Associate Degree

An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years. In the United States, and some area's of Canada, an associate degree is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college or university degree. It is the lowest in the hierarchy of post-secondary academic degrees offered in these countries. Although an associate degree is not usually as lucrative as a bachelor's degree, the resulting careers can still afford a respectable income with greater job security and much less student debt.