| When the decision has been made to attend a college | | | | format. |
| or university, the quickest degree that can be earned is | | | | Most people would consider a an associate's degree |
| the associate's degree. Typically this degree program | | | | before working towards a bachelor degree to see if |
| can be earned in as little as two years, and sometimes | | | | the field of study they have enrolled in really captures |
| even sooner than that. There are a variety of distance | | | | their interest. The last thing a student wants to do is |
| learning associate degree programs that are available | | | | spend 4 years studying a subject they will come to |
| to students who want to go back to school, but want | | | | loathe upon graduation. Then, they may feel that 4 |
| the convenience and flexibility of attending a virtual | | | | years of time and money have been spent for a |
| learning environment (VLE). | | | | career that will make them miserable. Whereas, a |
| Online Associate Degree | | | | 2-year distance learning associate degree program will |
| An associate degree is also the degree that is | | | | give them a taste of what may come their way in a |
| towards the bottom of the higher educational | | | | field that may or may not peak their interest. |
| hierarchy. This doesn't necessarily mean that the | | | | Distance learning associate's degrees can be the "foot |
| degree is worthless by any means. The one thing that | | | | in the door" for students who want to look at a new |
| can be said about a distance learning associate | | | | career path. The ability to access coursework online |
| degree is that it holds the same amount of purpose as | | | | allows the student to earn their degree from home |
| a traditional on-campus associate degree, and typically | | | | and get a gist of what that area of study has to offer. |
| these degrees can be offered in an accelerated | | | | |