Associate vs. Bachelor's Degree

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.  

In bachelor-level (advanced or upper-level) courses and degrees, you learn to:

• analyze information, using methods accepted by the field to break the information down into parts, re-structure those parts according to your own insights, and offer an informed opinion,
• apply theories (e.g., explain an occurrence in terms of a t heory in order to understand past actions and predict future outcomes), and
• synthesize information, coordinating data from many sources and understanding how your viewpoint compares with the viewpoints of those in other fields of study.

Note the difference between "you learn" (associate degrees) and "you learn to" (bachelor degrees). In bachelor's degrees, you learn to think more specifically and critically about content by using primary sources, and you learn to use a certain methodology to manipulate that content. The bachelor degree offers you a chance to focus more fully on one field and learn to apply that field's methodology (e.g., formulate and complete a scientific investigation, critique literature, do a sociological study, apply advanced quantitative methods in a management setting).