Earning an Associate of Arts degree is an affordable way to prepare for a great job that pays well. Now WSU Tech offers a convenient way to take online classes in Wichita and start or complete your two-year degree just as you would at any of Kansas’ best community colleges.
AA Degree Options
When choosing a school in Wichita, you have great options: Cowley Community College, Butler Community College, Wichita State University, Friends University, Newman University and dozens more. Like the others on this list of colleges in or near Wichita, WSU Tech offers an Associate of Arts degree opportunity. However, ours is unique because it blends the tuition cost of a Kansas community college with the prestige of a degree granted by Wichita State University. We call this the Shocker Pathway because you can start at WSU Tech and finish at WSU.
What is an Associate of Arts Degree?
An Associate of Arts (AA) degree is a course of study comprised of general education classes such as psychology, speech and college algebra. Courses associated with a major, such as social work or criminal justice, are also required. Associate of Arts degree requirements include the completion of approximately 64 college-level credit hours, which sometimes takes around two years, the student will be awarded an Associate of Arts degree.
Types of Associate of Arts degree programs include elementary education, psychology, music and economics. A.A. degrees differ from Associate of Science (A.S.) and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees.
What to do with your Associates Degree
Completing an AA degree allows graduates to enter the workforce or continue at a four-year university to earn a baccalaureate degree. Most students at WSU Tech who are pursuing an AA will transfer to Wichita State University or another four-year college in Kansas. WSU Tech’s unique Shocker Pathway allows students to take the first 50 hours of an AA degree at WSU Tech and transfer to WSU for the final 15. This prestigious two-year course of study culminates in an Associate of Arts degree awarded by Wichita State.
Associate of Arts Jobs
An Associate of Arts degree can be a good way to prepare for an entry-level job in a range of different career fields. The liberal arts knowledge acquired while taking classes for an AA degree may help qualify students to start in positions with additional responsibilities or higher pay than high school graduates with a college degree. Some of the highest-paying associate of arts degrees are those that lead to skilled jobs in technical positions often found in the manufacturing, aviation and healthcare industries.
Alternatively, many students entering these high-tech fields will opt to earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree at WSU Tech instead of an Associate of Arts degree. But an Associate of Arts salary can be enhanced by completing this degree and finding rewarding work with advancement opportunities.
College Transfer
Because most Associate of Arts degree completers intend to transfer to a four-year college or university, the requirements for transferring credits becomes critically important. As a public college governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, WSU Tech is able to transfer many credits from other colleges both in and out of WSU Tech. If you’re a WSU Tech student, check with your academic advisor or with the Office of the Registrar at WSU Tech to discuss transferring coursework from a prior institution to WSU Tech. If you’re seeking to transfer WSU Tech credits to another institution, meet with your WSU Tech academic advisor or contact the advisor at the college or university to which you will be transferring.
