Lesson 7B: Types of Associate’s Degrees
n all of these fields, you’ll walk away with an associate’s, but some associate’s degrees go farther than others in helping you get a job. There are many different types of associate’s degrees, which you’ll find as you go through this process, but we chose to focus on the most common types.
1. A.A.S. stands for [show-hide] Associate’s of Applied Science [/show-hide]
2. A.S. stands for [show-hide] Associate’s of Science [/show-hide]
3. A.A. stands for [show-hide] Associate’s of Arts [/show-hide]
Of the three above degrees, only one is terminal. Which one is it? [show-hide] The A.A.S. [/show-hide]
That means that you will need to go to four-year college with the A.S. and A.A. to really make yourself successful in the workforce.
Let’s talk about the A.A.S.
In college, one class general equals [show-hide] 3 [/show-hide], and most A.A.S. degrees require roughly [show-hide] 60 [/show-hide] hours. However, different programs demand different degree plans and a varying number of hours. (Degree plan = [show-hide] the number and names of courses you have to take to get a degree. [/show-hide])
For example, with no remedial classes at [show-hide] Houston Community [/show-hide] College, an A.A.S. in [show-hide] Chemical Engineering Technology [/show-hide] will require [show-hide] 70 [/show-hide] hours, which can be completed over a total of [show-hide] 5 [/show-hide] semesters. Yes, you’ll be taking classes for a whole summer in between!
At the same time, an A.A.S. in [show-hide] Respiratory Therapy [/show-hide] demands [show-hide] 72 [/show-hide] and it takes [show-hide] up to 6 [/show-hide] semesters, including summers.
Although A.A.S. degrees are geared towards certain jobs, they still require that you take some basic classes that any college would require. For instance, you will have to take [show-hide] English composition [/show-hide] and [show-hide] basic math [/show-hide], but you won’t have to take [show-hide] foreign language [/show-hide] or [show-hide] literature [/show-hide] unless that’s part of your field of study.
