Associate Degrees
In associate-level (introductory or lower-level) courses and degrees, you learn (for many fields):
- the vocabulary of the field,
- the major theories and concepts of the field, and
- basic critical thinking skills that can be applied to any field.
In associate degrees, you learn a variety of skills and perspectives through study of many different academic disciplines--different viewpoints and methodologies through which we can understand our world. You generally learn the basics of different disciplines (e.g., basic scientific method, the vocabulary of literature, the types of questions a sociologist asks, the purpose of studying statistics) in an associate degree. Through these introductory types of studies, an associate degree can also lay groundwork for more focused study in a bachelor degree.