What are the Benefits of an Associate Degree?

Posted: May 20, 2016 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 1 minutes

student studying inside libraryAn Associate Degree (A.A. or A.S.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting two years. It is a greater level of education than a high school diploma or GED but less than a bachelor's degree.


An Associate Degree provides the academic foundation allowing students to transfer to a four-year bachelor’s degree program, such as Southern Utah University. Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) programs cover the curriculum taught in the first two years of a four-year program of study.

Some occupations require workers to have a least “some college” in their educational background, in which case, an associate degree is a perfect fit. Other employers simply require employees to have an associate degree and have it listed as an essential job qualification.

SUU offers an Associate of Arts (AA) and an Associate of Science (AS) degree in general studies.

Candidates for either degree must:

  • Complete a minimum of 60 credit hours (24 of the final 30 hours must be completed in residence).
  • Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all work completed at SUU, as well as a 2.0 for a combined SUU/Transfer overall GPA.
  • Complete all SUU general education requirements.

In addition:

  • For the AA degree: Complete eight hours of one foreign language, beyond the 1010 level. All foreign language classes must be completed with a “C” grade or higher.
Find the version of this article in Spanish here: ¿Cuáles son los Beneficios de un Título de Asociado?

This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Tags: Blog

Related Posts