Chapter 8: College Majors and Training Programs

College Majors and Training Programs

Now that you have researched careers which interest you, let’s take a look at what it will take for you to get there.  In this chapter we will be looking at what  educational requirements are needed for the careers that interest you.

Did you know that North Seattle College, as well as other colleges, offer a variety of degrees?  How long are you willing to attend college?  Do you want to go part-time or full time?  You will need to decide early on which degree you want to complete and at what pace.  This will determine clearly what courses you need to take and when.

Associate and Bachelor degrees

First, let’s talk about associate’s degrees and  bachelor’s degrees.  What’s the difference?

An Associate’s degree is typically called a two-year degree, and a Bachelor’s degree is typically called a four-year degree.  Well, that’s not totally true because most students take longer to complete any degree! People are busy, run out of money, move, find new jobs, and drop in and out of school.

So when you hear two or four year degree, don’t think you are locked into those time frames.  You will decide how long you want to take to get your degree.  But plan on several years in college at least if you want to make more than minimum wage in the future.

You may have noticed that the classes you take here at North Seattle College (NSC) are numbered between 100 – 299, generally.  100 and 200 level classes are called lower division classes and often correlate with freshman and sophomore status. These are the classes required for an associate’s degree.

A bachelor’s degree requires higher level classes (class numbers of 300 – 499 and are considered junior and senior level classes) and may eventually lead to higher level professional jobs and careers.  For those of you who want a master’s degree, you will first need to complete your bachelor’s degree.  Many community college students will get a “transfer” degree and then move to the university to get their bachelor’s degree.

Below is a general introduction to this topic.  You will also find links to specific information below as well.

Associate Degrees and Certificates

Community colleges offer associate degrees and certificates.

Let’s take a look at the different types of associate degrees first. Associate degrees typically fall into one of two camps: career technical degrees and transfer degrees.

Career Technical Degrees. The Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) typically is for students who want to attend school for a couple of years, get some intensive job training, and then head to work.  Mt. Hood Community College has dozens of these programs, such as nursing, graphic design, physical therapy assistant, or computer information systems. Again, the AAS degree is designed to give you the information, training, and skills you need to get an entry level job in that field. In these programs, you get a little general education and a LOT of training in one career.  Community colleges specialize in these programs, and do a great job. We also offer apprenticeship programs, too!

How do you get into these programs? Be aware that some of our Career/Technical degrees require you to apply to them directly.  These programs are called either Restricted Entry programs or Limited Entry programs and require that you take specific classes before you can apply (these are called prerequisites).  If the program you are interested does not say that it is limited or restricted, then it is open entry – meaning you can change your major to that program without completing an application for it.

Transfer Degrees. The Associate of Arts Transfer (AA-DTA) and the Associate of Science (AS) degrees are different from the AAS and are considered transfer degrees. All associate degrees require a minimum of 90 credits; however, a “transfer” degree is for people who are ultimately interested in earning a bachelor’s degree.  These students attend community college for a couple of years and focus mostly on completing the lower division (freshman and sophomore level) general education classes required for a bachelor’s degree.

You will notice that at North Seattle College, there are several AS transfer tracks.  For instance, there is a specific track for students who know that want to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, biology, computer science, business, liberal arts, and music.

However, these “tracks” are not necessarily exclusive of each other.  If you get a career technical degree (AAS degree) and then try to transfer to a university, you may have to take extra courses.  However, colleges are doing a good job these days of creating “articulation” agreements that allow students to more smoothly transition from a vocationally-oriented program into a university degree. You will want to speak with faculty advisors in the career technical programs to make sure you know if/how your degree transfers.

For example, you could get an associate’s degree in Accounting (an AAS degree), work for a while, and then transfer later to a university and get a Bachelor’s degree in International Business at the college.  One degree can help lead you to the next, although how smooth the transition is depends on the specific degree and if the colleges and universities offer your degree.

Another new development is that two year colleges now offer Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. At North Seattle College, we offer five BAS degrees. This allows students to stay in the same place and complete their degree at the two year colleges to meet industry demands.   For example, North Seattle College offers five BAS degrees. You will want to ask about all these options as you do your research and move forward.

Certificates and Short-Term Job Training. Maybe you don’t want to go to college a long time and just need training for a job.  You may interested in one of the College’s Career Pathways Certificates.  Check it out!

Perhaps you want to know more about Apprenticeships– Check it out!

Or maybe a certificate is all you need.  The college offers 6, 9 and 12 month certificates in various programs.  For example, you could pursue a one-year certificate to be a Nursing Assistant.