Associate's degree

An associate's degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges and some four-year bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years. In the United States and, uncommonly, in Canada, an associate's degree is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college or university degree. It is the lowest in the hierarchy of post-secondary academic degrees offered in these countries.

It is roughly equivalent to the foundation degree and the Business and Technology Education Council's Higher National Diploma in Britain, the two-year General Academic Studies Degree (French: diplôme d'études universitaires générales, DEUG) in France, the Further Education and Training Awards Council's Advanced Certificate and Higher Education and Training Awards Council's Higher National Certificate in the Republic of Ireland. In 2000, Hong Kong introduced associate's degrees, as an equivalence to higher diplomas. These programmes are mainly provided through affiliated colleges at universities. In 2004, Australia added "associate degree" to the Australian Qualifications Framework. This title was given to more academically focused advanced diploma courses. However, very few courses yet use the new title.