An Association Degree Program
An associate degree is one of the academic degrees, which are offered by the junior colleges, community colleges, business colleges. As a rule, in order to be awarded with the associate degree one has to study within the college program during two years. Such a degree is considered to be the lowest in the structure of the higher education.
In whole, all the associate degrees are divided into transfer degrees and career or professional degrees.
There are following transfer degrees: The Associate of Arts in Teaching, The Associate of Fine Arts, The Associate of Science, and The Associate of Arts.
There are following Career or Professional Degrees: The Associate in Occupational Studies, The Associate of Business Administration, The Associate in Industrial Technology, and The Associate in Applied Sciences.
The advantages of such a degree are as follows:
• Lower tuition fees;
• Evening classes (it is an advantage for those who are already working);
• More convenient location;
The disadvantages of such a degree are as follows:
• Low chances to be employed because of the low level of the degree;
• Low salary because of such a diploma;
• No promotion until the higher-leveled diploma is earned.