Choosing an Undergraduate Program

Picking out the right undergraduate program for you can be a difficult decision. There are a wide variety of undergraduate programs available from public and private institutions. Be sure to do your research and look for a program that has an excellent reputation with the undergraduate program you are most interested in. Try to also look for programs with a good amount of diversity in case you decide you would like to change your major.

If you only have time to be a part-time student, one of the best options for earning your bachelor's degree is an online undergraduate program. A number of accredited universities and colleges offer undergraduate programs through the internet. With one of these programs you can schedule your classes around your work schedule and take the time you need to earn your degree. As a full-time student, you can typically earn a bachelors degree in about four years. If you can only devote part of your time to your studies, you can still earn your associate's or bachelor's degree on your own time. And once you do, you'll join the top quarter of the country in terms of education and enjoy higher pay for the rest of your life.

Benefits of an Associate's Degree

According to the US Department of Labor, people who earn an associate's degree enjoy an unemployment rate that is 30% lower than people who only have a high school diploma. Associate's degree holders also earn an average of $6,600 more per year than people without post-secondary degrees. This is because people who take the time to earn an associate's degree learn skills to prepare themselves for specific jobs or career paths that simply aren't open to people without post-secondary degrees. Another benefit of an associate's degree is that it can typically be applied towards a bachelor's degree-if you already have your associate's degree, you can usually earn your bachelor's degree in just two more years. If you choose to take this additional step in your education, you can look forward to even higher wages and more job opportunities.

Different Types of Associate's Degrees

There are a number of different types of associate's degrees. Many people who earn their associate's degrees at community colleges earn what is referred to as a transfer degree. With this type of associate's degree, students typically focus on general education courses that will help them earn a bachelor's degree at a university after two more years of study. Common transfer degrees include Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), and Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT). Even if students do not decide to continue their education, these types of general associate's degrees are effective at increasing job opportunities and increasing a student's earning potential.

The other main type of associate's degree is a professional degree. These are usually earned from a vocational school or professional college. These kinds of degrees typically involve coursework that revolves around one specific job or area of work rather than a field of study. Such degrees can be quite valuable because they focus on preparing you for the specific career path of your choice. Some common professional associate's degrees include the Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Business Administration (ABA), and Associate of Nursing (AN).

Popular Associate's Degrees

Some of the most popular associate's degrees in America include:

Associate of…

• Criminal Justice
• Teaching
• Nursing
• Business
• Office Administration
• Pharmacy
• Nutrition
• Public Relations
• Marketing and Advertising
• Court Reporting
• Baking/Cooking
• Operations Management

You can earn an associate's degree in an extremely wide variety of fields, and in many professions it is all the education you will need to achieve success in that field. That said, you'll reach your highest earning potential if you continue your education. And that's one of the great things about an associate's degree-in many cases, it gets you half way to a bachelor's.

Highest Paying Associate's Degrees

A large number of jobs that require an associate's degree pay well over $20 per hour. Below are ten of the highest paying professions in the US that require an associate's degree. The top five positions all currently pay over $30 per hour.

1. Computer Specialist
2. Radiation Therapist
3. Dental Hygienist
4. Nuclear Medicine Technologist
5. Registered Nurse
6. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
7. Funeral Director
8. Engineering Technician
9. Geological/Petroleum Technician
10. Electronic Engineering Technician

You may not even have heard of some of these positions. And that's one of the best things about higher education--when you begin your studies in an associate's degree program, you'll have doors opened to you that you never even knew existed. Your horizons will be broadened and your opportunities will be multiplied when you begin earning an associate's degree.

What it Takes to Earn an Associate's Degree

An associate's degree can usually be earned in two years of full time study. If you are unable to take a full course load every semester, your associate's degree may take a little longer. In most cases, the credits you earn towards your associate's degree will never expire, so even if your degree takes you ten years to finish, you will be able to finish and get your associate's degree. Some professional programs can be shorter or longer than two years depending on the area of study. In most cases, to earn an associate's degree you'll need to complete 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits.

Benefits of a Bachelor’s Degree

People who hold a bachelor's degree earn substantially more money over the course of their lifetime than people who simply have a high school diploma. In 2009, people with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $1025 every week. High school graduates earned an average of $626 per week. That's nearly $400 more per week that you can earn with a bachelor's degree. Graduates with a bachelor's degree also had a much lower unemployment rate in 2009. Americans with their undergraduate degree had an unemployment rate of 5.2% whereas people with just a high school diploma had an unemployment rate of 9.7%. Clearly, a bachelor's degree not only helps you earn more money but it gives you greater job opportunities so you can enjoy the benefits of steady, successful employment.

Most Popular Bachelor's Degrees

For a number of years the most popular bachelor's degree has been a bachelor's in business administration. Almost twice as many business administration degrees are awarded every year than the second most popular undergraduate diploma. Business degrees are very popular because they can help you in virtually any field. If you have aspirations of owning your own company or want to succeed in our money-driven world, a business degree is a great way to get ahead. Below are the top ten bachelor's degrees of 2010. Business administration, of course, is right at the top, but the degrees that follow vary widely.

1. Business Administration
2. Criminal Justice
3. Psychology
4. Nursing
5. Primary and Secondary Education
6. Engineering
7. Health Administration
8. Computer and Information Sciences
9. Accounting
10. Human Services

Several of these degrees are general fields that have a number of subdivisions underneath them. For example, there are a wide variety of engineering degrees that can be awarded. Health administration also has a number of categories that fall underneath it, as does human services. The fact of the matter is no matter what field you're interested in, you can probably find a bachelor's degree that will help you further your knowledge of that field.

Highest Paying Bachelor Degrees

The majority of the highest paying bachelor's degrees of 2010 are engineering degrees. Engineering degrees tend to lead to careers with the highest starting salary. Engineering degrees also lead to jobs that have room for promotion and pay raises throughout your career. But a wide variety of other degrees also lead to high pay. Most bachelor's degrees lead to careers that start in the $20,000 to $30,000 range, but over your lifetime your earnings can exceed $100,000 per year with a bachelor's degree. These ten degrees lead to the highest starting-salary jobs of 2010:

1. Petroleum Engineering
2. Chemical Engineering
3. Mining & Mineral Engineering
4. Computer Science
5. Computer Engineering
6. Electrical & Communications Engineering
7. Mechanical Engineering
8. Industrial Engineering
9. Aerospace Engineering
10. Information Sciences & Systems