Higher Education Guidance & Counselling

Associate Degree Duration in UK VS USA (2023)

Did you know that an associate degree holder in the USA earns US$887 weekly? While, according to Bureau statistics of the USA, high school graduates earn US$746 weekly. A good salary and a good job become the dream of every student.

Students are often confused about how they can attain a degree in a small-time to indulge in their professional life. Whether you want to attain a degree to attain a good job or want to precede your study in the right direction; an associate degree is the best choice for you.

An Associate Degree takes two years to complete in the USA and UK.

Although the average duration of this associate degree depends on several factors such as mode of education; online or face-to-face, credit hours are chosen in a semester, etc. But average duration to complete an associate degree is two years.

What is an Associate Degree?

An associate degree is two years undergraduate program. It is introduced in the UK in 1873, spread to the USA in 1898, and now also gets popularity in other countries of the world such as Canada, and Australia.

Types of Associate Degree Programs:

As there are two reasons why students opt for an associate degree. One reason is for professional education and the second is to move education to the next undergraduate level. According to their purpose students select the associate degree in the required discipline. There are many types of associate’s degrees but they mainly it is categorized into four types:

  • Associate degree in Applied Arts (AAA)
  • Associate degree in Arts (AA)
  • Associate degree in Applied Science (AAS)
  • Associate degree in Science (AS)

How long an Associate Degree takes in the USA and UK?

The average time duration to complete an associate degree in the USA, and foundation courses in the UK are 2 years. The time limit may be changed, if students fail to complete 60 credit hours for 2 years, then they complete their degree in 3 years or less. You can also complete your associate program in fewer than 2 years by choosing fast credit hours system and continuing your study on vacations.

Career Perspective of an Associate degree

Unemployment is one of the major issues in the world. Every student wants good jobs and selects their education system by considering their career in their minds. Can you get a good job after attaining an associate degree, and which associate degree helps you to get good pay? These are the question that is in the mind of every student. You can about the career perspectives of an associate degree from the following statistics.

After completing your associate degree you are eligible for different high-paying jobs. According to the bureau of labor, statistics show the following high-paying jobs.

  • Dental Hygienist – 74,820 USD/year
  • Air Traffic Controller – 124,540 USD/year
  • Web Developer – 69,430 USD/year
  • Radiation Therapist – 82,330 USD/year
  • Nuclear Technician – 79,140 USD/year.

Wrapping up

You can accomplish your associate degree in 2 years in the USA and UK.

This duration may vary according to your performance and selection of mode. But generally, with the help of an associate degree, you can move on to your professional life in small time in contrast to 4 years of undergraduate programs.

But still, after completing an associate degree you can transfer your credit hours to 4 years of undergraduate programs and attain your undergraduate degree in due time. 

Yousaf Saeed

I'm Dr. Engr. Yousaf Saeed, founder of the AScholarship Education Portal. My academic path includes 3 prestigious international scholarships — Australia Awards, CSC, and HKPFS — for my higher studies. I am also an IChemE affiliate whereas I've also worked for companies like Aramco and BYCO oil refinery as an production engineer at the start of my career. I completed MS, and PhD with major research publications in leading SCI journals (details on my Researchgate Profile). This aScholarship.com reflects my commitment to educating and therefore i started it for the purpose to guide aspiring international students for find scholarships for their higher education dream. As an experienced educator and mentor, I specialize in navigating the intricacies of research and patent and write useful articles on these topics too.