Associate Degrees Online Degree Categories

Associate's degree programs last for two years, and are comprised of nearly 20 courses, or 60 college credits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Community colleges, technical institutes, two-year colleges and four-year universities may offer such degree programs, which can open doors to positions in a variety of sectors including law enforcement, industrial design and social work. Of these career fields, healthcare is the largest and most lucrative for associate's degree holders, as a BLS supplement notes. After completing a combination of classwork and, in some fields, work training, students may enter careers directly. According to the BLS, other students may transfer into a four-year bachelor's degree program with half the necessary credits. They may earn these credits by taking writing, literature, science, and mathematics classes that correspond to the introductory courses of the bachelor's program. Importantly, associate's degree graduates have access to higher pay brackets, as employers may prefer them over applicants who hold training certificates alone. The BLS reports that in 2009, associate's degree holders earned an average of $761 a week, while high school graduates working at the same time took home a weekly wage of $626.

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