The two most common online associate degrees are the Associate of Arts (A.A.) and the Associate of Science (A.S.), with others such as the Associate of Business Administration (A.B.A.) and the Associate of General Studies (A.G.S.). Usually students in associate degree programs take two years to finish. But if they are part-time, it can take a lot longer to earn the 60 to 64 credits required. But with hard work, in two years an online degree can be earned. There are extensive associates programs available online today.
The growth of online courses in community colleges has been extremely rapid, fueled in part because so many people who want a college degree work, have families, or lack the funds to take off four years to go to a traditional college. From her observations about enrollment at Rio Salado College, Carol Scarafiotti, Executive Consultant, Online Learning, Vice President Emeritus, observes that online learning for students getting an associate degree is catching on. Rio Salado College had about 6,000 students in their online courses in 1996. By the spring of 2005, 24,000 students were enrolled. She states, "This is how I teach English composition 101 online:
"We make our courses meaty, in terms of content, and draw students into a particular topic they can explore and think about critically. We encourage students to choose a track they can write about throughout the course, such as the effects of mining in their communities, genetic engineering, or racism. The students must do their research and dig deeply into a subject. The subject matter they choose is really important. We try to get them involved in something meaningful and they are responding well."
Cynthia Maxson
English Faculty
Rio Salado College
