Associate degrees
An associate degree can launch your career as a paraprofessional or provide you with a supportive, two-year path to a bachelor degree.
What is an associate degree?
An associate degree is a two-year higher education qualification designed to prepare you for work as a paraprofessional or highly skilled worker or for further study with a related bachelor degree.
Why study an associate degree?
At Swinburne, associate degrees combine hands-on learning with academic foundations, helping you build job-ready skills while keeping your future study options open.
Along with practical learning and strong paths into employment or further study, studying an associate degree means you’ll get:
- a two-year path into a bachelor degree
- hands-on, real-world learning aligned with industry
- smaller class sizes with greater academic support
- job-ready skills for paraprofessional roles
- access to cutting-edge facilities and industry-connected teaching.
After completing your degree, you’ll be able to apply for a bachelor degree and be formally assessed for academic credit.
Browse our associate degree courses
Why study with Swinburne?
Ranked in the top 300 globally
Recognised in the QS World University Rankings 2026 top 300.
Five-star student experience
Rated five stars by our undergraduate students for overall experience, student: teacher ratio and student support.
More support and opportunities
Smaller cohorts mean more time with lecturers, greater collaboration, and more chances to excel in the industry.
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Frequently asked questions
Associate degrees prepare graduates for entry-level and paraprofessional roles across a range of industries. Career outcomes vary depending on the course, but can include roles in areas such as:
- business and administration
- engineering and technologies
- health and community services
- science and technical fields.
Many students also choose to continue their studies with a bachelor degree after completing their associate degree.
For course-specific career outcomes and pathways, visit the ‘Overview’ tab on the corresponding course page.
Yes. One of the biggest advantages of an associate degree is that it can provide a direct pathway into a bachelor degree.
After completing an associate degree, you can:
- apply for entry into a bachelor degree
- if eligible, receive academic credit that reduces the total time required to complete a bachelor degree.
ATAR requirements vary by course. If you are interested in applying for an associate degree, enter your ATAR score or predicted ATAR score in our ATAR calculator to view all the options that Swinburne can offer you.
Although the exact duration depends on the course and study mode, most associate degrees take:
- two years of full-time study
- longer if studied part-time.
