically two-year study. Also, some four-year colleges awarded this degree. In this case it usually involves so-called 2 2 programs in which students receive after two years of study and an associate degree after two years of a bachelor's degree. The Associate Degree is valid in the United States as an academic degree, but is in other countries, especially in Europe, is not recognized as a university degree.

In the recent time, Hong Kong and Australia have introduced associate degrees.

• 2.1 Australia
• 2.2 Hong Kong

The Associate Degree in the U.S.

Types of Associate Degrees

The American Associate Degree can be divided into three categories.

The Associate of Applied Science Degree is awarded in more practice- oriented degree programs. Some colleges award in such courses, degrees issued in the form of an Associate of / in ... with details of the study. The subjects offered are often geared to the requirements of the local economy. Compared to an Associate of Arts / Science Degrees but such studies require fewer general education courses, but more coursework in the respective main subject. Such application-oriented programs leading to the professional activity. The possible fields of study can be grouped into the following six main areas:

• Business and commerce technologies ( commercial area)
• Data processing technologies ( IT)
• Health services / para medical technologies ( medical field )
• Mechanical / engineering technologies (technical area)
• Natural science technologies ( scientific- technical field )
• Public service-related technologies ( administrative region )

The Associate of Arts Degree is awarded as a conclusion of the study programs in the fields of Social Sciences ( Social Sciences), Humanities ( Humanities ) and General Studies. These programs can both be called terminal degrees. These lead the graduates into the profession. The academic performance of such a terminal degrees but are not or only credited at a later undergraduate study in part for this. On the other hand, there are so-called transfer programs. Such programs allow graduates to continue their studies in a bachelor's degree program at a four-year college. This is ensured by cooperation agreements between the community / junior colleges and single four -year colleges or universities. Since the tuition fees at community colleges usually are much lower than at other American universities, these programs are very popular to save tuition fees by students from socially disadvantaged families.

The Associate of Science Degree is the degree in the subjects of Mathematics ( Mathematics ), Natural Sciences (Science ) and Technology (technology). Even in these subjects, there are both terminally programs and transfer programs.

List of possible degree titles

Associate degrees can have a whole range of different formal designations:

• Associate of / in [name of specialty ]
• Associate of Applied [name of specialty ]
• Associate of / in Applied Arts
• Associate of / in Applied Science
• Associate of / in Arts
• Associate of Arts and Sciences
• Associate in Early Childhood Development
• Associate in General Education
• Associate of / in General Studies
• Associate of Individualized Study

• Associate in Nursing
• Associate of / in Occupational Studies
• 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

This results, for example, the following certificates:

• Associate Engineer in Information and Computer Systems

This list outlines the most common names, but does not claim to be complete. Also note that these terms are not standardized. For example, a course of study leading to a college for the degree Associate of Science and a substantially identical degree program at another college for the degree Associate of Applied Science degree. One reason is that some U.S. states quite the degree titles ( and to some extent content ) have determined for certain vocational programs at community colleges; but this definition is valid only within the respective state and therefore may differ from state to state.

Standard period of study

The standard period of study for the Associate Degree is in full-time study usually two years, rarely a year after graduating high school. Partly as a so-called Certificate ( certificate) is awarded for one-year programs. It is not uncommon that students take longer than two years to reach this conclusion. This is on the rather common part-time studies as well as the fact that community colleges usually a so-called open admission policy have. This means that even students can enroll who have no high school diploma. These must then but once you acquire the missing knowledge about bridging courses. Result, the study time will be extended accordingly.

Statistical data on degrees awarded Associate

The number of associate's degrees awarded has increased rapidly in the U.S. in the 1970s. In the academic year 1981-1982 434.515 associate degrees were awarded. This represents an increase of 25 % compared to the academic year 1973-1974. The increase can be explained solely by the number of vocationally oriented associate degrees. The percentage increase in this period was based on the main areas of study:

• Data processing technologies (225 %)
• Mechanical and engineering technologies (86%)
• Business and commerce technologies (39%)
• Health services and para medical technologies (31%)
• Natural sciences technologies (30%)
• Arts and sciences or general programs ( -4.5%)
• Public service-related technologies (-7 %)

In absolute numbers were 1981-1982 158,000 transfer degrees and vocational associate's degrees awarded 276.493. Of the vocational qualifications were:

• 35 % in business and commerce technologies
• 22 % in health services and para medical technologies
• 21 % in the mechanical and engineering technologies
• 9 % in the public service-related technologies
• 8 % in the data processing technologies and
• 5 % in natural science technologies

Since the academic year 1976-1977 about 50 % of associate's degrees awarded in the United States to women. Most of these degrees were in the fields of health services, business and commerce technologies and public service-related technologies. In the academic year 1981-1982 to the progress made by women professional degrees distributed as follows on the respective areas of study:

• 88 % of deals in the area of ​​health services and para medical technologies ( compared with 89 % from 1971 to 1972 )
• 65 % of deals in the area of ​​business and commerce technologies ( compared to 47 % from 1971 to 1972 )
• 52 % of deals in the area of ​​public service-related technologies (compared to 38.6 % from 1971 to 1972 )
• 50 % of deals in the area of ​​data processing technologies ( compared with 30% from 1971 to 1972 )
• 41 % of deals in the area of ​​natural science technologies ( compared with 24 % from 1971 to 1972 )
• 9% of the degrees in mechanical and engineering technologies ( compared with 2% from 1971 to 1972 )

From the transfer degrees in the academic year 1981-1982, 54% were awarded to women ( compared with 43 % from 1971 to 1972 ).

The associate degree in Australia and Hong Kong

Australia

In 2004, the degree Associate Degree was added ( from the Department of Education, Science and Technology), the Australian Qualifications Framework ( the official list of the qualifications of the Australian education system) by the Australian Government. This new degree is an alternative to the academically oriented advanced diploma courses. So he is the closest to the transfer degrees in the U.S. education system. To date, there are only a very small number of these new degrees.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the degree Associate Degree was introduced in 2000. This replaced the old conclusion Higher Diploma, a two-year vocational degree. Will be awarded this degree of so-called affliated colleges in cooperation with universities. A further study in an undergraduate degree program of the university is possible.

Recognition in Germany

In Germany associate degrees are not recognized as a university degree. If such a conclusion has a certain prescribed subjects width, it can be recognized as equivalent to the German university entrance, thus allowing access to study at a German university. This applies mostly to the financial statements Associate of Science and Associate of Arts that involve a combination of subjects, leading to a Transfer Program. Professionally -oriented associate degrees are, however, often viewed as equivalent to an appropriate professional degree in the dual system or as a degree from a university school.