Associate of Arts in Financial Services

Do you enjoy helping others plan for the future? Are you good with numbers? Are you willing to further your education but don’t want to spend four years in college? If you answered yes to these questions, then an Associate of Arts (AA) in financial services might be the right option for you.
 
A financial services degree can be obtained at many, if not most, colleges, including some community colleges, junior colleges and online universities. Once you meet the entry requirements of the institution of your choice, you can begin classes, earning an associate degree in financial services in as little as two years.
 

Coursework

Coursework for financial service degrees generally includes:
  • beginning and intermediate finance to provide students with money management and planning skills
  • cost accounting to teach students how to keep record of payments
  • cost management to ensure that payment is being made on legitimate expenses only
  • introductory business to instill basic business skills
  • math to enhance number skills.

Through these courses, you will learn many applicable skills that, while specific to a career in financial services, can also be useful in any business-related jobs.

The skills you will learn include:

  • balancing records
  • conducting business transactions
  • posting transactions
  • putting together a budget based on past earnings, expenditures and budget plans
  • verifying data accuracy in financial accounts.

Job Opportunities

Once you earn your financial services degree, you will be qualified to apply to entry-level financial services positions. You can pursue a career in:
  • banking services
  • business finance (Having an AA in financial services can be perfect for many small business financial services jobs.)
  • financial planning
  • international finance.
Many people working in these fields later decide to continue their education to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
 
With an associate degree in financial services, you can expect to make around $30,000 per year. With further education (either through a bachelor's or master's degree), possible salaries shoot up to around $90,000.

Cost of Education

For a financial services degree, expect to pay around $26,000. Although that may seem like an exorbitant amount to pay for a degree, in reality, the degree will increase your earning power by over $700,000 in the long run—and that’s after costs of education are deducted from your earnings.
 
Clearly, education is an investment that will pay off over time. If you are considering getting an associate's financial service degree, explore financial aid options. Grants, scholarships and student loans can help you shoulder the cost of schooling as you embark on your journey to enjoying the benefits of a higher education.
 
Resources
 
Croix, Wendy (2008). Will Getting An Education Pay For Itself? Retrieved March 25, 2008, from the Worldwidelearn.com Web site: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-advisor/indepth/will-getting-an-education-pay-for-itself.php.
 
Education Portal (2008). Associate of Applied Science (AAS): Financial Services Degree Overview. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from the Education-Portal.com Web site:
http://education-portal.com/articles/Associate_of_Applied
_Science_%28AAS%29%3A_Financial_Services_Degree_
Overview.html.
 
Education Portal (2008). Associate’s Degree Programs in Financial Services. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from the Education-Portal.com Web site: http://education-portal.com/
associate's_degree_programs_in_financial_services.html.