It's a 2-year degree, but beyond that it's unclear. An associates could be a blue collar trade - welding, carpentry, etc. It can also result in a paraprofessio

It's a 2-year degree, but beyond that it's unclear. An associates could be a blue collar trade - welding, carpentry, etc. It can also result in a paraprofessional certification - nursing, CAD, etc. Some students get associates in things like "liberal arts" so they can get general credits out of the way and spend two years at a (more expensive) 4 year school. They can also specialize and put that towards a 4 year degree. There's a military college that offers an associates degree in military science. When combined with enrollment in ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) it results in commissioning as a Second Liutentant in the US Army. So it's pretty much any 2-year degree. Much more flexibility in what that means than with other degrees.