Online Associate Degree Programs

Online Associate Degrees: Associate degrees generally take 2-years to achieve. Many choose to obtain one from a community college. Once you recieve your associates degree, you will typically need another 2 years or 60 credit hours to earn a bachelors degree. Another option is to go into the workforce at the entry level. We recommend the University of Phoenix Online, Florida Metropolitan University, American InterContinental University Online (AIU Online), Kaplan College.

Associate Degree Standards
An Associate Degree is an undergraduate degree, that requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours to obtain. The program generally consists of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. Complete an online associate degree at your own pace has many benefits. Full time study is equal to 4 semesters or 15 semester credit hours. Accelerated online associate degree programs are also available online. An online degree is the same as on-campus or in-classroom.

AIU

• Associate - Business Administration
  AIU Online's Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration is designed to prepare students for careers in the real world. Coursework has a concentration on career-focused knowledge and skills in business, critical thinking and communications. The curriculum also features an introduction to the global business environment.
  
• Associate's of Criminal Justice Administration
  If your goal is to obtain an AABA with a concentration in Criminal Justice Administration degree online, note that the AIU Online Associate of Arts in Business Administration degree features a concentration in Criminal Justice Administration. This degree program combines the real-world business skills taught in our university's AABA degree program and applies them to specific knowledge of the field of criminal justice.
  
• Associate's of Healthcare Administration
  For those considering an Associate of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Administration degree online, note that the AIU Online AABA degree features a concentration in Healthcare Administration. This degree program combines the real-world business skills taught in our AABA degree program and applies them to specific knowledge of today's rapidly expanding field of Healthcare Administration.
  

Request more information from: AIU
about their Online Associate Degree Programs.

Anthem College

• Graphic Design & Animation
  Ask a designer which of the five senses they couldn’t live without, and they’d say ”sight.“ Colors, textures, shapes and images rule their world, and if they buy something, it’s often because they like the packaging. Who needs a palette and a brush? People in Graphic Design want to paint the world-one mouse click at a time.
• Medical Billing & Coding
  Health Care workers are in strong demand, so now’s the perfect time to get into Medical Billing & Coding. Find out how our program can train you for a job in this rapidly growing medical field.
• Business Management
  Broaden your business knowledge and learn how successful managers supervise individuals and teams. Best of all, the financial, marketing and decision-making skills learned in this program will expand your employment opportunities.

Request more information from: Anthem College
about their Online Associate Degree Programs.

Saint Leo University

• AA in Liberal Arts
  Whether you're just starting down the path to earn a college degree or you have a few credits under your belt, Saint Leo University's AA in Liberal Arts may be the right degree program for you. And it's 100% online! So you can keep your job and get your degree at the same time. You'll be exposed to the broadest range of subjects in this flexible liberal arts curriculum with a selection of courses from the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, the arts, religion and philosophy. You'll be immersed in cornerstone and core liberal arts courses as well as general electives, fully developing your intellectual capacity and appreciation for learning.
• AA in Business Administration
  Maybe you've been out in the workforce and want to advance in your current company or maybe you'd like to land a new position in the business world. If this sounds like you, Saint Leo University's AA in Business Administration is your first online step to getting back into the routine of school. You get the basic foundation of general education courses and an introduction to the core business concepts you'll encounter in today's demanding business world. Whether you're continuing on to get your BA in Business Administration (with a concentration in Management, Accounting or Health Care Management) or you'd just like to get ahead in the workplace today, this Saint Leo University program will put you on the right path to your desired degree.

Request more information from: Saint Leo University
about their Online Associate Degree Programs.

In general associate degrees are given by a community, junior or technical college. This degree indicates that you have completed a program of study with a broad base in general education and a concentration in a specific area.

An online associate degree in business, liberal arts, and other disciplines, is now widely accepted for transfer into bachelor degree programs throughout the country.

Online Associate Degrees Available

• Accounting
• Arts & Humanities
• Business & Management
• Criminal Justice
• Design
• Early Childhood Development
• Education
• Engineering
• Graphic Design
• Fire Science
• Health Sciences
• Hospitality Management
• Human Resources Management
• Law & Paralegal
• Marketing
• Social Sciences
• Telecommunications
• Technology

General Education
General education should be an integral part of all associate degree programs in order to develop characteristics that help define an educated person. The liberal arts and sciences

• Communication,
• Natural Sciences/Mathematics,
• Humanities, and
• Social Science

are a fundamental component of all collegiate degrees. Granting a degree implies that the student has achieved general education experiences in addition to technical preparation that may be part of a program. There are standards regarding the minimum number of general education credits required outside of technical portions of a program for each type of associate degree. In accordance with commonly held standards Colleges, Universities, Distance Learning and Trade Schools agree that the general education portion of the associate degree program should be acceptable toward baccalaureate degrees.

Minimum Standards
All associate degrees should require the equivalent of at least two years of full-time study built around a defined body of knowledge. Because full-time enrollment is becoming less common, the minimum standards have been expressed here in terms of credits. Programs that do not measure academic progress by credits will need to demonstrate through equivalent measures that these standards are met.

In accordance with commonly held standards, the minimum requirement for an associate degree is 60 semester or 90 quarter credits. It is understood that institutions may use other terms (e.g., hours, courses) to express equivalent student accomplishment.

  Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree programs are primarily intended to provide a broad liberal arts and sciences background. A.A. degree programs should include at least 90 quarter or 60 semester credit hours of completed course work which is defined as college level and which is designed to constitute the foundation (the first two years) for a baccalaureate degree. They should include a minimum of 60 (quarter) or 40 (semester) credits distributed across at least the following four areas: Communication, Natural Sciences Mathematics, Humanities, and Social Science. Included in the 60 (quarter) or 40 (semester) credits should be at least 8 (quarter) or 5 (semester) credits in Communications, and a minimum of 12 (quarter) or 8 (semester) credits in each of the categories of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences Mathematics. The remaining general education credits should be chosen from one or more of these four categories. In a few cases, the remaining 30 (quarter) or 20 (semester) degree credits may be used to acquire limited technical expertise in a given area.

  Associate in Science (A.S.) degree programs are intended to provide a liberal arts and science background and to provide the foundation for baccalaureate programs with highly structured lower division requirements such as engineering, agriculture, or the sciences with heavy undergraduate requirements in mathematics and science. Credits earned in A.S. degree programs are designed for transfer toward particular baccalaureate programs. A.S. degree programs should include at least 90 quarter or 60 semester credits, with a minimum of 45 (quarter) or 30 (semester) credits distributed across at least the following four areas: Communication, Natural Science, Mathematics, Humanities, and Social Science. Included in the 45 (quarter) or 30 (semester) credits should be at least 6 (quarter) or 4 (semester) credits in each of the four categories. The remaining credits should be chosen from one or more of these four categories. A majority of liberal arts and sciences courses may be prerequisite to, or specifically supportive of, certain applied courses.

  Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree programs are intended primarily to prepare people for employment a clear distinction between the A.A.S. and other associate degrees. Because graduates receive an associate degree, however, A.A.S. degree programs should include a minimum of 90 quarter or 60 semester credits with a minimum of 30 (quarter) or 20 (semester) credits distributed across at least the following four areas:

• Communication,
• Natural Sciences/Mathematics,
• Humanities, and
• Social Science

Because A.A.S. degree programs are not intended as pre-baccalaureate preparation, students should be aware that four-year institutions may accept only the general education course work and a limited portion of the other course work as applying toward the requirements of a baccalaureate degree.

Relationship of Baccalaureate Degrees to Associate Degrees

  An Associate in Arts degree should be equivalent to a minimum of 90 quarter or 60 semester credit hours towards a Bachelor of Arts degree.
  An Associate in Science degree should be equivalent to a minimum of 90 quarter or 60 semester credit hours towards particular Bachelor of Science degrees.
  Only the general education portion of the A.A.S. degree should be considered transferable. Equivalent Measures If an institution does not use a quarter or semester system, it must define and describe how the terms that are used are equivalent to quarter or semester credit hours.