The average Associate’s Degree generally requires about 60 credits and takes the average student two years to complete. That doesn’t mean that all students take two years to complete the program, as there are some ways you can prepare yourself to help expedite the process.
We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you prepare to complete your Associate’s Degree as quickly as possible.
The fastest way to get an Associate’s Degree
Completing an Associate’s Degree in less than two years is quite an accomplishment. While it is a real challenge to complete the program in under one year, here are some tips for completing your Associate’s in under two years:
Complete College Credits in High School
Completing advanced level high school courses or taking college courses during your junior and/or senior year of high school. Courses like this will give you college credits before you even enter college, giving you a heads start on your Associate’s Degree.
Take Accelerated Programs
Look for and enroll in accelerated programs through colleges that offer “at your own pace” style schedules. It also means that they will usually let you enroll in a few classes and give you all the material during the first day so you can complete it at your own pace.
As soon as you finish the course work, you can then enroll in another class. Accelerated programs are an opportunity to let you complete and take on classes as quickly as you can.
Take Course Competency Exams
Inquire about course competency exams during college enrollment. These are tests that will give you a chance to see if you can test out of the class for a small exam fee. If you pass with a satisfactory score, the school will then give you credit for the course.
These exams not only help you take on more classes and finish your degree earlier, but it also enables you to save money as these exams are usually a fraction of the cost of full course tuition.
Join Programs with Work Credits
Work and employment history credit. Some schools will give you course credit for certain amounts of employment experience or if you have completed specific training during your job history.
For example, those that pursue criminal justice degrees and have completed law enforcement academy training will generally receive a significant amount of credits based on the school’s policy. In fact, some schools count it as almost a full semester’s worth of credits!
All of these ways are proven methods that have helped students complete their Associate’s Degree fast. While each of these can help cut down the time you need to be in school, if you can complete a combination of these items, it will help shorten the time even more and lead to faster graduation.
