Is a Associate Degree useless?

I will be receiving my associate in criminal justice this May; three weeks before I complete my bachelor degree in psychology. I wish I were getting my Psychology degree first before my Criminal Justice degree. The reason I feel this way is because I went on couple of job interviews and one of the interviews actually told me I wasted my time on getting any kind of associate degree. She said there waste of people time. I personally got my cause I liked criminal justice and did have the time to devote to another four-year study.

 

There are many levels to look at this issue from.

If you enjoyed the program and gained knowledge from it then it is not a waste of time. No, associates degrees are not always held in high esteem. The university I attended for my BA was debating doing away with the degree altogether. Nonetheless, you are earning a bachelors and the BA in Psych along with the AA in CJ may be a good combination. Anything can be viewed as a waste. I have heard of stories of people earning multiple Bachelors on the same day due to meeting the requirements for each of the degrees (the university was somewhat sheepish about answering a newspaper reproters questions about the situation). So, does the person with multiple BA's have any more credibility??

Do most jobs requiring degrees probably want BA's? Sure. Does that negate the value of your AA.........no. I hired someone with a Bachelors degree (Social Work) that also had an AA in legal something or other (she had been a paralegal). I thought at the time that it added to her credentials. I would question what your interviewer's issues were to make some sort of statement to you such as her opinion that you were wasting your time.

North

 

I see the AA degree as a stepping stone for a Bachelor's degree. There are some individuals who dislike college but are required by their employers to have some education beyond the high school diploma.
The AA degree doesn't carry the same "clout" as a BA. However, in todays competitive job market, those with degrees (including AA) are far better off than those with high school alone.
I recall reading an article a couple of years ago about a postal worker in Oregon. He attended college at night. After a couple of years he earned an AA degree. He was soon after promoted to area supervisor.
Someone with an AA degree will usually have a better chance for promotion than someone with a high school diploma.

 

Not useless. But not quite a "degree," either. Particularly useful in technical fields, the military, and law enforcement.

Earning a bachelor's degree negates the possession of an associate's. Once I had a bachelor's, I stopped listing my associate's. When I earned a second associate's (after a second, useless bachelor's, BTW), nothing changed. I just happened to pick it up along the way.

Bottom line: if it's all you have, use it. Once you graduate with a bachelor's, forget the associate's. Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

Associate degrees aren't always useless. Sometimes it can be easier to transfer into a 4 year school if you actually have an associates degree. They tend to regard that as already having completed the required core where as if you just transfer the credits they evaluate it course by course. Not all schools do that, but enough that sometimes having an associates can be an advantage.

I ran into this with American Intercontinental if I had not completed my AAT they would have evaluated my transcript class by class, and according to the admissions counselor could have required me to take additional course work in the humanities and I think a second economics. I found it easier personally to stick out the one class I had left to complete my AAT and just transfer directly in without needing the extra classes.

At any rate, it gave me something to help cover my bare office walls.

 

On a professional level, Associate degrees are useless. Most professional positions require a Bachelors degree for entry-level employment and an Associate degree does not meet this requirement.

On a blue collar level, Associate degrees are helpful, particularly in esoteric fields e.g. IT. Many police departments are also now requiring Associate degrees for entry-level employment.

 

If associate's degres are a waste of time, then why does the United States have some 1200 community colleges?

I do think that some associate's degrees are more useful than others. They are most useful in vocational, technician-level and para-professional subjects. They are least useful in traditional academic subjects where an advanced degree is usually expected.

In your case, the CJ associate's might conceivably turn out to be just as useful as the psychology bachelor's. Many people in the lower levels of law enforcement (not just police officers) have associate's degrees. A combination of both degrees might look particularly good to many employers.

It's interesting that associate's degrees are actually quite prestigious in a few fields. One of these is the culinary field: chef's schools often grant associate's degrees. The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco has a great many students enrolled who already have bachelor's degrees. To these students the subsequent (not-RA!) associate's degree is considerably more valuable than their bachelor's degree.

Bottom line: I think that you just happened upon an arrogant degree snob. For heaven's sake don't get down on yourself.

You are doing great: You will have a fine associate's degree that will make you more employable now and will form a solid basis for additional education later.

 

In my opinion, the Accociate Degree does not hold much weight in pursuing a job. Of course, the Bachelors is the key degree.

How I have viwed the Associates Degree is this, it is a stepping stone.

To me it is a "degree"...don't get me wrong. It is a vaild degree that states you have completed an education level.

How I explained it to my younger cousin, preparing to go to college in the fall:

The Associate Degree is a "degree"!

Think of the degree in this way, it signifies that you have completed a General College/University Education requirement that is specified by the College/University and the Dept. Of Education.
What it represents is that you have been educated at the college level in the general areas of Math, English, Science, Foreign Lang, Humanites, and History....at the introductory level.

Also, in my own little way I indicated that the Assoc Degree is a completion of the Freshman & Sophmore college levels......which grants you to continue on to the Junior and Senior level (upper class).


Hey I am more than proud to admit that I have an Assoc Degree...in fact, I have listed it on my resumes' with my Bachelors too.

Hey......it is a college degree. Not as big as a Bachelors, but you have more than some people do.

 

I agree with BillDayson,

Here in California it seems like we have a community college on every corner. AS or AA degrees are often used in technical areas, drafting for instance. Many of the local fire depatments require an AS in fire science before entering their academies.

In addition, a large percentage of students at California State Universities earned associate degrees at community colleges, thereby fulfilling the general education requirements at the universities.

I think any degree or certificate (RA of course) is better than no degree.

 

I think that this thread demonstrates quite a bit of confusion about associate's degrees. People say that they are occupationally worthless, that they aren't real degrees and that they only represent the completion of the lower-division general education requirements prescribed by bachelor's programs.

It might help to look at real-life associate's programs. Here's the list of the associate's degree programs offered by City College of San Francisco:

Accounting
Administration of Justice
Aircraft Powerplant Maintenance Technology
Airframe Maintenance Technology
Architectural Interiors
Architectural Technology
Avionics Maintenance Technology
Bank Operations
Business Office Information Processing
Commercial Cut-Flower Greenhouse Production
Computer Programming
Construction Management
Dental Assisting
Dental Laboratory Technician
Diagnostic Medical Imaging
Early Childhood Education
EKG Technician
Electrocardiography Technician
Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
Electronics Engineering Technology
Elementary School Assisting
Emergency Medical Technician
Environmental Design
Fashion Merchandising
Film Production
Fire Science Technology
Geriatric Home Aide
Graphic Communication: Image Preparation
Graphic Communication: Presswork and Finishing
Graphic Design
Graphic Design/Art Direction
Health Information Technology
Hotel and Restaurant Operation
Illustration
Labor Studies
Landscape Gardening and Contracting
Legal Assisting
Library Information Technology
Marketing
Mechanical Engineering Technlogy
Medical Office Assisting
Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide
Nursery and Garden-Center Operation
Ornamental Horticulture and Retail Floristry
Pharmacy Technician
Photography
Radiation Oncology Technology
Real Estate
Registered Nursing
Secretarial Careers
Transportation and Travel
Vocational Nursing

It's notable that CCSF has discontinued the associate's degree programs in transfer subjects that they once offered. They still offer coherent programs of lower division study designed to meet CSU and UC transfer requirements, but no longer grant associate's degrees for completing them.

 

The AA degree does have its place in the world of work. Many vocational trades such as Dental Assisting, Lab Technicians, Landscaping, Photography and Hotel Management require an AA. The degree gives the graduate the basic skills necessary for performing those tasks that are expected in these positions. It also gives the employer a sense of comfort knowing that his/her employees have completed a certain level of study.

 

Avia93: Nothing honorable is useless! Congratulations on your combo package of two degrees; your associate's will serve to enhance your bachelor's by widening your field of study, and your bachelor's will demonstrate your ability to complete the traditional four-year course. I hope this synergy works out well for you.

 

Interesting. Do you know what their (announced) reason for this change was?

The conspiracy theorist in me immediately speculated that it was an "end run" to bring down the student loan default rate and financial aid percentages-- no degree/certificate program, no financial aid.

 

Nope. It was news to me when I saw it in their catalog.

No, it isn't that. Under "general eligibility for financial aid", the very first requirement reads:

1. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program leading to an associate degree, a certificate, an award of achievement or transfer to a four-year college or university.

CCSF's catalog separates the the transfer subjects from the vocational curricula, and the associate's programs are all listed (along with certificate programs) in the latter category.

I'm speculating, but my guess is that there might simply be too much variation between the lower division preparation that different universities expect, even in the same major. The CCSF catalog talks a lot about UC and CSU requirements, about articulation agreements, and about the need for transfer students to talk to a counselor.

It might also be evidence of low demand for transfer associates degrees in subjects where a bachelors degree or higher is expected.

 

If both degrees are from the same school, I'd agree. I got my A.S. from one school & my B.A. from a different school, so I feel more comfortable listing it.


Bruce

 

Something to sing about

Thanks to everyone,
I liked the different opinions to my question. It helped me to understand that every interviewer will look at my associate degree in different ways just has everyone here has on this board. I now have gotten over the horror of that rude interviewer and come to realize that I am proud of my associate degree. I spent many hours studying exams for my criminal justice classes and deserve the respect do to me. Even, when my Psychology degree arrives three weeks after my associate I will still be very proud of my first college degree.

 

ADN degree

Associate's Degree- useless? I don't think so! I have my associate's in Nursing. So what if people think they are only good for vocational subjects?!. I have many friends who have their bachelor's in more white-collar areas and they are getting laid off by the droves while we vocational types are still employed. This is my observation at least.
Bottom line- an associate's degree is nothing to be ashamed of!

 

Actually the associate's degree has one other use. It is like a place holder. There are many bachelor's degree granting institutons that will transfer an AA or AS (not AAS) entirely, no matter when it was earned. Essentially meaning you are always just 60 or so semester hours away from a bachelor's degree. Many of those same institutions will not always transfer 60-66 hours without considering when they were done etc.. E.G. my brother earned his AA and his wife just had 60 hours. Both transferred to the same instituion, they took his degree in its entirity, but only took selected courses for her. A final point...some employers in technical and medical fields (i.e. computers,nursing, respiritory therapy, COTA, CPTA) use the associates as the entry to the profession!

 

Congratulations on your degrees!

In the January 20, 2003 of COMMUNITY COLLEGE WEEK, there was an article about a study done in West Virginia. They found that a person holding a doctorate earned an average of nearly $3,300 less per year than a resident with an associate's degree. That’s $31,537 for the associate's holder and $28,250 for the doctorate holder. Of course, this is probably pretty unique to W Virginia, but it's still an interesting point.

As has been suggested, there are two types of associate's degrees: academic and applied. Academic degrees (typically A.A or A.S.) are generally intended for transfer to a bachelor's degree program.

Applied degrees (typically A.A.A. [Associate of Applied Arts] and A.A.S.) are generally intended as an entry level credential for many types of jobs. They are not intended to be applied to a bachelor's degree, and in fact, in many cases "four-year schools" will not accept them in transfer.

Part of the reason for this is that the regional accreditor have far more lenient guidelines for instructors for applied courses. Often, only a bachelor's degree is required, sometimes not even that. However, the RA bodies frown on schools applying courses to an academic degree when the instructor does hold at least a Master's degree with 18 graduate hours in the discipline.

Jeff

 

It took eight years of part-time study to earn my associates while working full-time, another 2 years to earn a BS while working full time. I list both on my resume.