How to Get an Associate's Degree In a Year

Deciding to get an associate’s degree can be the fast track to entering many careers. Many associate’s programs take two years to complete; however, there are ways that allow students to obtain an associate’s degree in one year. Learn how you can be a holder of an associate’s degree in just one year.

1. Use CLEP to get out of taking courses. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. CLEP allows students to apply knowledge they already have by taking an exam to skip taking the course. The CLEP program is offered at more than 2,900 colleges around the nation. However, different schools have different policies on how CLEP may be used. Some colleges may limit the amount of credits that can be awarded by the program while other schools may not count it toward your degree. Be sure to do your research and choose a college that offers the program and know the terms of use.

2. Overlap courses. In some cases, there may be two courses in the same subject that need to be taken in order to graduate but they may be taken at the same time. These courses may be core classes or specialized classes for your major. Be sure to learn which classes you need and which ones that can be overlapped to save time on taking them in separate semesters.

3. Eliminate unnecessary coursework. Some colleges will offer courses toward a degree that aren’t always necessary to obtain the degree. Talk will an enrollment counselor to discuss which classes are needed toward your major.