Associates Degrees

Kettering College of Medical Arts

Kettering, Ohio

Annual College Costs (Fall 2008)

* Cost per credit hour: $315 For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (College Board) indicated below this answer box.

Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Annual College Costs (Fall 2009)

• Tuition and fees: $39,490
• Room and board: $10,390
• Books and supplies: $800
• Estimated personal expenses: $1,200

For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (College Board) indicated directly below this answer section.

University of North Carolina

The university has multiple campuses. The degrees offered are listed below depending on the campus.

• Bachelor's
• Master's
• Doctoral
• First Professional

For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (College Board) indicated directly below this answer section.

The institution is not recognized by the College Board therefore does not have a regional accreditation. Therefore, cost information is not available through the College Board. In addition, please read the below to prevent any regrets later.

On 1 August 2007, twelve former college students filed a lawsuit against Sanford-Brown College and its parent company, Career Education Corporation, alleging that Sanford-Brown engaged in aggressive and misleading recruiting tactics and misled them about the transferability of Sanford-Brown's credits and the nature of its curriculum, training, and faculty. (Wikipedia)

For colleges and universities within the United States and its territories, the critical issue is the schools accreditation. When choosing a college or university make sure the institution has a regional accreditation. With a regional accreditation you can be assured the coursework and degree you complete will be recognized by all other colleges and universities as well as employers. Below are listed the six regional accrediting agencies and their geographical areas of responsibility. Make sure the school is accredited by one of them.

Regional Accreditation Agencies

· Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, as well as schools for American children in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

· New England Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational institutions in the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

· North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

· Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities - Postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities) in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

· Western Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational institutions in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands.

· Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.

It's not that one is better than the other, it's just that they are different. Read the following for the differences in associate degrees.

What is the difference between Associates of Arts, Associates of Science, and Associates of Applied Science? Associate degrees fall into three main areas. * Associates of Arts (AA) * Associates of Science (AS) * Associates of Applied Science (AAS) Each of the above degrees is designed to be completed after two years of study as a full-time student and provided the student takes the degree as prescribed by the college. In addition, most every community college requires that every incoming student be placement tested before they register for their first semester (unless they fall into an exemption category). This test is not an admissions test and has no bearing on a student's acceptance to the college. In fact, most students have already been accepted to the school before they take the test. It is not a test that is passed or failed, but simply to determine whether an individual needs to take some refresher courses before entering college level coursework. This is to ensure the student has the appropriate basic skills to succeed at the college level. The test is broken down into four parts; two parts English and two parts mathematics. The English includes grammar (sentence sense), and reading comprehension. The math includes computation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, square roots, and percentages), and the equivalent of a high school algebra I. If the student scores low in any these areas, then they will be required to enroll in the indicated remedial course/s starting with their first semester. Thus, the two year degree plan may turn into a two and a half year, or possibly a three year plan depending on how much remedial work is needed.To limit this time, students have the option to enroll in summer session courses. Now let us look at the inherent differences between the degrees: Associates of Arts (AA) The Associates of arts is really designed as a fully transferable degree to a four year college or university for those pursing a Bachelors degree. It serves to complete most of the four year institutions general education cluster area, which amounts to the first two years of a four year program. It also serves to complete any perquisite courses needed for the four year institutions curriculum major and minor requirements. Students are admitted to Junior level status provided they have completed the matching associate's level degree. In other words, Business AA to Business BA, Engineering AS, to Engineering AS etc. Thus, within this degree students will be required to have a well rounded educational foundation to include, English literature, history, social science, laboratory science, humanities, math, communications, etc. These courses are in addition to the student's major field of study. Associates of Science (AS) Within the AS degrees a student will notice there are less general education requirements, and more career oriented course work. You will find this in curriculums to include, Nursing, Engineering, some Computer Science and Allied Heath fields. Still, these programs should be fully transferable to four year institutions provided the degree matches that of the four year college or university's program of study, as mentioned above under AA degrees. Associates in Applied Science (AAS) The AAS degrees are very career oriented and designed to give the student all the expertise needed for entry level positions upon completion of the degree. Therefore, the student will notice most of the AAS degree is made up of professional phase courses particular to a specific field, and a very limited number of general education courses. This has promoted the myth, that all AAS degrees are not transferable to four year colleges and universities. I will admit, as the degree was originally designed; transferability was not the original intent of this type of degree. Therefore many AAS degree fields of study did not transfer to four year institutions very well. In fact, in some categories it was almost like starting over. Today this is not so. Community Colleges today have what is known as Joint Admissions or Dual Admissions articulations with four year institutions, where if the student completes the agreed upon program of study successfully, the four year institution will take the degree full faith in credit and grant the student Junior level status. This includes AAS degrees. However, it is strongly recommended that a student who is seeking to transfer to a four year institution at a later date, make an appointment with a Transfer Counselor at the Community College for the pros and cons of AAS transfer as well as and more detailed information.

First you have to decide which area of science. There are many. Once you decide on the specific career you hope to achieve, you must meet with one of the admissions professionals to make sure you are applying to a transfer program. If you are in the correct transfer program, there will be no problems. If you have not decided on a specific career, please read the following carefully.

The best course to study is the one that leads to your overall career goals and objectives. Thus, I would imagine you do not have anything specific at this time. So many individuals enroll in college programs without a specific goal in mind. As such, many become miserable in their work which is not good for them, or their employer. If you want to be successful in your work and life, carefully consider the following.

To be successful in your work, you must acquire a vision. A vision is a clearly articulated picture of the future you intend to create for yourself. In other words, it's a dream. However, if the dream does not have direction, it will always remain a dream and will never become a reality for you. That vision should create a passion within you, a love for what you do and the benefit it brings others as well as yourself. Make sure the vision is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and tangible. Let us look at this closer. When you believe you have chosen an appropriate career goal, look at it in SMART fashion as follows. * Specific - Make sure your career goal is very specific. For example, "I would like to be a teacher," is not specific. "I would like to be a high school biology teacher in New Jersey (USA) in an urban school by 2012" is. * Measurable - Make sure you can measure your progress. How will I know I am progressing in the right direction? This is where the development of short-term objectives comes in (discussed below). You will know you are on the right path as you accomplish each short -term objective. * Achievable - Is the goal achievable considering my current life situation and circumstances? * Realistic - Is what I want to do really realistic. For example, "I would like to be a middle weight boxing champion, and I am 63 years old." That is not realistic. * Tangible - What will I - specifically - have at the end? What will I be (exactly)? It must be very specific. Once you have that vision your path will become clear. Still, you will need a mentor, counselor, or coach who will be able to help you develop a road map embedded with short term objectives leading to your overall career overall goals and objectives. The achievement of short-term objectives will indicate you are moving in the correct direction, and will also give you energy and excitement to carry on towards your overall career goal. It will take some research, but you most likely have some ideas already. Follow them through, look at the nature of the field, the everyday routine, the required education, the salary, the occupational demand and the related fields. When a career sparks an interest, try to shadow an individual who is actually doing what you think you might like to do. You can pick up valuable information this way. Thus, the following. * Acquire the will to change circumstances. * Acquire the vision (dream). * Develop a road-map embedded with short-term objectives leading to your overall goal and objective. * Just do it and do not let go until it becomes a reality.

Typically, there are four levels of college degrees. They are as follows from lowest to highest.

• Associates
• Bachelors
• Masters
• Doctorate (highest level of academic attainment)

There are three options to become a registered nurse as follows.

• diploma program (typically three years, not recommended for individuals who do not have an already existing degree)
• associate degree (two years as a full-time student once the student starts the professional phase of the program)
• bachelor's degree (BSN) (four years as a full-time student)

For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (U.S. Department of Labor) indicated at the bottom of this answer box.

The university at present does not have the preferred regional accreditation. Therefore, the coursework and degree completed through this institution, may not be recognized by the traditional regionally accredited colleges and universities.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is not necessarily true as the climate has been changing with the ignorance between regional and national accreditation. CSU not only has national accreditation through the Distance Learning & Training Council (DETC) which has the same equal recognition through the United States Department of Education and CHEA (US DoE and CHEA does not rank or distinguish one accreditation being better than the other), but CSU just recently acquired a traditional bricks and mortar college (Waldorf College) in Iowa which is regionally accredited.

CSU has partnered with University of North Alabama and the following schools:

University Learning Partners

Boise State University (Passport Unlimited) California State University Dominguez Hills College of Extended and - Community College of Southern Nevada Dodge City Community College, KS Florida Medical Training Institute Forest Trail Academy, LLC, FL (WC/CSU) Georgia Tech Research Institute. OSHA Training Institute Education Center Global Institute of Management & Technology, AL Henley-Putnam University, CA Institute of Technology, CA -International Education Ivy Tech Community College, IN National Institute for Truth Verification, FL South Central College, MN Stark State College of Technology, OH Summit Bible College, CA Trinidad State Junior College, CO University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kits University of Saint Eustatius Virtual High School of Excellence, FL (WC/CSU)

In addition to this list, CSU has conducted their own research to find the following institutions will accept CSU credits for transfer:

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/Partners/Universities

Lastly, CHEA formed the Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA) which states as follows:

The Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA) is a voluntary group of accredited institutions that are concerned with the importance of student mobility, enhancing success in transfer of credit, and affirming the responsibility and prerogative of individual institutions with respect to acceptance of transfer credits. HETA is a Web-based directory of colleges and universities that is open to all institutions that are accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE). Membership in HETA is entirely voluntary. HETA is not intended to and will not constrain institutional freedom or prerogatives with respect to acceptance of transfer credit.