How to Go from an Associate’s Degree to a Bachelor’s Degree
Maybe you earned an associate’s degree years ago or maybe you’re in school for it now. No matter the timeline, turning an associate’s into a bachelor’s degree can propel your career and qualifications to the next level. And it’s not as tricky as you may think, especially if you follow the tips below.
What is an associate’s degree?
An associate’s degree is a two-year degree, typically offered at a community college. These programs tend to focus on general studies with an employment-based standard of measure. An associate's degree can help you meet qualifications for specific jobs, provide training for some technical fields and prepare you to continue on to a bachelor's degree afterward if you choose.
What is a bachelor’s degree?
A bachelor’s degree is a four-year degree, typically offered at a four-year college or university. Bachelor’s degree programs tend to focus on preparing students for success in a variety of fields with higher education standards of measure. For example, you might pursue a bachelor’s to work in fields like management and leadership, teaching, accounting, nursing, engineering or healthcare administration.
Why go from an associate’s to a bachelor’s?
Studies show that bachelor’s degree holders earn an average of $20,000 more annually than those with associate’s degrees. That’s more than $800,000 more in lifetime earnings.
Beyond the potential for increased income, bachelor’s degrees can open up new career opportunities. Many employers screen job applicants based on education level; a bachelor’s degree can help you land interview opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have been considered for. It’s a highly marketable qualification, implying critical thinking and reasoning skills, a working understanding of history and science, and writing and communication excellence.
It also opens up professions that require a bachelor’s degree – like teaching, engineering and accounting – and jobs that require graduate-level degrees – like pharmacy, medicine, social work, counseling, physical therapy and veterinary medicine.
How to Turn an Associate’s Degree Into a Bachelor’s
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Find a school that matches your goals.
It’s common to start your search by exploring universities that offer the specific program you’re after. But you’ll also want to consider other factors that will impact your experience and success in the program. Think about what kind of format you want – fully online, hybrid, in-person, accelerated, self-paced, etc. Is attending a local university important to you? Or a large school? Do you want to learn alongside a group of peers or independently? These are important factors to consider as you begin your research.
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Start the admissions process at the college you want to get your bachelor’s degree from.
Once you’ve selected a school that matches your goals, get in contact with their admissions team. You can request information or reach out to a specific individual if contact information is listed. -
Find out what prerequisites are needed or what you’re already bringing in.
Once you’re in contact with the admissions team, they’ll look at your transcripts and identify what credits are transferable. In fact, some schools offer a free transcript review as part of the admissions process, so you know exactly what to expect. Ask the admissions team what courses you should be sure to take to transfer as seamlessly as possible into the new institution.
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Choose when to start the program.
Your admissions counselor will work with you to determine the earliest date you can enroll in the program – but ultimately, the decision is up to you. Some people prefer the momentum of transferring straight into a bachelor’s degree program after earning an associate’s. Others may take some time to work, then join a degree completion program later on. Whatever your path, you’ll have the best success when you’re fully committed to finishing your degree.
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Apply for financial aid.
Don’t skip this step! Almost every student who can demonstrate financial need is eligible for federal and/or state funds to help cover the cost of tuition. Some schools offer additional awards as well. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can search and apply for external scholarships, which can help further close the gap.
Gabriel Edwards
George Fox University graduate
The clearer you can be with yourself about what you want to do in life and how a particular college/program can help you get there, the more effective the experience will be.
Tips from Admissions Counselors
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Start working with your desired bachelor’s degree program before you finish your associate’s.
If you are getting your associate’s degree with plans to pursue a bachelor’s next, it’s a good idea to get in touch with the admissions team at your school of choice two or three semesters before you complete your associate’s degree, to make sure you are maximizing your transferable credits to meet the bachelor’s degree program requirements. They’ll help you find gaps in your transcript and advise how you can fill those in your final terms of your associate’s degree program to save you time and money down the road.
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Choose courses that will transfer well.
Typically, classes that are 100 level or higher are transferable to four-year institutions. For the best chance of transferring, select general education courses as opposed to vocational or technical credits and make sure the college is regionally accredited.
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Get a free transcript review.
Many institutions offer free transcript review to help you determine how many credits you would need to complete your bachelor’s degree. This can be helpful to get an initial idea of time and financial investment.
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Believe in your success.
Taking the leap to pursue a bachelor’s degree can feel daunting and out of reach. As you explore your options, remember that if earning your degree is a priority for you, you can do it. Just take it one step at a time.
Common Questions
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What’s the difference between an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree?
The main difference between an associate's degree and a bachelor's degree is usually about two years of study. Some accelerated bachelors programs allow associate’s degree holders to complete their degree in less time, while some part-time programs might take longer to complete.
Typically an associate’s degree is earned at a community college, and a bachelor’s degree is earned at a four-year college or university. If you've earned an associate's degree and want to continue your education, a bachelor's degree is generally what comes next.
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How many credits do you need for an associate’s degree? A bachelor’s degree?
An associate’s degree usually requires 60 to 90 quarter credits. A bachelor’s degree is typically 120 semester credits or 180 quarter credits. (Two-year institutions generally work on the quarter system, whereas four-year institutions are on the semester system. Credits earned in the quarter system are worth two-thirds of credits earned in the semester system.)
A general associate's degree usually transfers about 60 semester credits (90 quarter credits) into George Fox University's online adult degree program. That would mean that you would have to earn 60 more semester credits to earn your bachelor's degree after your associate's.
Students entering with an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree typically bring in even more credits, leaving them fewer to complete.
These remaining credits can be earned through taking additional courses or by writing essays to demonstrate prior learning.
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Do you have to earn an associate’s degree before earning a bachelor’s?
You do not need an associate’s degree to get a bachelor’s. Many students enroll directly in a bachelor's degree program after high school and never earn an associate’s along the way. However, associate’s degrees are often associated with job requirements and can open up career opportunities with fewer years in school, which can be an advantage of earning an associate’s before transferring to a bachelor’s program.
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Can you transfer college credit into a bachelor’s degree program without an associate’s degree?
Yes! Typically any credits that were earned at a regionally accredited college or university and are 100-level or above can be transferred to a four-year institution.
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Can an associate’s degree be applied toward a bachelor’s degree?
Yes, all credits from your associate’s degree that meet requirements will apply to the bachelor’s degree program. Students who have already completed an associate's degree can typically finish their bachelor's program in two additional years.
The one exception is an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. An AAS is designed for workforce application, and the credits apply differently towards a bachelor's degree.
In Oregon, there’s a special degree designed to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program, called the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree. Typically an AAOT transfers best to Oregon schools, but it will likely transfer as elective credit to Washington and California schools as well.
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Is it worth it to earn a bachelor’s?
Yes, it's worth it to earn a bachelor's degree, especially if you're pursuing a career in a field that requires a bachelor's or higher to get a job.
However, even if it’s not a job requirement, a bachelor’s degree will often increase your chances in the interview process and make you a highly marketable candidate for any job. Additionally, reports like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that bachelor’s degree holders earn $20,000 more on average than associate’s degree holders.
Going from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree can open new possibilities for your career, your family and further study. It’s a big decision and requires an investment of time and finances, but has the potential to significantly increase your income and advance your career.
Interested in completing your bachelor’s degree?
Learn more about fully online adult degree programs at George Fox University.
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Request A Free Transcript Review
Most degree completion students have the same important questions about finishing their degree:
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- How many of my credits will transfer to George Fox University?
We're ready to conduct a free transcript review for you that will answer these questions, so you have all the information you need to make an informed decision about George Fox's online adult degree program.
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