Associate degrees in the US and Canada

An associate degree is an academic program available at an undergraduate level to equip students with the basic technical and transferable skills along with required academic knowledge to immediately be employed or study further in the chosen stream.

There are several reasons due to which associate degrees are quite common amongst international students:

• Easy to jump-start career

• It’s quite affordable

• Pathway to your desired institution for bachelors

• Find your interest before pursuing bachelors

• Qualify for the most relevant qualifications and skills as per employers

Bachelor’s and associate degrees are both open to undergraduate students but there are some key differences to understand before you decide which one to opt for:

Primarily, there are four types of associate degrees i.e., AA (Associate of Arts), AAA (Associate of Applied Arts), AS (Associate of Science, and AAS (Associate of Applied Science) with the basic difference of ‘applied’ course (as they are more career-specific and focus imparting practical skills).
Besides, the AA and AS caters to students who plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree or preparing for higher levels of academic study.

The process of transfer is quite simple till the time your course credits are relevant for the particle bachelor’s program and accepted by your desired institution. Given the same, you just need to transfer those credits and join your desired bachelor’s program halfway i.e., in 2+2 format. Besides, to be prepared for the bachelor’s program, it’s necessary to research your chosen institution, their requirements, and credits in specific classes.

1. Compare your strengths and interests
   It’s important while you plan your future that you are working in a job that interests you and inculcates a feeling of accomplishment in you. In view of the same, introspection of jobs is necessary with the exploration of your interests with the map of possible career options.

2. Diligent research
   Once you have jotted down your skills and interests, research will help you consider all the aspects of the career and factors affecting the particular job category.

3. Narrow down your options
   Once you decide your career path, you have to evaluate your options available such as university or college, program, faculty etc.

4. Select your program and institution
   Don’t make a haphazard decision and consider all the aspects of a program, university and program accreditation and then compare costs. Since two programs can be similar in several ways but yet different in terms of opportunities and costs.

The career prospects after the associate degrees vary based on the type of degree and the subject you opt to study in.
Here's the list of jobs that paid well in the US after the associate degrees in 2019:

*Source: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/high-wage-occupations.htm

In the US, the institutions that offer associate degrees are community colleges, technical colleges, junior colleges, affiliated colleges of universities and university institutes. Some students opt for associate degrees for the preparation for a bachelor’s degree, while others plan to qualify for improving employment prospects. You should know that after completing an associate degree, you are eligible for OPT (Optional Practical Training) or STEM OPT.

In Canada, community colleges and university colleges offer associate degrees which are equal to the first two years of a four-year university degree. Further, the associate degree holders also qualify for the post-graduate work permit (PGWP), which implies they can take the advantage to stay and work in the country after graduation in Canada.

Several students opt to pursue associate degrees and then apply for bachelor’s degree to reduce their overall cost of studying abroad.
To know more feel free to reach our IDP experts who are happy to help you throughout the application process.

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