An associate or bachelor’s degree may be one of many types, based on the types of courses in your degree plan.  Professional practice courses are non-liberal; theory courses are liberal.  The number of liberal credits determines your type of degree.

Some courses focus on professional practice, courses in which you learn how to do something, learn a professional skill, and/or apply professional concepts to real-world problems.  Examples of professional practice courses include Accounting, Case Management, and Applied Mathematics.  For example, a course in Advanced Principles of Safety and Survival “prepares students to manage and administer training and education programs in fire and emergency services” and thus focuses on professional practice, as it teaches professional skills and concrete applications of those skills.  This course carries non-liberal credit. On the other hand, the course Introduction to Homeland Security “introduces students to the fundamental concepts of Homeland Security, their importance and inter-related duties and relationships,” and thus is theoretical in nature, as it teaches basic ideas and issues dealing with safety and security.  This course carries liberal credit.

Some courses focus on theory which, according to a Google definition, is “a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained”; “a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based.” Theory courses include Literature, Ethics, History, and Psychology, among others.  Studying Introduction to Psychology doesn’t equip you to become a professional psychologist. Instead, it examines

the major ideas/theories/disciplines within psychology, such as research methods, sensation/perception, memory, theories of personality, psychological disorders, social psychology, and others. Throughout this course, an emphasis will be placed on developing an understanding of psychology as a science of human thought and behavior.

This course carries liberal credit. On the other hand, a course in Marketing Psychology may not be liberal, as it deals with the professional practice of persuasive techniques to achieve product or service placement.  This course carries non-liberal credit.  (Note, though, that a course such as Marketing Psychology may or may not be liberal, depending on its emphasis.)

A degree with more professional practice courses/non-liberal credit is either an Associate of Science, a Bachelor of Science, or a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree. The “science” designation shows that there is a balance between professional and theory courses/credits.  The “professional studies” designation shows that there is a preponderance of professional practice courses/non-liberal credits.

A degree with more theory courses/liberal credit is either an Associate of Arts or a Bachelor of Arts degree. The “arts” designation shows that there is a preponderance of theory courses/liberal credits.

All of these degrees are valid college degrees, all recognized by other schools and employers.  Your degree type simply depends on the type of courses and credits that you include.