Disingenuous To List 2 Year Diploma As Associate's Degree On Resume?

Accurs3D

As the title says, would it be considered at least ethically incorrect to list a 2 year college diploma as an associate's degree instead? Essentially they're the same thing, but an associate's has more general-ed courses. The reason I ask is because you rarely ever see "diploma" specifically mentioned, but do see associate's degree as a listed requirement. Sometimes they list "or equivalent" as well.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but associate's might hit more keywords.

What are you thoughts on this subject? Overall, probably (maybe) not a big deal and won't help land a job.

EANx

What's the difference between the two? Is there a chance someone could find out and fire you for fraud if they found out?

PJ_Sneakers

What does it say on the piece of paper? You should probably stick to that.

DatabaseHead

Black out your name and post a picture of it.

Accurs3D

The diploma literally says:
Diploma
Computer Information Systems Technology - Information Security Specialist

Quite a mouthful, I shorten it to just IT normally.

DatabaseHead

Was this from a trade school like Ranken or ITT?

wd40

EANx wrote: »

What's the difference between the two? Is there a chance someone could find out and fire you for fraud if they found out?

Or simply cancel your job offer after you already submitted your resignation from your current job.

at an interview the HR lady told me we need you current salary slip (shocking if I was in USA but I am not in USA), the reason is because people lie when asked about current salary which causes problems for them later.

Accurs3D

DatabaseHead wrote: »

Was this from a trade school like Ranken or ITT?

No, it was from a local state-funded (public) community college/technical college. Although, you could probably define it as a trade school. Don't ask why they name their IT/CIS program CIST instead. It just becomes some hideous abomination of an acronym.

Here's the website:
Chattahoochee Technical College - A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. |

Look under CIS. They changed the name to just cybersecurity, but I'm not sure what the actual credential awarded is currently.

I've always just listed it as a diploma

LordQarlyn

It does sound kind of persnickety, after all, Associates degrees are generally two-year degrees.
But there is always the possibility someone will get fussy about it.

If I were in your situation, I would list it as a 2-year diploma. And any position that requires an associates degree, go ahead and apply, pointing out in your cover letter that you do have a two year degree. For all practical standpoints, I personally see no difference from your diploma and an Associates degree.

Danielm7

wd40 wrote: »

Or simply cancel your job offer after you already submitted your resignation from your current job.

at an interview the HR lady told me we need you current salary slip (shocking if I was in USA but I am not in USA), the reason is because people lie when asked about current salary which causes problems for them later.

"causes problems for them later" aka, the company only wants to pay 5% more than your current salary, not market value. "Problems" is very relative.

DatabaseHead

List it as is and move forward. Stop thinking about it.

mbarrett

Diploma <> Degree. If it was a degree, they would advertise it as such. You can go back to the school and ask them if they refer to it as a "degree".
Yes, I'd say it is disingenuous to say it's a degree - even though you might have been attending the school for the same amount of time, the fact is you earned a piece of paper called a "diploma"

EnderWiggin

Just continue on and get a bachelors degree, that way you don't even need to list this degree anymore.

stryder144

List it as a diploma, not an associate degree. They are roughly equivalent in most eyes, so put something like this under the Education heading:

Computer Information Systems Technology - Information Security Specialist, Diploma Chattahoochee Technical College

- Completed two year course of study covering information security principles.

Obviously you would put more accurate information in the area under the title of the diploma program so that your employers know what you studied. By putting that you completed the two year course of study they will see that you have two years of education, similar to the associate degree. If you are looking for jobs in the area where the college is located, the hiring managers should have experience with those who've graduated the diploma program so it shouldn't really be a problem. If you came to Denver, then you might need to explain your educational career a bit more.

Accurs3D

Thanks for the input, guys.

I'm thinking about WGU next based on affordability and convenience, but I do have that Cisco cybersecurity scholarship CCNA:Cyber Ops to also worry about. I think they stated that my cohort is Q1 2018.

Remedymp

"Technical Graduate" would be applicable as well.

yoba222

Their cyber AAS is 68 credits while the diploma is 62. So close! But the school makes a distinction. I'd write diploma not degree for now. It won't matter once you have a bachelor's degree. I wouldn't risk embellishing on something like an associates.