Associate Degree Technology?
Q: I have a rather silly question, but since Iam not very familiar with
American educational system I have to ask:
During my "exploration" for a decent MSc in Computer Scinece (or in
Information Technology) I found some colelges and universities that also
offer an Associate in Computer Science (or any other science for that
matter).
I know what a Bachelor, Master or PhD is, but I haven't a clue what an
Associate degree is?
A:they are two year post-secondary degrees. Some of the
programs are very focused and technology or medically oriented, while
others are designed for transfer to four year schools and simply
represent the first half of a bachelor's degree.
As you are looking for a graduate program, associate degrees should not
be of any interest to you.
The associate degree, a very American thing, is the outgrowth of the
"junior" (now community) college phenomenom. It is awarded for two years
(or the equivalent) of study past high school. Its original intent was to
give a degree to those who completed junior college, but didn't go on to a
university to earn a bachelor's. Kind of like a consolation prize. Well,
that's evolved into a situation where many, many associate degrees
proliferate, with a variety of majors. Also, there ae academically oriented
associate degrees and technical/occupational ones. Oh, and community
colleges aren't the only ones awarded them. Many colleges and universities
award them along the student's way to the bachelor's.
An associate's is essentially a two year diploma; it more or less
represents the first half of coursework (foundation courses) for a
bachelor's.
I can add that the Associate's is a college/university degree in its own right.
Furthermore, sometimes it is intended for transferring; sometimes it is not.
Also, I will mention something that hasn't been discussed yet.