What is the difference between an Associates degree versus applied science?

Answer 1

The main difference between an associate in applied science degree and an associate in science degree is that an AAS degrees is intended for someone that plans to find a job as soon as they finish school in a specialized area of skill (e.g. welding, automotive, ndt, dental hygenist etc.) whereareas an AS degree in science is intended for those looking to go on to a four year university. What it boils down to is that with an AAS degree MOST of the technical or vocational courses will not transfer over to a four year degree but you will be able to find an entry level job in your area of concentration. Compare that to that an associate degree in science and it would be recommended to go to a four year university because most employers wont accept an AS degreee as a qualification. With an AAS degree some of the classes will transfer over to a four year university if you earn the degree at a community college instead of a vocational or private school. Its a myth that most AAS degree courses wont transfer because at most junior colleges a student still has to take a math, English, science, computer, and elective courses as a part of their respective program. Do your research and if you intend on getting an AAS degree I would recommend getting it at a junior college instead of those technical or vocational schools if your area of concentration is offered, and normally you will see a junior college is cheaper, provides 100% finanical aid if you qualify and at most technical or vocational schools the most you can get is a certificate whereas with an AAS degree will help you out in the long run.

Answer 2

An Associates in Science degree is a more general education degree, including more humanities and general sciences. An Associate in Applied Science, nursing or otherwise, is a more targeted degree for that profession. A "regular" associates degree is more transferrable to a Bachelor's degree and more all-purpose (can be applied to several jobs but in a general way), whereas an "applied" degree is more likely to get you a specific job (but no other job).

Answer 3

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 more detailed information.

Answer 4

Answer 1: An "Associate of Science" (AS) degree is a two-year, 60 semester credit hours academic degree; and an "Associate of Applied Science" (AAS) is a two-year, 60 semester credit hour career (or "career training") degree. It can be a huge difference if and when the associates degree holder ever attempts to have his/her associates degree applied to a bachelors degree.

Academic associates degrees (which includes both "Associate of Science" (AS) and "Associate of Arts" (AA) degrees) are little more than the first two years (the freshman and sophomore years) of a four-year bachelors ("Bachelor of Arts" (BA) or "Bachelor of Science" (BS)) degree. The coursework in a two-year AA or AS degree is exactly the same as the coursework in the freshman and sophomore years of a BA or BS degree. That's why the holder of an AA or AS can transfer same into a BA or BS program, and then complete just the third and fourth (junior and senior) years thereof, and then, voila!, s/he has herself a bachelors degree in only two years of work beyond the associates degree.

In both AA/AS degrees, and BA/BS degrees, the student takes up to 45 semester credit hours worth (about 2/3rds of an AA/AS, or about 3/8ths of a BA/BS) of what's called "lower division general education" (LDGE)...

...courses in a wide range of disparate subjects which have nothing to do with the degree's declared major, so that by the time the student graduates, s/he will have a very generally well-rounded college-level education. Such LDGE courses are in things like English composition, math, both natural and Social Sciences, communications, humanities, computer and library usage... stuff like that. Then, atop that, one takes however many hours are required for the degree's major (and minor, if one is declared), plus general electives, until the AA/AS degree has been completed at 60 semester credit yours, or the BA/BS degree has been completed at 120 semester credit hours.

An "Associate of Applied Science" (AAS) degree, though, while also worth 60 semester credit hours, is very different from either an AA or AS in one very academically important area: It's lower (than an AA/AS degree's) amount of LDGE.

A typical AAS degree can contain as little as half -- typically from 18 to 24 semester credit hours -- the amount of LDGE that a typical AA or AS degree contains. And so, then, an AAS degree does not transfer will into a BA or BS degree, and still count as pretty much the entire first two (freshmand and sophomore) years thereof.

The hours of an AAS, which would have been devoted to LDGE if it were an AA or AS, end-up being devoted to practical career-oriented coursework. And as long as the AAS graduate plans on using his/her AAS to work in whatever is the career suggested by said AAS's major, and also as long as s/he never tries to use the AAS to enter a BA or BS program, then an AAS is perfectly fine. It's absolutely perfect, in fact, for someone who is absolutely certain that s/he will absolutely never try to go on and get a BA or BS... especially if the AAS well-trains him/her for whatever is his/her chosen career in which s/he may work with only an AAS degree.

But if there's any chance that s/he will ever circle back -- maybe in later life -- and ever try to apply his/her AAS toward a BA/BS, then s/he will likeley, at that point, wish that s/he had gotten an AA or AS.

The AAS degree holder who tries to transfer same into a BA or BS program is usually able to do so; but because said AAS is short on LDGE, s/he will likely spend most of the first year of said BA/BS degree taking LDGE courses to get caught-up; and only after that would s/he begin the third (junior) year of the BA or BS program.

That means that where an AA/AS degree holder could likely have begun the BA or BS as a junior, and completed in only two years...

...the AAS degree holder would first have to make-up the missing LDGE, and then begin the junior year, thereby making his/her BA/BS take closer to three years.

As long as the AAS degree holder has his/her eyes wide open about all that, and is willing to take the extra courses to bring his/her LDGE up to par if s/he ever seeks a BA or BS, then it matters not! The AAS degree seeker, though, really needs to understand all this so that s/he will not feel blind-sided if and when s/he ever decides to get a BA or BS degree.

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

For the source and detailed information concerning this subject, click on the related links section indicated below.

Answer 7

the difference is one is art the other is science

Answer 8

well one is associate and other is occupational

Answer 9

A Two Year Degree That Focuses On Natural Science, Engineering, And Mathematics Is Called An