The Associate Degree may be the lowest rung on the academic totem pole, but a less prestigious seeming degree doesn't equal a worthless one. In fact, for many people an Associate's Degree could mean finding a rewarding career. For others, this is a good starting point for those unable to pay four years of high tuition. Moreover, an Associate's Degree can be a way to eventually get accepted to a university. For this reason, more people should be aware of what an Associate's Degree is, and what it can do for them.

There are two basic types of Associate's Degrees. The first type is a degree that can ready you for a job immediately after graduation. These professional or career degrees give profession-specific courses of study. For instance, one could learn to become a physical therapist through a two-year Associate's in Physical Therapy degree. There are also some technical degrees in areas like air conditioning and heating, auto mechanics, and electronics. Some of these degrees also have work-study programs where you can get hands-on experience while you study, which will also give you experience. These types of degrees ready their students to get better jobs after graduation than someone who only has a High School diploma.

The other type of degree is one aimed to help those people who want to go on to a university after graduation. These 'transfer degrees' generally have a more broad, liberal arts and sciences range of classes. This can be especially useful for students who want to improve on their grades or test scores, by proving that they can be good students and thereby get into a better university. For those who cannot afford a full four years of university tuition, an Associate's Degree can also allow them to take non-major specific courses required for a Bachelors degree, at a fraction of the university cost.

While this sounds fine, I bet you're wondering about the quality of the education at such institutions. From my own experience, the teachers at Community Colleges are as good as, if not sometimes better than those at the big universities. Teachers at universities are usually vying for the next promotion and for that they have to publish, publish, and publish some more. They might be more interested in researching their next article, than in their lesson content. On the other hand, Community College teachers aren't in that academic rat-race, and can concentrate on lesson quality. They seem more willing, and able, to help their students achieve a better understanding of the material they present. The teachers at Community Colleges are there, not for the money, the promotion, or the tenure, but for the love of their subject matter and their equal love of teaching. This type of environment promotes excellence in teaching, which can only lead to better-educated students, and you know that can't be a bad thing, no matter what type of career you want.

So, what is an Associate's Degree? Simply stated, an Associate's Degree is a one to two-year, post-High School education that can get you a profession or can help you towards getting into a university. Either way, you'll be learning with excellent teachers and at the fraction of the cost of a university, and in an environment that promotes the personal achievement of the student, and not the lecturers. In short, an Associate's Degree is a wonderful educational opportunity that I would encourage anyone who is unable to get into, pay for or doesn't want to go to university to consider seriously.

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