Associate Degree

An Associate Degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, bachelor's degree-granting colleges, and universities upon completion of a course  of study usually lasting two years. In the United States, and some areas of Canada, an associate degree is often equivalent to the first two ears of a four-year college or university degree. In spite of high unemployment, there is high demand for people with skills that often require no more than an associate degree, such as lab technicians, teachers in early-childhood programs, computer technicians, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists.


United States Associate Degree:.
In the United States, associate degrees are usually earned in two years or less and can be attained at community colleges, technical colleges, vocational schools, and some colleges. A student who completes a two-year program can earn an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree are usually earned in humanities, business, and social science fields. A.S. degrees are awarded to those studying in scientific and technical fields. Students who complete a two year technical or vocational program can earn an Associate of Applied Science. They may also have the option to use the credits from the associate degree toward a bachelor's  degree.
Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees are offered at a number of universities around the United States, including Pennsylvania State University, Florida Institute of Technology, Liberty University, and New England College.

Associate Degree in Canada:.
In the province of Ontario, a college is an educational institution which awards a 1 year certificate, 2-year diploma or a 3-year advanced diploma in technical or career programs. Universities offer 3 or 4 year bachelor's degrees, and at times partner with career colleges to offer joint diploma degree programs. For example, the University of Toronto and Centennial College offer a joint Diploma- Degree program in Paramedicine. Students are eligible to enter these programs once they have completed an Ontario secondary School Diploma program at a high school, focusing their studies on college preparation. Students who wish to attend university must study a different stream of academics while obtaining their OSSD.
In the province of Quebec, an associate degree is roughly equivalent to a college diploma, which is delivered by a college level institution. Students can take two different paths to obtain a college diploma. One Way consists of completing a pre-university program, which normally has a duration of two years and prepares the applicant for university level studies. The other way consists of completing a technical or career program in a college. Normally, courses of this nature have a duration of three years and enable the student to enter the work force directly after obtaining their diploma.