How good is an Associates degree in America?

You can only get so far with a AA degree, with the economy the way it is now(which sucks) unless you get really lucky, But I don't like to play my cards around luck if you know what I mean. Having only a AA degree may not help you much at all in certain fields anymore. Healthcare, Nursing, Radiology, Sonography and certain other positions in the Medical field is an exception, yes you can get by with a 2 yr degree. I figure this field has not changed its job requirements to be so high yet, because there is a high demand for these folks and not many qualified people are available to work some of these positions, unlike other fields there is too much supply of unemployed people/ people looking for new jobs and not enough jobs to go around so companies are changing their job requirements to quickly lessen the resumes they look though and people they interview.

 

I think that associates degrees are great in many fields. If somebody gets an associates in nursing and successfully becomes an RN, they will be in great demand and can work anywhere they like. But associates degrees don't mean a whole lot in conventional academic subjects where more years of education are the norm.

In graphic design, I don't think that degrees count as much as a strong portfolio and contacts. It's a competitive field. If your friend doesn't have a portfolio of work she's done in the industry, just getting a bachelors degree in some other subject isn't likely to get her a cool graphic design job.

 

Manufacturing companies like to hire people with technical AA degrees for positions such as machinists, test technicians, quality inspectors, and similar jobs. They usually have a good grasp of basic math and other knowledge pertaining to work requirements. Here in So Cal AA graduates from El Camino College in Redondo Beach.

 

Manufacturing companies like to hire people with technical AA degrees for positions such as machinists, test technicians, quality inspectors, and similar jobs. They usually have a good grasp of basic math and other knowledge pertaining to work requirements. Here in So Cal AA graduates from El Camino College in Redondo Beach.

 

Let's keep in mind that an AAS is the entry level credential for many fields. It does still have some value in the market for what it is. It provides an entry point for many vo/tech minded individuals.

many of these students will want a BA/BS later when it's time to progress to a management level but, most tech/trade workers do not proceed to management -- they continue to weld or repair machinery or take x-rays with no desire (and often not the predisposition) to proceed to management.

It remains then that an associate's degree has value in the market for these people. Just as everyone who gets a BA/BS won't go on to an MA/MS; everyone with an AA/AAS won't need to get a BA/BS to meet their career goals.

An AAS/ASN in nursing has far more value in the market than a HSD......