The Americas Argentina In Argentina, tertiary colleges (
institutos terciarios) offer
carrera técnica,
tecnicatura or
Técnico Superior Universitario qualifications that are similar to associate degrees in a variety of areas, including qualifications for elementary and high school teachers, as well as other technical fields, upon completion of three or four years of study. Some of these degrees may be articulated with university programs to obtain a bachelor degree, usually after two additional years. Such qualifications are also offered by some universities as a final degree or as an intermediate stage before a bachelor degree.
Brazil In 2001, Brazil added ('technologist') as a form of undergraduate degree program (). A technologist's degree varies between two and three years of full time studies to complete. This degree takes a shorter time period to obtain than a bachelor or teaching degree (some of which may take between four and six years to complete), and it aims to provide highly specialized knowledge (e.g.,
agribusiness technical degree,
tourism management degree,
web development technical degree, etc.). There is also official recognition for a type of course called ('sequential') - students receive this associate degree as in
junior college.
Canada Education in Canada is a provincial power: each
province and territory regulates tertiary education and the degree system in their jurisdictions, with pan-Canadian co-ordination in a Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Aside from British Columbia, the Canadian provinces do not offer associate degrees but do offer similar
higher education qualifications below the bachelor's level. These are two-year courses resulting in a diploma in a broad range of technical, professional and academic subjects. Articulation into bachelor's programs is the norm but can differ by subject (with some specialties rarer among bachelor's degrees).
Ontario also offers three-year
advanced diplomas which are not considered as associate degrees. The territories have fewer but similar diploma programs, some being particularly geared to Arctic environments and northern Indigenous cultures and languages, with bachelor's programs being a mix of
local provisions, partnerships with
institutions based elsewhere in Canada and
international consortia. Indigenous nations in most provinces have education systems that also provide First Nations-focused diplomas programs, with
North American Aboriginal education bodies. In
Quebec, the ''
Diplôme d'études collégiales (diploma of college studies), taught at post-secondary collèges d'enseignement général et professionnel
(colleges of general and professional education; cégeps'') can be a two-year pre-university qualification that is a pre-requisite for entry into the bachelor's degree. However, because a bachelor's degree in Quebec takes 3 years to complete instead of 4 years, it can be thought of as an articulation onto the second year of a standard North American bachelor's degree program. Quebec also has a three-year Cégep technical programme preparing students for employment.
Europe Qualifications on the short cycle of the
Bologna Process/level 5 on the
European Qualifications Framework sit between secondary education and bachelor's degree level and are thus approximately equivalent to an associate degree. Such qualifications include the
Foundation degree (FdA, FdSc, FdEng),
Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) and
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) in the United Kingdom, the
Higher Certificate in the
Republic of Ireland, and the French
Diplôme universitaire de Technologie (DUT) and
Brevet de Technicien supérieur (BTS).
Czech Republic In Czech Republic one equivalent title is
DiS. (
Diplomovaný Specialista; Certificated Specialist). By Czech school education law, these programs last for three to three and a half years, but most often 3 years. The awarded degree corresponds to
EQF 6/
ISCED 650, and is equivalent to a bachelor's degree, but without the possibility of continuing to a master's degree, since education is provided by a post-secondary vocational school (
vyšší odborná škola). Thus, this degree is not academic but vocational, certifying the holder's ability to perform particular activities and operations. On the contrary, a bachelor's degree is conferred by a university (
univerzita,
vysoká škola) and is a prerequisite to a master's degree.
Denmark A 2–2.5 year education at the BA-level is called an
erhvervsakademiuddannelse, or AP-Degree (Academy Professional Degree) in English.
France For many decades, a diploma comparable to an associate degree was considered a very adequate degree for those willing to work as qualified technicians. Yet as the general population spends an increasing amount of time studying, they are no longer as attractive to students who wish to distinguish themselves. In 2021, the
Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (DUT) was reframed as an intermediate degree, part of a three-year curriculum now referred to as BUT. Prior to the reform of 2006, universities awarded a two-year diploma called DEUG, the purpose of which was also to help the student pursue studies in a field that differed from what was initially intended. The degree was considered a 'stepping stone' to the completion of a bachelor's degree. Aside from the
Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) which remains relevant in many fields for which long academic studies are not deemed crucial and for which young professionals are in demand, degrees comparable to an associate degree are gradually being phased out, although their legitimacy remains in theory (but not always in practice) unchanged for those who were awarded one in the past.
Norway A two-year education on the BA-level is called
høgskolekandidat, translated as "university college graduate". Only a few professions require 120
ECTS, such as a
piano tuner or
driving instructor.
Sweden A 2–2.5 year education on the BA-level is called an AP-Degree (Academy Professional Degree). Business academies offer two-year academy profession programmes; some business academies also offer professional bachelor programmes, further adult education and diploma programmes.
United Kingdom Associate degrees are not part of any of the
national qualifications frameworks in the United Kingdom. Two-year sub-degree higher education qualifications that are considered short-cycle qualifications in the
European Higher Education Area are
foundation degrees,
Diplomas of Higher Education and
Higher National Diplomas (if awarded by a degree-awarding body). One-year sub-degree higher education qualifications, not considered short-cycle qualifications, are
Certificates of Higher Education and
Higher National Certificates (if awarded by a degree-awarding body). British equivalents to associate degrees vary depending on the national system which issued them. Based on assessment by the UK
NARIC, American and Canadian associate degrees are considered equivalent to one year higher education courses such as the
Higher National Certificate at level 4 of the British
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. Australian associate degrees, however, are considered equivalent to two-year higher education courses such as the
Higher National Diploma at level 5 on the framework.
Asia Indonesia In Indonesia, the common name for the equivalent to an associate degree is D3, where D4 is equivalent to a bachelor's degree. ==References==