One bachelors degree or several Associates degree more marketable?

[29palms]

What is better to have? A few Associates degrees or AAS degrees or one bachelors degree? Which is more marketable? I know this depends on alot of things.

[mrs.b]

It does depend on various factors, such as the field you are seeking, prior work experience, and so on. That said, a Bachelors degree will almost always trump 1 to 5,862 Associates degrees if all else is equal. (Okay, maybe only 5,858. Still, you get the point.) Associates degrees are generally considered to be introductory subject matter - a bit more than you might have picked up in high school or on the street - but a Bachelors degree generally represents more detailed and concentrated education on the major's subject matter. You might be looked at as a jack of all trades if you have multiple Associates degrees, but if you are seeking employment for a position expecting any form of expertise, they would probably prefer the Bachelors.

[cookderosa]

What is better to have? A few Associates degrees or AAS degrees or one bachelors degree? Which is more marketable? I know this depends on alot of things.

Let me frame it differently for you. Which is better to have, multiple high school diplomas or one associate degree? Just as an Associate Degree is a vertical move above a diploma, a bachelor's degree is a vertical move above an associate degree. Multiple associate degrees, like diplomas, are lateral.

Now, there might be a few exceptions, like if a specific associate degree is the industry standard for that specific career (nursing for instance) and in that case, the second associate degree is essentially "re-training" for a new career. The opposing situation, where one has an associate in general studies, and an associate in liberal arts, would be equal and not considered vertical by anyone.

Why? Associate degrees are 100 and 200 level course work. (the stuff CLEPs are made of). Generally, most people consider those first 2 years as introductory. It isn't until 300 - 400 level courses that you get into your "major" or courses for people taking the subject as a career. So, a random associate degree-seeking student may take psychology 101, and maybe even a second psychology course. But a psychology major will take over 30 credits beyond those two courses in psychology, and in courses that are considered much more difficult.

[OE800_85]

Totally agree with the two above, if you weren't sure already.

I think a master's can be different. In some cases, people have two bachelor degrees (or a double major) that is more valuable than a master's. An example would be Engineering and Computer Science.