What You Will Learn
Students within the Associate of Arts Degree program will gain multi-disciplinary knowledge in the faculties of arts, humanities, and social sciences, and develop their critical thinking and research skills. The program provides a comprehensive learning experience that also allows students to customize their coursework in order to focus on an area of personal interest.
How Many Credits Are Needed For An Associates Degree
Associates degrees are awarded by junior colleges, community colleges, and universities/colleges that award bachelors degrees. Most associate degree programs have an average requirement of 60 credits, usually, students complete these within 2 years.
The timeline above depends on the average student completing 15 credits per semester and two semesters per year.
How Many Credits For An Associate Degree
An associates degree is equivalent to 60-semester credit hours . In other words, 20 college courses. This credit number can vary based on your career path and its academic requirements.
The credits that you earn through an associate degree can be transferred later on to a four-year university as long as the institution you received them from is regionally accredited. Programs that offer a bachelors degree as an extension to the associates are often called 2+2 programs.
The most popular types of associate degrees are Associate of Arts , Associate of Science , an Associate of Applied Science . Associate degree programs usually have three parts: general education requirements such as math, science, and language, essential requirements that allow you to fulfill your specific major, and electives that will enable you to choose topics of interest to you.
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Common Questions About Associate Degrees
Associate degrees introduce learners to foundational concepts related to their disciplines, as well as general education subjects. These courses are usually harder than high school classes, but not as in-depth as upper-level or graduate curriculums.
Time frames and credit requirements vary, but degree-seekers usually graduate in two years. Individuals who complete AP courses in high school may graduate more quickly.
For some fields, an associate degree meets the criteria for certifications, licenses, or entry-level careers. Other professions require higher degrees, which students can pursue after earning a college associate degree, though they may also go directly into a bachelor’s program.
Virtual learning lets students complete assignments on their own schedules and eliminates travel time and cost. These details allow learners to advance in their careers while managing day-to-day responsibilities.
Associate Of Arts In Teaching Degree
To be eligible to receive the associate of arts in teaching degree, students must:
Degrees are conferred three times a year: August, December, and May. The official ceremony is held annually in May.
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Why You May Want An Associate Degree
An associate degree can help provide you with immediate access to the workforce in the field of your desired profession. In addition, the college-credit transfer process for your school may be more complicated than you initially thought or otherwise take longer than expected. An associate degree serves as a demarcation line in your college career before you obtain a bachelors degree. This way while you complete your college credit transfer requirements, if you need to work, having an associate degree verifies to potential employers that you have achieved a certain level of proficiency.
The Benefits Of Earning College Credits In High School
It is significantly cheaper to achieve college credit hour requirements in high school versus receiving them in college. Aside from the potential preparation cost of $50 or less for study material, the actual cost of an AP exam is $93, while the cost of an average credit hour is $594. Given you should expect an average of 3 credit hours from an AP exam transfer, youre saving $1,600+ for one class.
In addition, this will allow for a student to spend less time in college, with the possibility of early graduation. Early graduation can also reduce the costs of room and board.
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Financial Aid To Make Your Degree Cheaper
Of course, on top of transferring credits, you want to look into financial aid to keep the cost of your degree down. This is an area where you need to be careful. Youve probably heard lots about the student debt crisis on the news and it is absolutely real. If youre careful about not borrowing too much to pay for a degree however, you can come out of college with a good result.
Its worth doing everything you can to control the cost of your degree program. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average total costs of attending a state university for a year was over $17,000. Private colleges averaged a whopping $44,551 per year, while for-profit schools cost an average of $25,431. each year .
The first thing you want to do to get financial aid for your bachelor degree are to ask your school if they offer any scholarships. Many, many online colleges provide some kind of scholarship that can cut anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars of the price of a degree. Some of these scholarship programs are based on you demonstrating financial need, but others are based on different factors. Some, quite honestly, are based on factors that are a bit vague. Its always worth asking about school scholarships because many schools use them to attract students, and you never know what youll turn up.
Colleges That Have Quarters
Some colleges operate on quarters, or four 10-week quarters per year, aligning to each of the four seasons. In the case of a quarter, you will have to fit the total amount of contact hours into a shorter duration, therefore students will take less credit hours.
Scenario: Its the first quarter of your freshmen year and youll be taking 12 credit hours. As learned above, the 12 credit hours = 180 contact hours . Given this is a quarter system, youll be spending 10 weeks in order to receive 180 contact hours. You should expect to be spending 18 hours per week in class .
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Guide To College Credits
To help clear up some of the confusion and hopefully take away some of the stress, heres a step by step breakdown of college credits.
Dont see your question? Just leave a comment with your question at the bottom of this article. We want this guide to cover any questions you might have about college credits.
How Long Are College Credits Good For
Again, this depends on the course you took and the university you are currently attending. If the information you learned is still relevant, meaning not much has changed in that field of study, your credits may still count toward your degree.
Some universities, however, have a rule in which college credits lapse after a certain amount of time, typically 7-10 years. The logic is that you have probably forgotten the skills taught in those courses and need to brush up on your knowledge. Ask the university youre applying to about whether your credits will transfer in.
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Example Of Calculating A Weighted Gpa
Scenario: A student just finished a semester taking 15 credit hours and has received their final grades after final exams. They were in 5 courses and received final grades of , respectively.
From Credit Transfer To Graduation
Overall, understanding exactly what college credits are and how they work will help you go through the planning process for your degree much more smoothly. Once you understand what your graduation requirements are, you can map out a timeline to help you earn your credits in a balanced way, at your own pace. Also, understanding college credits will help you better negotiate credit transfers by making you more knowledgeable about how the credit system works. Then, you can earn your degree with confidence, knowing youre taking every step you need to get to graduation.
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Do Community College Credits Transfer Out Of State
Formal transfer agreements are rare between public schools in different states. Without an agreement, the transfer eligibility for each course may be assessed individually.
If you transfer from a regionally accredited community college, your new school may accept credit for the core courses in your field of study. They may also accept some electives if they directly mirror courses offered at the new school. Another option may be an online college. Some online colleges may have out of state agreements with state wide public two year colleges.
Southern New Hampshire University
- No application fee for April & June terms.
- Take advantage of some of the nations most affordable tuition rates, while earning a degree from a private, nonprofit, NEASC accredited university
- Multiple term start dates throughout the year. 24/7 online classroom access.
- Popular Online Programs include Business Administration, Psychology, Information Technology, Human Services
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How Long Does An Online Associates Degree Take
Traditionally, an associates degree takes 2 years to complete.
However, many colleges and universities today are offering accelerated online degree programs that can cut your time substantially.
For example, you can complete your Associates degree in 1 year and 6 months online as opposed to 2 years using the traditional route. Instead of taking 4-5 classes per semester, you take 2 classes per term, and a term might only last as little as 5 weeks.
What Can I Do With An Associate Degree
Depending on the program type, an associate degree acts as a stepping stone to a four-year degree and/or prepares graduates to enter the workforce.
Many students choose to transfer their associate credits into a bachelor’s program. As such, an associate degree prepares graduates for different career paths and can lead to more advanced degrees.
However, many careers only require an associate degree. Associate programs teach students essential soft skills, such as those related to critical thinking and communication, which translate across industries. Graduates can begin careers in fields like healthcare, business, and information technology.
Most careers for associate degree-holders pay less than positions requiring a higher degree. However, professionals can seek advancement by upgrading their education and gaining work experience.
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Bachelor’s Degrees Vs Associate Degrees
An associate degree explores the most fundamental aspects of a subject over a two-year period. Bachelor’s degrees build on this knowledge and often take four years to complete. For instance, an associate degree may include an oral communication class, while bachelor’s curriculums advance into cross-cultural and organizational communication coursework.
Students can pursue associate degrees at community colleges and, in some fields, earn employment with no additional education. For instance, preschool teachers only need an associate. Other careers, however, require a degree from a four-year college or university, such as K-12 educators.
Both degrees include general education requirements and major courses. Learners at both degree levels may qualify for financial aid.
Applying To An Online Associate Program
Colleges and universities maintain different application processes. To complete all the necessary steps and ensure good odds of gaining admission, prospective students should spend several months preparing. This section provides important advice about collecting application materials and submitting required forms ahead of deadlines.
Guidelines for High School Juniors and Seniors
Many community colleges, vocational schools, and technical colleges offer open enrollment, which means that any applicant will be admitted as long as they hold a high school or GED diploma.
However, some online associate degree programs also require students to submit standardized test scores. Test scores may also be required for certain degrees, such as nursing and education, and transfer programs aimed at future bachelor’s students.
In the U.S., high school juniors and seniors often take the SAT and/or ACT.
The SAT features multiple-choice sections in math and reading comprehension. Currently, the maximum SAT score is 2400.
The ACT is slightly different. This test features four required sections: reading, English, math, and scientific reasoning. The ACT also includes an optional essay. Each required section is graded on a scale of 1-36 points. The four scores combine to yield an aggregate score. The optional essay is graded separately on a 12-point scale.
Regardless of their grades and academic achievements, high school students should err on the side of caution and apply to more than one school.
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Online Colleges That Accept Transfer Credits
When looking for colleges that accept transfer credits many of the four year online colleges below will accept up to 90 transfer credits. This is about 75% of total credits you need for a bachelors degree. This means that you may be able to transfer all of your credits from your previous college work. Keep in mind that the info below is for undergrad transfer requests only.
How Many Credits Should You Take Every Semester
You should try to draw a realistic plan for how many credits you can handle each semester given the difficulty of the courses youll be taking, your own work ethic can any external factors you may be facing like a job or family responsibilities. Once you figure that out, youll have a solid date in mind for completing your degree and graduating.
most standard 120 credit bachelor degree programs, colleges recommend students take about 15 credits every semester to finish in four years. If you want to use this as a guide, just be aware that you will need to arrange your courses carefully, because some classes will count for more credits than others Also try to time your toughest courses for times of the year when you wont have many other commitments, and can handle late-nighters and out of class writing assignments. It can be a good idea to mix your toughest core classes with some electives that wont be as challenging. It can be a good idea to give yourself some lighter semesters along the way. But before you do, find out if your school has a minimum requirement for credits per semester that you have to satisfy in order to remain a full-time student. Losing full-time student status can have an effect on your tuition and other factors as well.
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Definition Of A Business Administration Degree
If you decide to pursue higher education after graduating from high school, there are many options you can choose from. While some students may already know that they want to continue all the way through medical school or to get their Ph.D., perhaps you feel as though you want to start off slowly and take college courses up to a certain level, before deciding on what’s next. Or perhaps the career path you’re interested in pursuing only requires an associate degree to land the position. If you’re interested in going for your associate’s degree, which is a major accomplishment in itself, you’ll be required to take a certain number of credit hours in order to receive your degree and participate in graduation.
How Many Credits For A Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelors degree may be your education goal from the start or the follow up to an associate degree youve already earned. The Bureau of Labor Statistics determined many career fields, especially competitive fields, such as information technology, require a bachelors degree. The BLS also found 174 occupations as typically requiring an employee to have a bachelors degree to break into the field.
A bachelors degree takes 120 credits, which is around 40 courses. Typically, earning a bachelors degree takes 4 years, but depending on your previous education and whether youre a full- or part-time student, it may take a shorter or longer length of time. You may have earned credit through other courses youve previously taken or certifications.
Bachelors degree programs are designed to prepare a student to enter a particular field. Some bachelors programs offer students the additional option of studying in a specific concentration. Degree concentrations are specializations within a field of study. If youre earning a bachelors in psychology, you may want to take courses that focus on addiction, mental health or child and adolescent development. Adding a concentration to your bachelors degree allows you to learn more specifically about the area in which youre aiming to have a career.
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