A.A. Associate of Arts:  Fewer science and math courses
An A.A. degree is completed in approximately two years and is comprised of approximately 60 credit hours (for definition of credit hour, see below), depending on the program.

Students who choose to pursue a major that is designated an A.A. degree expect to take one or two courses in math and science to fulfill graduation requirements, but are not required to weight their program with as many science and math courses as students pursuing a degree that is designated an A.S.

An A.A. degree provides students with an early entrance into the work force with a higher level of employability. Many students take a break after completing their A.A. degree, and are able to earn money to go on to complete their four-year undergraduate degree. This can be an advantage for the traditional student who comes from a moderate- to low- income background, and for students who at some point intend to complete a four-year degree but who aren’t yet sure of the course of study they wish to pursue.  It is also an advantage for non-traditional students such as single parents and others who seek a stronger economic base for their families but who aren’t sure they want or need to pursue a four-year degree. 

A.S. Associate of Science: More science and math courses
An A.S. degree is completed in approximately two years and is comprised of approximately 60 credit hours (for definition of credit hour, see below), depending on the program.

Students who choose to pursue a major that is designated an A.S. degree are expected to take more science and math courses than students pursuing the A.A. Students entering an A.S. program should feel comfortable in the sciences and in math. See Science & Math at Lyndon.

As with the A.A. degree, the A.S. degree provides students with an early entrance into the work force with a higher level of employability. Many students take a break after completing their A.A. degree, and are able to earn money to go on to complete their four-year undergraduate degree. This can be an advantage for the traditional student who comes from a moderate- to low- income background, as well as for the student who at some point intends to continue towards a four-year degree but who isn’t yet sure of the course of study he or she wishes to pursue.  It is also an advantage for non-traditional students such as single parents and others who seek a stronger economic base for their families and who aren’t sure they want or need to pursue a four-year degree.  

B.A. Bachelor of Arts:  Fewer science and math courses
A B.A. degree is completed in approximately four years and is comprised of approximately 120 credit hours (for definition of credit hour, see below), depending on the program.

Students who choose to pursue a major that is designated a B.A. degree expect to take one or two courses in math and science to fulfill graduation requirements, but are not required to weight their program with as many science and math courses as students pursuing a degree that is designated a B.S.

B.S. Bachelor of Science: More science and math courses
A B.S. degree is completed in approximately four years and is comprised of approximately 120 credit hours (for definition of credit hour, see below), depending on the program.

Students who choose to pursue a degree that is designated a B.S. degree expect to take more science and math courses than students pursuing the B.A. Students entering a B.S. program should feel comfortable in the sciences and in math.  See Science & Math at Lyndon.

Credit Hour
A credit hour is a unit of study. Most classroom courses are designated 3 credit hours.  Some science and math courses that include a lab are designated 4 credit hours, with the lab constituting a single credit hour that is in addition to the classroom work.

Minor
A minor is a secondary course of study that students take in addition to their major.  A minor is comprised of approximately 20 credit hours (for definition of credit hour, see above).  A student’s minor can be in a subject area that supports his or her major, such as a Meteorology major pursuing a minor in Physics. A minor can also be chosen to support a student’s personal interests, such as a Ski Management Major pursuing a minor in Music.