What Can I Do With an Associate of Arts Degree
If yous're ready to kickoff a new career or want to advance in your current field, gaining a wide-based education through an Associate of Arts program could assist you attain your goals. Just what is an Associate of Arts degree, and what can you do with one?
An Associate of Arts (AA) degree is one of the most common types of two-year degree programs. It offers a strong foundation of general education courses in subjects like writing, humanities and social science and also provides key career skills.
"The AA caste prepares students with skills that 21st-century employers seek in task candidates, like communication, disquisitional thinking, quantitative reasoning and technological literacy," said Calliope Pappadakis, a general education instructor at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
Earning an AA degree can give you the boost you need to start an exciting career beyond many fields, including social services, business, retail and more. If you're ready to kickstart your career, an Associate of Arts degree could aid you reach your goals.
AA degree programs are designed for students who have achieved a high schoolhouse diploma or equivalent and want to advance in their current careers, kickoff new careers or lay a foundation for their futurity education.
Because acquaintance degrees are typically two-year programs, they can help you lot become the knowledge and skills y'all need to start your career faster than a bachelor'south degree program.
While an associate degree is more than affordable than a bachelor'due south caste, cost can vary by university and a educatee's transfer credits. While a two-year program is more attainable financial aid is bachelor for students working towards an acquaintance degree.
"The AA degree might exist a better choice for someone who is not prepare to commit to the iv-year degree, even if they are because it in their long-term goals," said Pappadakis. "The AA caste helps you become your foot in the door, both professionally and educationally."
How Many Credit Hours for an AA Caste?
So, what is an Associate of Arts degree program actually going to take to complete? The actual number of courses required and the fourth dimension it takes to finish an AA degree can vary significantly from student to student.
Because more than students are balancing piece of work and family unit obligations with their pedagogy, a growing number of online acquaintance degree programs offer more flexibility to earn a degree at your own pace.
If you're working full-fourth dimension while pursuing your caste, information technology may take you longer than two years to consummate the program. While not typically required for AA degree programs, gaining existent-world learning experience through internships may also add additional credit hours to your degree.
But while some students may take longer than two years to complete an AA programme, others can earn their degree even faster. Because general education courses brand upwardly a large portion of the Associate of Arts program, students with past educational experience can often apply transfer credits toward their program requirements. Some degree programs may fifty-fifty offering credit for professional experience, said Pappadakis.
What Can You Study in an AA Caste Program?
A broad variety of Associate of Arts degree programs are available to help you attain your personal career goals. Ii examples of AA degree programs include liberal arts and digital photography.
AA in Liberal Arts
In a liberal arts associate degree program, yous can get the general didactics and career skills yous need to seek entry-level jobs in business, social services, assistants or management positions. You lot'll get an introduction to arts and civilisation and begin to better sympathise your identify in the globe effectually you lot.
This broad-based degree program can help you gain valuable writing, computational and technical skills as you explore a diverseness of field of study areas, including:
- Humanities and history
- Social and behavioral sciences
- Technology and math
Yous can also gain important critical thinking and problem-solving skills every bit yous learn to analyze issues from all angles, research solutions and communicate your findings to a multifariousness of audiences.
AA in Digital Photography
Along with full general education courses in writing, advice and social sciences, you lot can explore pattern theory, learn how to use light and color and gain fundamental postal service-production editing skills to process digital images.
Other topics of written report may include:
- Media communication
- Visual literacy
- History of photography
If yous dream of running your own photography studio, an Associate of Arts degree tin also provide you with business knowledge to help you get your career upwards and running after graduation.
No matter what you choose to report in an AA degree plan, you'll have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of topics and proceeds valuable skills through general education courses.
Associate of Arts caste programs too typically include several elective courses. This means you can tailor your degree to your particular interests and career goals and graduate with the knowledge and skills you need to seek your dream job.
Which is Ameliorate, an AA or an AS Degree?
If you're because an AA degree, you may be wondering virtually other acquaintance degrees and if some are better than others.
At that place are two primary types of associate degrees available: an Associate of Arts (AA) and an Associate of Science (As).
An AA caste typically focuses on liberal arts subjects, including social sciences, humanities, blueprint and more. Developing career skills is a focus of AA caste programs, and students can get on to many entry-level positions in human being services, communications and authoritative roles.
An AS degree is also a two-year plan. While in that location is all the same a focus on liberal arts subjects through general education courses, degree-specific courses typically focus on business concern, technology or practical sciences, depending on the specific program.
Deciding which type of acquaintance caste is right for you is less about one program being better than the other and more nigh how they each set up yous to reach your personal and professional goals, said Pappadakis.
"The AA and AS are both valuable degrees every bit they strengthen students' real-globe skills and set students for both personal and professional success," she said. "Both degrees offer students the opportunity to gain skills that are valuable in today'due south workforce, and both prepare students for a new career or job advancement."
It's of import to explore the types of jobs you can get with an associate caste and how they marshal with your professional goals to determine which program is right for y'all.
What is an Associate of Arts Caste Used For?
AA degrees provide a strong foundation of career skills that employers are looking for across many industries. Earning an acquaintance degree could help boost your lifetime earnings and employment prospects.
"The AA degree is a stepping stone for students looking to grow in a career where their current employer requires some postsecondary educational activity," said Pappadakis.
Through the broad-based instruction of an AA programme, you can develop skills such every bit:
- Disquisitional thinking
- Problem-solving
- Decision making
- Communication
- Collaboration
While the specific jobs you lot tin can get with an AA degree volition vary depending on your item surface area of written report, these skills tin assist you lot stand out to employers and get a rewarding job across many industries.
What Jobs Can You Get With an Associate of Arts Degree?
According to data from the U.S. Agency of Labor Statistics (BLS), possible jobs for AA degree holders include:
- Administrative banana: Manage business operations and keep an function running smoothly by assisting with paperwork, scheduling meetings and being the office's start bespeak of contact. In 2020, authoritative assistants earned a median almanac bacon of $40,990, according to BLS data.
- Client service representative: Help customers online, over the phone or in person past answering questions and responding to complaints about a business and its products or services. According to BLS, the median wage for client service representatives in 2022 was $17.23 per 60 minutes – an annual wage of near $35,000 for full-time employees.
- Food service manager: Oversee the daily operations of a bar, eatery, hotel or deli. If you've worked in the service industry before, management positions can help y'all accelerate your career. Food service managers earned a median annual wage of $56,590 in 2020, according to BLS data.
- Data clerk: Perform clerical tasks such equally preparing routine reports, bills, claims, payments or orders for an organisation. Manage records for a business and provide information to company employees and customers. According to BLS, data clerks earned a median annual bacon of $36,920 in 2020.
- Social and human service assistant: Provide services to individuals and families, help social workers and other human service professionals and connect clients with community services. In 2020, social and homo service administration earned a median almanac wage of $35,960, according to BLS data.
- Lensman: Use your technical expertise and creativity to produce, edit and preserve images that tell a story or record an event. Jobs are bachelor in aerial photography, commercial photography, portrait photography, event photography and other types of photography. According to BLS data, photographers earned a median wage of $xix.85 per hour – or about $41,288 annually for full-time workers.
- Preschool teacher: Educate and care for children in preschools, daycare centers and other like settings. Teach language, motor and social skills and provide for children's health and safety. In 2020, preschool teachers earned a median bacon of $31,930. [Notation: some states may require licensure or other credentials for preschool teachers.]
Is an Associate of Arts Degree Worth It?
"More and more employers are requiring some form of postsecondary education, and in many cases, a 2-year degree is sufficient and offers graduates an opportunity to advance in t
According to the BLS, associate degree holders earned about 20% more per week in 2022 than workers with but a high schoolhouse diploma. Associate degree holders also experienced lower unemployment rates, at 7.ane% for associate degree holders compared to 9% for loftier schoolhouse graduates without any college experience.heir career or launch into a new i," said Pappadakis.
Jobs for acquaintance degree holders are also growing. According to BLS information, jobs requiring at least an associate caste are expected to rise 10.five% from 2020-2030.
An AA caste tin can also ready you up for success in a four-twelvemonth bachelor'south caste program, which can help you advance your instruction and career even further.
"The AA degree can serve equally a meaningful milestone to someone who is because a bachelor'southward degree, as it is the equivalent to the get-go two years of the four-yr degree," said Pappadakis.
What Bachelor'southward Degree Can I Get With an Acquaintance in Arts?
An AA degree is a smashing first footstep toward almost any bachelor's degree. Because a large portion of the AA caste consists of full general teaching courses, you'll likely be able to transfer those credits to a bachelor's degree program.
"Students can transfer quite easily into available's programs should they decide to in the futurity," said Pappadakis.
Depending on the available'due south program you're seeking, y'all may demand to take some prerequisite classes before officially first to work toward your caste. Merely in near cases, you'll be able to start your bachelor'due south degree with your general teaching courses already completed. This means you tin get started on your program courses faster and graduate with your four-year degree sooner.
And if you lot end upward pausing your pedagogy before completing the four-year degree, you'll still accept your Associate of Arts credential to support your career. According to BLS data, people with an acquaintance caste take better earning and professional person potential than workers who have taken some college courses without completing whatever degree.
Why Earn an Associate of Arts Caste?
Now that you've explored the ins and outs of an AA degree, you may nevertheless be wondering if this educational path is right for you. Then, what is an Associate of Arts degree really expert for?
According to Pappadakis, there are many direct career benefits for students.
"Many jobs today require an acquaintance degree, and so for someone looking to join the workforce, the AA degree can increase their marketability and job candidacy," said Pappadakis.
Perhaps yous don't need a four-yr degree to advance your career in your chosen field. Or maybe y'all're but not sure what your calling is and aren't ready to commit to a four-year degree.
No affair your reasons for pursuing a ii-year degree program, an AA degree is a credential that tin open many doors.
"Students gain skills that are in loftier demand today, like communication, intercultural knowledge and skills that are part of lifelong learning and empower students to take control of their ain learning and explore the world with marvel and reflection," said Pappadakis.
Consider how an acquaintance degree can fit into your life.
Danielle Gagnon is a freelance writer focused on higher education. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
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Source: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/what-is-an-associate-of-arts-degree
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