Advantage of associate degree vs individual CLEP's?

[Kow]

Maybe you can help me with the big picture. My goal is to get a degree at local University. Is there any advantage in getting an associates degree from one of the Big 3 vs. just individual CLEP's?

[durandtheman]

Hi Kow,
Welcome to the forum!

I would say my biggest advantage of having completed an AS - Business from EC is that now I can say and have proof that i have a college degree. I spent some time in community college and racked up units, but they weren't applied to anything, and putting "Some College" on a job application always made my work feel pointless.

It may be extra money, but if you want to prove your worth NOW you can just get your AS and then apply that to your BA/BS field you want to get, most if not all the credits are applicable. As long as you are working towards that ultimate goal it will look great if you do.

[cookderosa]

Maybe you can help me with the big picture. My goal is to get a degree at local University. Is there any advantage in getting an associates degree from one of the Big 3 vs. just individual CLEP's?

Yes, a few.

1. An AA or AS degree, in many states, can be used to automatically meet the gen ed requirements of a university's BA/BS program. (not always, but sometimes).

2. If you get your degree from your local CC instead of one of the big 3, you can use your AA/AS as part of that school's articulation agreement. That means, that your university "has to" accept the degree. Note- you likely won't get to use as many CLEPs at your state CCs but you should search STATE-WIDE not just in your town. Each CC in your state makes it's own CLEP policy.

3. If you are not enrolled, you are subject to policy changes. For instance, if a university says it accepts 30 CLEP credit, that could change while you are working toward that goal.

4. Life happens. An AA/AS is better than nothing. If something gets in the way of your education (hey, this board is full of us who returned to school) you'll still have something on your resume. Do you know what a guy with 119 credits has? No degree. OTOH, 60 credits gets you an AA/AS, so I say check the box on the way, just in case something happens at 119.

[dcan]

An Associates degree shows on a resume that you are committed to furthering your education. Plus you can keep going after the AA/AS degree and like previously said in many cases many if not all of your 60-64 credits will transfer directly into your 120-ish required for a BA/BS degree. Many schools will take 80 or more CC credits as a result, but be sure and check with the CC and your desired 4-year to be sure, because each school evaluates each other school's courses and degrees to determine what is accepted for transfer and what is not.

Also, point of clarification, there are generally three types of Associate's degrees: Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), and Associate in Applied Science (AAS).

AA and AS are generally transferable (subject to limitations already mentioned), but an AAS is a "terminal" degree because it is more of a "tech school" type of degree. More of the credits are trade specific and may not transfer easily or at all into a 4-year. This doesn't make an AAS bad in any way, just don't automatically think all 60-64 will transfer. It depends, so always check first.

[burbuja0512]

I agree with everything said above, but IMHO, the main factor is time. How long will it take you to test out of everything? Will it cost you more to get an associates on your road to a bachelors?

If you are a moderate to quick tester and end up having to pay more to get the associates, I don't think it's worth it. I took 9 months to finish up my degree and I knew that getting an AA a couple months into it would not help me whatsoever, so I didn't. However, I really love Cookderosa's comment about the 119 credits because it's just so true! I have a friend with 160 credits and no degree! She's taken more undergrad classes than almost anyone else I know yet she has nothing at all to show for her work; an associates would be much better than what she can list on her resume.

Just because the associates wasn't a good choice for me doesn't mean that I make the same recommendation to people I know. My 15 year old is turning out to be a very slow tester,and so is my DH. If it takes them a year or more to get to the 60 credit mark, I think it's very worthwhile for them to get the paper so that they have something for all their work.

That being said, be realistic about what an associates can do for your career prospects. This will vary from field to field, but right now in the business world, even MBA's are a dime a dozen and most jobs require a bachelors minimum. (They don't always enforce this and often just list it as standard language on a job posting) I've seen some others comment here that an associates degree has helped them greatly in their careers for a variety of reasons, but in my world, it would not help much if at all.

One other issue/concern I have with the associates is that if I had one, I'm not sure I would even list it on my resume once I got the bachelors. The reason for this is that I have worked with so many people that are OBSESSED with their university. They wear their college sweatshirt on casual Fridays and talk about their school's sports constantly. This type of person typically views the non-traditional student as somehow inferior (I disagree totally - I learned a lot and did not party my way through school like some people I know that went to State U). Unfortunately, having an associates calls attention to the fact that you didn't initially go to a four year institution. If one of these university-crazed guys is the one that interviews you, or is reviewing your resume, I could see it as being a negative, albeit minor.

..I really hate to have made that last comment because I so totally disagree with the idea of what I just said.. I wish I could say that everyone would look at an associates favorably. And YES it is a heck of a lot better than a blank space where you're supposed to list your education, which is what I had until just a few weeks ago! I just thought I would mention it and hope that it isn't the case for most people. An associates is an accomplishment to be very proud of! Just make sure you don't stop there if you decide to get it!

[cookderosa]

I agree with everything said above, but IMHO, the main factor is time. How long will it take you to test out of everything? Will it cost you more to get an associates on your road to a bachelors?

If you are a moderate to quick tester and end up having to pay more to get the associates, I don't think it's worth it. I took 9 months to finish up my degree and I knew that getting an AA a couple months into it would not help me whatsoever, so I didn't. However, I really love Cookderosa's comment about the 119 credits because it's just so true! I have a friend with 160 credits and no degree! She's taken more undergrad classes than almost anyone else I know yet she has nothing at all to show for her work; an associates would be much better than what she can list on her resume.

Just because the associates wasn't a good choice for me doesn't mean that I make the same recommendation to people I know. My 15 year old is turning out to be a very slow tester,and so is my DH. If it takes them a year or more to get to the 60 credit mark, I think it's very worthwhile for them to get the paper so that they have something for all their work.

That being said, be realistic about what an associates can do for your career prospects. This will vary from field to field, but right now in the business world, even MBA's are a dime a dozen and most jobs require a bachelors minimum. (They don't always enforce this and often just list it as standard language on a job posting) I've seen some others comment here that an associates degree has helped them greatly in their careers for a variety of reasons, but in my world, it would not help much if at all.

One other issue/concern I have with the associates is that if I had one, I'm not sure I would even list it on my resume once I got the bachelors. The reason for this is that I have worked with so many people that are OBSESSED with their university. They wear their college sweatshirt on casual Fridays and talk about their school's sports constantly. This type of person typically views the non-traditional student as somehow inferior (I disagree totally - I learned a lot and did not party my way through school like some people I know that went to State U). Unfortunately, having an associates calls attention to the fact that you didn't initially go to a four year institution. If one of these university-crazed guys is the one that interviews you, or is reviewing your resume, I could see it as being a negative, albeit minor.

..I really hate to have made that last comment because I so totally disagree with the idea of what I just said.. I wish I could say that everyone would look at an associates favorably. And YES it is a heck of a lot better than a blank space where you're supposed to list your education, which is what I had until just a few weeks ago! I just thought I would mention it and hope that it isn't the case for most people. An associates is an accomplishment to be very proud of! Just make sure you don't stop there if you decide to get it!

Excellent points! And just to underscore the speed comment again, and ask a follow-up question. What is your timeline? For me, I went from 0-BA in 18 months. I picked up the AA as well. If it's going to take you 2 years to get your AA, then, frankly you should get your AA. If it's going to take you 3 months, well, it might not be necessary!

Last question, what is your plan for getting these 60 credits into your university? Have you studied the university's policy inside and out re: CLEP transfer vs degree transfer? You need to know the rules before you make any decisions one way or the other.

[ShotoJuku]

Yes, by all means forge ahead and acquire your (Excelsior) AS/AA degree and then move along from there. Attaining that first "gateway" degree can lead to even bigger and better things on paper and in your life - Go For Broke!

[natshar]

Keep in mind it would cost at least 2k for an associates through the big 3 due to residency fees. I don't know where you live, but where I live community college is cheap. Most community colleges require only 15 credits residency to earn an associates degree. It might be a cheaper option to earn an associates through a local community college than the big three. Also, if that community college has special articulation agreements with the local University you could save even more money. Some 3 to 1 agreements you could earn a degree from a local University when only taking 1 year of actual classes there.

I personally earned two associates degrees from a community college by taking 66 credits of courses and 4 CLEPs. The cost after scholarships was about 6k for everything for two years. I took out no loans and paid as I went while working. I can also say from experience an Associate in General Studies doesn't really help much in terms of employment, it would be nice to get a degree in something. Or at the very least, have a specialized area of study. Because I took only one math, one science, one English, one graphic design, etc. it doesn't really add to my skills or make me more qualified for any job.


I also earned a certificate in general education agreement. That entitles me to go any college or University in my state (public or private) and have all or most of gen eds done, even if the specific courses I took don't transfer there.

[davewill]

[natshar]

Oh Wow. Just noticed the date. Not sure why  I commented on this one. Somehow thought it was current.