A limit on Associates?

[shadowcross]

I know that there is a limit on earning multiple Bachelor's degrees, in the form that only 90 of said credits will transfer to the new Bachelor's, plus a few more restrictions.

But are there any restrictions on the earning of multiple Associates?

I ask this because, I am just a few exams away from completing my CCAF AAS Aircraft Maintenance Technology, and then want to focus on the AS of Business through Excellsior.

And then, As I plan to get at least, two Bachelor's (neither of which have anything to do with Aircraft), the other in Arts (probably Psychology), If I can also earn an associate of Arts, as well.

These Associates degrees may not carry as much weight as Bachelors, but they are, in a way, an important milestone that mark the halfway point.

So can I have multiple associates, or since I'll already have one (CCAF AAS AMT), I'll have to skip right to the bachelors

any information would be helpful

cheers!

[snazzlefrag]

I know that there is a limit on earning multiple Bachelor's degrees, in the form that only 90 of said credits will transfer to the new Bachelor's, plus a few more restrictions.

But are there any restrictions on the earning of multiple Associates?

I ask this because, I am just a few exams away from completing my CCAF AAS Aircraft Maintenance Technology, and then want to focus on the AS of Business through Excellsior.

And then, As I plan to get at least, two Bachelor's (neither of which have anything to do with Aircraft), the other in Arts (probably Psychology), If I can also earn an associate of Arts, as well.

These Associates degrees may not carry as much weight as Bachelors, but they are, in a way, an important milestone that mark the halfway point.

So can I have multiple associates, or since I'll already have one (CCAF AAS AMT), I'll have to skip right to the bachelors

any information would be helpful

cheers!

Hi Shadowcross,

I don't think you will have a problem being allowed to earn a second Associate's degree, as long as it is in a different subject and from a different department within your school (ie, one from the School of Business, and one from the School of Liberal Arts).

As an end in and of itself, an Associate's degree obviously has lots of utility for many people. An AA on your resume is a lot better than no degree.

However, if you intend to get your Bachelor's degree in the same subject, the Associate's won't really mean all that much (it's basically just a degree that shows you successfully completed 60 credits on your way to completing your Bachelor's degree....well duh!).

Basically, if an Associate's is your final destination, it is VERY worthwhile. However, if you already hold an AAS, and now your final destination is a Bachelor's degree in a different subject, earning an Associate's degree in the same subject as your eventual Bachelor's is not really going to provide any utility other than to provide internal satisfaction and/or encouragement to continue on towards your Bachelor's.

So, your decision has more to do with whether you want to pay the additional costs for an Associate's en route to your Bachelor's, and whether you need the personal satisfaction/encouragement that 'officially marking' the half way point will provide.

But once you have a BA in Psychology on your resume, an AA in Psychology will not represent anything other than the fact that you paid a fee half way through the process of earning your Bachelor's. Your AAS in Aircraft Maintenance Technology would, of course, be a different matter since it is your final destination in that particular subject, and is in ADDITION to your Bachelor's in Psychology.

Hope that helps,
Snazzlefrag

[justintime]

Back during my days in the Army, I often wished we had a "Community College of the Army" that was similar to the CCAF. Our education centers advertised Regents (Excelsior) along with schools under DOD contract (City Colleges of Chicago, University of MD, Troy State). But nothing existed for us quite like the CCAF. I understand eArmyU is much better now than the good old days. USAF usually lived better than us Army grunts, which should come as no surprise.

It is my experience that some colleges allow a student to earn as many AA/AS/AAS as desired. Our local CC allows only one AA and one AS, but an unlimited number of AAS degrees. Central Texas College may have a degree limit if using TA while on active duty. I'm unsure about Excelsior's policies. If memory serves me correctly, TESC has a limit.

The following absolutely reeks of academic redundancy, but I've earned 3 associates degrees over the past 17 years. Two of the degrees, an AA in General Studies and an AAS in Information Technology were awarded by schools having close ties to the military - City Colleges of Chicago - Europe and CTC. The third AA comes from a local community college.

For me, the motivation for obtaining the 3rd AA was primarily due to the core requirements for my BA. After completing all core classes at the local CC, only one additional class was needed to satisfy the 3rd AA. My then-employer paid tuition and books in the form of a monthly stipend. So I sat in class after work or took online courses to the tune of 9-15 hours per semester. I also earned two undergrad certificates.

I'll end with this: The bachelors is the key. While the associate degrees look good on the resume, the 4-year degree opens many more doors.

[upgray]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but once i acquired a bachelor's degree, i would no longer even list the associate's degree on a resume. The associate's is noteworthy only if it expands your qualifications in a relevant area. Otherwise, you are simply saying, on your resume, that you attended a school that grants associate's degrees.

[kitanis]

JustIntime

not to add insult to injury about Army against Air Force... but Air University is going to be changing the CCAF in the future.. It will first become a Air University degree and eventually it will be a opportunity to be a BA instead of a AA degree.

Its a good thing for future enlistee's. I will never see it.

[justintime]

JustIntime

not to add insult to injury about Army against Air Force... but Air University is going to be changing the CCAF in the future.. It will first become a Air University degree and eventually it will be a opportunity to be a BA instead of a AA degree.

Its a good thing for future enlistee's. I will never see it.

Really? Good for the USAF. Such a move is hardly surprising considering the Army's historical educational lag behind the USAF.

One of the service publications recently mentioned a senior Army general voicing his dismay with the current transferability of various Army specialties (MOS) to degree plans. The general went on to say that he had ordered a study to equate the combat arms jobs more with civilian education.

Although a large number of technical MOS are awarded numerous credits by ACE, combat arms (infantry, artillery, armor, air defense, combat engineers) sorely lag behind the others. If I'm not mistaken, these five enlisted career fields contain a sizable percentage of the Army's soldiers.

As far as listing associates with bachelors on a resume is concerned, depending on the job sought, I usually list all. My job search dance was experienced earlier this year. A couple HR people appeared impressed with the notion that someone would expand their horizons in the form of multiple, lower-level undergrad degrees. Out of 80 resumes submitted, my conversion ratio for interviews was roughly 1:4.

[spazz]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but once i acquired a bachelor's degree, i would no longer even list the associate's degree on a resume. The associate's is noteworthy only if it expands your qualifications in a relevant area. Otherwise, you are simply saying, on your resume, that you attended a school that grants associate's degrees.

I agree.. You tailor your resume to the job specifications, and hardly any jobs require an associates. But just about every skilled job now a days require a degree. Another thing, multiple bachelors will not be of help either. You might as well apply the time/effort towards a masters, rather then waste your time with another bachelors.