Duration of study can be 9 or 12 months per year Some students take courses in summer to finish the degree faster I recommend taking 2 to 2.5 years for Masters, especially if you are entry level graduate.
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What Degree is 2 Years of College? If you’re enrolled in an associate’s degree program, you may earn a degree in approximately two years. The course of study is typically equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s program.
If you decide to attend a 4-year university instead, your costs could end up being 10 times higher than that. Even if you compare the median costs alone, going to a 2-year college is going to cost nearly one-third less than what you’ll pay at a four-year university.
Community colleges can get students started on that process, but they can’t lead to a completion of them. There are several additional 2-year college vs. 4-year university pros and cons worth considering as well. 1. It costs a lot less to attend a 2-year college.
Most programs require at least two years, but less than four years of full-time college work. A 4-year university provides a larger institution for students to gain an accredited degree. Universities are different than colleges because of their size and potential availability of graduate programs.
Attending a community college can be a good way for students to ease into the world of higher education and learn at their own pace. This is especially true for students who struggled in high school or anyone who's unsure if they want to make the significant time and money investment in college, experts say.
If you have a specialty field that you wish to pursue as a career, then a 4-year university is your best option because you can guarantee the level of expertise that you'll receive. It is not unusual for community colleges to rely on the efforts of lecturers that might only hold a bachelor's degree in your field.
Most courses provide you with three hours' worth of college credit, which means you take the class for three hours a week. If you take classes two days a week, such as on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then each class is usually an hour and 15 minutes long, adding up to just shy of three hours each week of that class total.
Accredited colleges may offer a 2-year degree completion program. But in order to enroll in a degree completion program, you must already have a pile of college credits under your belt. If you do, then the school will help you finish your degree in 2 years.
Students who learn best from one-on-one instruction may perform better academically at a smaller, two-year college. These institutions typically feature much smaller class sizes that allow professors to lend more of their attention to individual students.
For the average U.S. worker, there's a clear benefit to getting a 2-year associate degree. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2020 workers with an associate degree had median weekly earnings of $938, compared with $781 for people with just a high school diploma.
Working full-time, especially in a profession related to your field of study, provides this learning opportunity. And, even better, you can do so immediately. Many college students can do this through internships, but the opportunities may not be as frequent or readily available compared to those who work full-time.
Despite the rising cost of post-secondary education, a college degree still pays off for the majority of graduates. On average, those with a bachelor's degree earn significantly more than their peers with only a high school diploma.
Taking 12-15 credits is considered “full-time” in college lingo. That amounts to 4-5 classes, and for young students, that course load is really heavy (let's be honest, it's heavy for MOST students of any age).
These degrees, formally titled "associate degrees," are offered by two-year community colleges across the United States. The degree is the first of several degrees of higher education.
Highest Paying 2-Year DegreesRankMajorEarly Career PayRank:1Computer Science (CS) & MathematicsEarly Career Pay:$45,5002Nondestructive TestingEarly Career Pay:$49,9003Radiation TherapyEarly Career Pay:$65,3004Software EngineeringEarly Career Pay:$53,60021 more rows
In the US, associate's degrees are available at various types of college, including community colleges, junior colleges and technical colleges, affiliated colleges of universities and university institutes. It typically takes two years full-time to complete an associate's degree.
Many jobs now require a bachelor’s degree, not just an associate’s degree. Research the job field you want to enter into and make sure you understand the typical educational requirements.
If you want to feel the collegiate experience, like dorm life, you can most frequently find that at a 4-year school.
The Cost 4-year colleges and universities are known for having insanely high price tags, but they also are known for having many more scholarship opportunities. Make sure to do your homework and see if it’s affordable for you.
An articulation agreement is a pact between the two institutions in which the university agrees to accept transfer credits from the community college. When you choose schools that have articulation agreements, you ensure a smooth transfer without the risk of losing hard-earned (and paid-for) credit hours.
According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), there are 1,051 active community colleges in the United States. The vast majority of these are public institutions of education offering associate degrees and professional certificates to undergraduate students.
Public college tuition tends to range from around $5,000 to $10,000 while private universities can cost $20,000 or even $30,000 per year.
In fact, the AACC reports that most community college students (i.e. 63%) attend school on a part-time basis.
In the United States, 45 million people carry the burden of student loan debt. In total, this collective debt equals over $1.5 trillion. To avoid becoming part of this dismal statistic, many would-be university students are opting for community college instead of a four-year university as a way of saving money or avoiding having to take out hefty loans to pay for their education.
Transferring to a four-year university can help you achieve your career goals even if you’re not completely prepared to enter such a school immediately upon high school graduation. If you’ve got your heart set on an occupation that demands a particular bachelor’s degree or simply have a desire for a university experience but lack the grades or finances to make your college dreams come true right out of the gate, then a transfer plan may be the ideal solution.
In addition to smaller class sizes, community colleges also tend to offer more student support services, especially when it comes to academics. While larger universities generally expect students to enroll with the study skills and preparation necessary to succeed in their classes independently, community colleges realize that their incoming students may need a little more assistance. Many of these students are the ones who struggled in their high school courses and aren’t sure whether college is for them. At a two-year school, students of less-than-stellar academic caliber will find tutoring services, remedial courses, and mentoring programs, for instance.
Community colleges help you to stay closer to home. There are thousands of community colleges operating in the United States today. If you live in a community of 10,000 people or more, then there is an excellent chance that you can take classes within 20 minutes of your home.
1. A 2-year college won’t provide you with a bachelor’s degree.#N# If you fulfill all of the obligations of a community college’s two-year program, then you can walk away from that experience with an associate’s degree. That can help you to get into some careers or apprenticeship programs, but it does not carry the same prestige as the bachelor’s degree that a 4-year university provides. If your goal is to get that undergraduate degree so that you can pursue a graduate or doctorate program, then you’ll need to enroll in a college or university by transferring your transcripts to them.
Universities are different than colleges because of their size and potential availability of graduate programs. Some might have a medical or a law school that allows for the pursuit of a professional degree.
That means 13 million students pursue their future careers by obtaining an education at one of these institutions each year.
Most programs require at least two years, but less than four years of full-time college work. A 4-year university provides a larger institution for students to gain an accredited degree.
After you put in a full year of classes, you come to the realization that the major you initially declared isn’t the direction that you want to take in life. Even though you can make this change, several of the classes that you took during the year won’t count for credit toward your new pursuit.
There are more sports teams available at four-year universities. Although you can play plenty of sports when you attend a two-year college, you’ll find that there is a larger variety of teams available when you attend the traditional 4-year university .
Whereas in the USA, usually, the Master’s degree will not take an exact 2 years to complete. If you are from India, B.E. will take 4 years and each semester will have a fixed number of courses that you have to complete to get B.E. degree. But, that’s not the case while studying in America.
You can skip those 3 months and travel around or work in summer or do an internship. When the I-20 is issued, some schools make it for 9 months and another issue for 12 months. 9 Months = 2 Semesters = Fall and Spring. 12 months = 3 Semesters = Fall, Spring and Summer.
As the coding bootcamp industry has evolved, longer coding bootcamps such as Turing, Galvanize, C4Q, Ada Developers Academy, Learner's Guild, CODE University, Holberton School, Make School, We Think Code, and 42 have emerged with courses ranging from 6 months to 5 years. These schools emphasize computer science concepts, offer apprenticeships, and provide in-depth, cutting-edge technology education, without the opportunity cost of a traditional computer science degree. Think a longer coding bootcamp could be for you? Start your research here.
Towards the end of the two-year program, students specialize in a topic of their choice.#N#Length: 2 years (9 months full-time + 6 month internship + 9 months specialization)#N#Learning style: Project-based, peer learning inspired by Progressive Education#N#Instructor student ratio: N/A. Mentors from the industry are available to help students.#N#Cost: Deferred tuition – 17% of your salary for 3 years once you find a job#N#Location: San Francisco, CA#N#Related Reading: Alumni Spotlight: Rona of Holberton School
A 3 to 5-year coding education program where learning revolves around project-based peer to peer learning. Admission is determined through a 4-week “piscine” where students are thrown into a “sink or swim” experience and have to learn as much as possible. The main 42 program includes one optional and two obligatory internships. Students must be aged 18 to 30.
Students can opt to get a stipend while learning.#N#Length: 10 months full-time#N#Learning style: self-directed collaborative learning through team projects with other students#N#Instructor student ratio: N/A. Everyone is both a student and a teacher, plus there are experts available.#N#Cost: $29,750 or deferred tuition via Income Sharing Agreement. Pay nothing upfront, then if you get a job earning $50,000 or more, you will make payments of 12.5% to 21% (depending on whether you had a stipend) of your gross salary for 3 years.#N#Location: Oakland, CA
In addition to their 8-week Summer Academy, Make School offers a two-year Product College that covers computer science and product development and aims to prepare students for a career as a founder or software engineer. Students can choose between learning Mobile Development or Full-Stack Web Development.
Ada is a not-for-profit, tuition-free software school for women who want to become software developers. It is made up of 6 months of full-time classroom training, followed by 5 months of internship.#N#Length: 6 months full-time learning + 5 months internship#N#Learning style: A mix of lectures, project work, and homework#N#Instructor student ratio: unknown#N#Cost: Free#N#Location: Seattle, WA
Her background is in journalism, writing for newspapers and news websites. She grew up in England, Dubai and New Zealand, and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
On average, bookkeepers earn $41,230 each year. Another path to consider is being a payroll or timekeeping clerk, for which you might earn around $46,180 annually. If you’d like to continue your studies with a bachelor’s program, consider an accounting or business major.
Accounting professionals may keep records of financial transactions, help people with their taxes, and perform clerical duties related to payroll.
As a teacher assistant, you might earn around $27,920 each year. Transferring to a bachelor’s degree after graduation can help prepare you for teacher licensure in your state. You may pursue a special education, early childhood, elementary, or secondary teaching degree.
Pursuing a career in the hospitality industry means that you will spend your career creating a welcoming environment for others. Whether you want to work in restaurants, hotels, tourism agencies, resorts, casinos, or event venues, a degree in hospitality management can help you get there.
With a career in human services, you may help people get through hard times and connect with community resources.
With an associate’s degree, you might be able to work as a medical records technician. The median pay for that role is $42,630 per year. Earning a bachelor’s degree may qualify you to take a position as a health services manager. Consider a four-year degree in health services, healthcare administration, or business.
If you choose to go into corrections, your annual salary might be around $45,180 annually. As a security guard, you could earn $29,680 each year. For a bachelor’s degree program, consider extending your criminal justice studies or pursuing a homeland security or corrections major.
That is to say, you will seek “1/9” or “2/9” or — rarely — “3/9” summer salary, which means one, two, or three months’ worth of your annual salary. Typically, you can ask for summer salary for one or two years (or at most, three). It isn’t a permanent part of your contract.
The principle at play is indeed that if you’re not paid, you are not “working,” and should not be expected to provide service. However, that principle is routinely ignored by institutions, who literally depend for their survival on the uncompensated extra labor provided by faculty members.
In STEM fields, summer salary is routinely offered as part of the startup package at major institutions . In the humanities and social sciences, it is something that must be requested as a separate line item in the negotiation — whether you receive it will depend on institutional budget and convention.
ADVERTISEMENT. At many institutions, you can elect to take your salary on a 12-month basis. That doesn’t mean you get more money — it just means that your original salary will be disbursed over 12 months instead of 9. That’s a good option if you are bad with budgeting. However, it is not always available.
It isn’t a permanent part of your contract. Departments offer summer salary to help new faculty members ease into their new lives and responsibilities, and allow them to have research support over the first summer or two while they are still learning the ropes of grant-writing.
So to answer your question explicitly: Yes, your productivity is evaluated as if you did research year-round. And no, 9-month contracts are not changed to 12-month contracts upon tenure. At some point, you may be able to ask that your salary be paid on a 12-month basis, but that is unrelated to your tenure status.
Karen Kelsky. Karen Kelsky, an academic-career adviser , is founder and president of The Professor Is In, which offers advice and consulting services on the academic job search. She is a former tenured professor at two universities. Browse an archive of her previous Chronicle column here. ADVERTISEMENT.