Careers and Degrees in Two Years or Less

by Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

 

            Four years of schooling can be daunting to some, as is the cost of it.  Yet, many careers only require two year degrees.  With less time spent in classrooms and less money spent on tuition, these two-year career choices are rapidly growing.          

            While the typical four-year college offers Bachelor’s Degrees (B.A. or B.S.) a two-year college typically offers Associate’s Degrees (A.S., A.A., or A.A.S.).  Associate’s Degrees prepare students to enter the workforce while keeping open the option of a Bachelor’s Degree.  The average time spent in pursuit of the Associate’s Degree is four semesters, and the average tuition cost for the degree is $6,000. 

 

Computer Science A.A.S.

 

            Game design, networking, and communications—all of these high interest fields are part of the computer science realm.  From home-based business to working for international companies, computer technology opens the door to a stable job market.  For those who have creativity, jobs in the movie, gaming, and graphic design industry await.

            Degrees are offered in specialty areas such as micro-computing or web-development, but some colleges offer a broader Computer Science degree with specialization options.  While attaining the A.A.S., courses which focus upon networking skills, digital fundamentals, computer graphics, software development, and internships are required as well as capstone courses and internships. 

            What types of jobs are available for these graduates?  “A lot of my students go into help desks,” says Joel Bush, Division Chair of Computer Systems Technology at Rich Mountain Community College.  “That’s usually an entry level job for many people.” 

Bush notes that most holders of an A.A.S. have the ability to move up the job ladder quickly, but those who enter the job market with only experience may encounter salary caps or limitations on their job options. 

            Bush also notes of students who acquire the jobs of network administrators, “Those who work on installing and configuring wireless networks, hooking computers up to a network, get jobs that pay extremely well.”

           

Medical Assistant A.A.S.

 

            Most people are as familiar with their doctor’s medical assistant as they are with the doctor herself.  Medical assistants escort patients from the waiting room and perform a the check-in procedures prior to the doctor’s arrival.  Their days could also be spent as office managers, appointment clerks, or insurance claimants.  More technical tasks can include taking throat cultures, assisting the doctor, removing sutures, and dressing wounds. 

            A graduate of the medical assistant program is prepared for employment in physicians’ offices, hospitals, public health facilities, or research facilities.  While enrolled in college, students can expect to take courses in biology, medical law, psychology, communication, office management practices, and chemistry. 

            This is a field which values experience, often basing salaries upon it.  Therefore, those who have participated in internships during their schooling are more job-ready than those who have not. 

            More than 12 million people in the United States work in the field of health care, and this number is growing rapidly.  As one of the fastest growing industries, the job opportunities for medical assistants are plentiful.

 

Culinary Arts A.A.S.

 

            If food is more than a tasty meal and the preparation is most of the fun, then a career in culinary arts may be in the future.  Culinary arts professionals find work in hotels, restaurants, catering services, and other areas of the food service industry.  With most of the emphasis on food preparation, students in this field learn the basics of food preparation, storage, safety, presentation, and nutrition.  Jobs such as line cook, prep cook, executive steward, kitchen manager, and sous chef can all be had with an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts. 

            Courses for a Culinary Arts degree are mostly hands-on courses which work to fine tune the skills of food preparation.  Other courses teach food purchasing, food preparation, and hotel/restaurant law.

            According to its catalog description, students at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, one of the country’s oldest culinary schools, “will possess a working foundation of skills necessary to work in a professional industry kitchen.”  

Culinary Arts is a competitive industry.  The path from preparation chef to head chef is one navigated by experience; only the most exceptional chef earns the title of head chef.  A chef with extensive experience may earn the prestigious title of executive chef whose job is that of menu planning.  Having a specialty, pastries or sauces for example, can speed movement on the ladder of success.

             

 

Logistics Technologies A.A.S.

 

            The transportation of goods is another booming industry, yet the field of logistics technologies is often overlooked when searching through college programs.  A Logistics Technologies A.A.S. will further someone in the warehouse and distribution job force.

            Logistics includes all actions involved in the movement of materials from manufacturer to consumer.  Included is warehousing, trucking, and management.  Those who follow the logistics program can expect to enter the workforce in the areas of inventory control, warehousing management, production planning, quality control, and inventory control.

            Russ Smith, Terminal Manager for Estes Express Lines, Allentown, PA, explains that someone who enters his trucking terminal with an AAS in hand can expect to be hired as a supervisor, operations manager, dispatcher, account manager, or even a terminal manager. 

“An associate degree can provide the basics of the industry and explain terminology, concepts, and the principles behind it,” explains Smith.

            Job experience is important in this industry; therefore, colleges which offer internships and job training with the A.A.S. are a plus.  The most important skill expected of someone with logistics training is, according to Smith, “the ability to plan, evaluate, and implement operational changes to be as efficient and cost effective as possible.”

           

 

            With the expanding number of Associate’s Degrees offered, the right career choice may be as little as two years away.