In order to receive an associate degree, you must earn at least 60 credits, which typically can be fulfilled by completing 20 three-credit courses. While many traditional American higher education institutions follow academic years that are divided into two equal semesters of 15 or 16 weeks, others are divided into quarters.
Associate in Arts Degree Requirements In addition to the General Requirements for Degrees listed in the current College Catalog, candidates for the Associate in Arts Degree must complete at least 60 credit hours of TRANSFER CREDIT (TC) courses including the General Education requirements listed below.
Regardless of the associate's degree program you enter, you'll have to complete general education requirements to gain a basic competency in foundational areas including math, writing and reading. General education requirements usually include courses in the social sciences, the humanities, mathematics and communication.
For example, if you decide to pursue an associate's degree in accounting, many classes will be predetermined and relate to law, taxes and business mathematics, whereas if you decide to earn a general associate's degree in the arts, you'll have more flexibility in choosing your classes and your overall program goals.
An Associate of Arts or AA Degree is a two-year undergraduate degree program requiring the completion of 60 credit hours. An AA offers a foundation of general education and career skills in subjects such as social sciences and liberal arts.
The required amount of credits during a year is 60 credits, that means 30 credits per semester. Usually, you would have around four mandatory courses during a semester, with each course worth an average of 7.5 credits.
It usually takes 60 credits to earn an associate degree. Though it's considered a two-year degree, your timetable can vary depending on how many credits you take per semester: 60 credits / 15 credits per semester x 2 semesters per year = 2 years.
Generally speaking, college credits do not expire. However, several factors—including the age of those credits—will influence whether or not they are eligible for transfer into a particular program. It is important to remember that every institution has its own transfer credit policies.
In addition to the General Requirements for Degrees listed in the current College Catalog, candidates for the Associate in Arts Degree must complete at least 60 credit hours of TRANSFER CREDIT (TC) courses including the General Education requirements listed below. Students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.00 (C). See page 128 of the current College Catalog for further IAI description. All students must complete the specific degree requirements in effect for the AA degree according to the Catalog of Record listed in their academic records. For further information, see Catalog of Record on page 33.
ENGL 110 and 111; In order to fulfill this requirement, a student must receive a grade of “C” or better in each of the two courses.
While a foreign language is not required for graduation at ICC, students are strongly advised to check the requirements of the program at the college or university to which they intend to transfer.
Simply stated, an associate degree requires that you earn 60 credits – half as many college credits as a bachelor’s degree. Not only is it a stepping stone toward a bachelor’s degree, but an associate degree gives you the latitude to either pursue general studies or narrow to a particular career field.
Whether you are looking for a degree that can prepare you for the workforce or to pave the way toward a bachelor’s degree, you can complete your associate degree at the pace you desire in many programs — often in less than 2 years.
While many traditional American higher education institutions follow academic years that are divided into 2 equal semesters of 15 or 16 weeks, others are divided into quarters. And still others, including online universities, may offer up to 6 terms annually. The semester format of the institution you ultimately choose can greatly increase or decrease the number of classes you are able to take each year—thus shortening or lengthening the time it will take for you to earn your 60 credits. For example, universities that offer online courses might also offer you a greater number of opportunities to earn credits throughout the academic year.
In 2020, individuals with associate degrees earned a median weekly salary of $938, compared to high school graduates who earned $781. Only 7.1% of associate degree holders were unemployed in 2020 compared to high school graduates, who had a 9% unemployment rate.
While many consider their academic careers complete at this point, you may ultimately wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree. If this is of interest to you, consider an associate degree program that allows you to seamlessly transfer the credits you've already earned toward your bachelor’s degree. Typically, credits earned in associate degree programs can be applied toward general education requirements.
All associate's degree programs are similar in structure. They usually require about 60 credit hours, with half of these being general education classes and the other half being related to your area of study. For example, if you decide to pursue an associate's degree in accounting, many classes will be predetermined and relate to law, ...
Each associate's degree program has a concentration in an area of study with its own course requirements. These requirements focus on topics related to the area of study and help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to work in that field upon graduation. If you chose to study business, for example, your concentration classes might include marketing, management, economics and accounting.
General education requirements usually include courses in the social sciences, the humanities, mathematics and communication. Most schools give you some choice as to the exact classes you'd like to take in these areas.
Even though many of your classes will be planned for you, some degree programs leave room for electives, or classes that you choose. In many cases, you'll choose elective classes from a set of approved classes that relate to your area of study. In this way, you can customize your program to meet your specific interests while furthering your knowledge of a broad area of study.
The average tuition for a year in an associate degree program cost $3,770 in the 2021-2021 school year, according to the College Board. That’s for public in-district schools—meaning you’re a resident in the district the associate degree program is located.
Common types of associate degrees include associate of arts (AA), associate of science (AS), and associate of applied sciences (AAS).
Associate of Applied Science (AAS): Associate programs that focus on technical and vocational skills are often called Associate of Applied Science programs. These programs are generally designed to prepare students for a specific occupation or work in a specific field after graduation. Fields can include computer science technology, hospitality management, paralegal studies, law enforcement, welding, among many others. Although it’s less common to use an AAS degree to transfer into a bachelor’s program, some four-year degree programs have begun accepting them for transfers.
Build up study skills: If you’ve been out of school for a while and want to brush up on your study skills, or your high school GPA didn’t quite meet admission requirements for a four-year degree, an associate program can give you a boost. Most community colleges don’t have a GPA requirement for admissions.
Keep in mind that employers for some positions—like registered nurses—might prefer bachelor’s degree holders but may also hire associate degree graduates.
An associate degree in the US is typically a two-year college degree that can be obtained at community or junior colleges, online, or at some universities.
A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years, or two if an associate degree is obtained first.
A bachelor's degree requires completion of 124 credits, with at least 31 earned at Empire State College. Each degree program has a specific number of required liberal studies credits.
To satisfy the State University of New York general education requirement, all undergraduate degree programs must have at least 30 credits over seven general education knowledge and skill areas. Students are required to meet the areas of Mathematics and Basic Communication. See the general education policy for details.
Because certain kinds of professional education are regulated by state education law, colleges may not offer professional concentrations in areas covered by the law unless authorized to do so. Empire State College may not approve some concentrations in such areas as nursing, engineering and education.