The usual associate abbreviation is Assoc., written with a capital A when it is part of a title and with a period to close it. It turns up on business cards ("Assoc. Director"), in faculty lists ("Assoc. Prof.") and in firm names such as "Rivera & Assoc."
The word has several jobs. It can be a job rank, a partner in a business, a member with limited rights in a group, or part of a college degree name. The short form stays the same in each case, but the degree has its own set of letters, explained below.
Quick facts
Abbreviation
Assoc. (most common)Less common
Asso., Assc.Plural
Assocs. or Assoc.Period
Yes in American usage: Assoc.Degree letters
AA, AS, AAS for associate degreesUsed in
Job titles, firm names, faculty lists, résumésNot to be confused with
Assn. or Assoc. for association
The standard associate abbreviation
Write Assoc. The four letters come from the start of the word, and the period shows that letters were cut off. That is the form most style guides and HR systems expect. A few older documents use Asso. or Assc., but they look like typos to many readers, so it is best to avoid them.
Capitalize it when the full word would be capitalized. In a title before a name or in a heading, use Assoc. In the middle of a plain sentence, it is better to spell out the word: "She was promoted to associate last spring." For the general rules on cutting words short, see how to abbreviate.
Abbreviation for associates, the plural
The plural is trickier, because two forms are common:
- Assocs. adds an s before the period. It is clear and correct.
- Assoc. is often used for the plural too, especially in company names, where "& Assoc." has long meant "and Associates."
On a law office door: "Kim, Patel & Assoc." Read it as "Kim, Patel and Associates," meaning the named partners plus the lawyers who work with them.
If a firm has registered its legal name, follow that exact spelling on checks, contracts and envelopes. The associates abbreviation in a legal name is not a style choice you can change.
Associate in job titles
Many workplaces use associate as a rank or as a friendly word for employee. Here is how the short form appears in common titles:
| Full title | Short form |
|---|---|
| Associate Director | Assoc. Dir. |
| Associate Professor | Assoc. Prof. |
| Associate Editor | Assoc. Ed. |
| Senior Associate | Sr. Assoc. |
| Associate Vice President | AVP |
Notice that a few titles become initialisms with no periods, like AVP. Others pair two shortened words, each with its own period. For more on cut down titles, see the pages on assistant and professor.
Associate degree letters
An associate degree is a two year college degree, usually from a community or technical college. It is not written as Assoc. on a diploma line. Instead, schools use letters for the type of degree:
- AA: Associate of Arts
- AS: Associate of Science
- AAS: Associate of Applied Science
Some schools add periods, as in A.A. or A.S. Either style is fine if you keep it consistent. In running text, many writers say "associate degree," while "associate's degree" is also widely used and understood. You can read more about the arts degree on the AA page.
Examples in sentences and forms
- "Dana Cole, Assoc. Prof. of Biology" on a conference badge.
- "Smith Design & Assoc." on an invoice header.
- "Education: AS, Nursing" on a résumé.
- "Title: Sales Assoc." on a store schedule.
- "Assoc. Member" on a club card, meaning a member without full voting rights.
Job application field: "Current title: Assoc. Analyst." A recruiter reads this as an associate analyst, usually an early or middle career rank.
Associate or association?
The same four letters can stand for association, which makes Assoc. a little ambiguous in group names. To avoid mix ups, many writers use Assn. for association and save Assoc. for the person. When in doubt, spell the word out once. See the association abbreviation page for that word, and the common abbreviations list for other office words.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for associate?
Use Assoc. with a period. It works in job titles, faculty listings and business names, such as Assoc. Director or Lee & Assoc.
How do you abbreviate associates in a company name?
Most firms write "& Assoc." and some use "& Assocs." If the company has a registered name, copy it exactly as filed.
How do you abbreviate associate degree on a resume?
Use the degree letters instead of Assoc.: AA for Associate of Arts, AS for Associate of Science, or AAS for Associate of Applied Science, followed by the field of study.
Does the associate abbreviation need a period?
Yes, in American English Assoc. takes a period because letters are dropped from the word's ending. Degree initials like AA and AS can be written with or without periods.
Is it associate degree or associate's degree?
Both are used. Many colleges write associate degree, while associate's degree is very common in everyday speech and job ads.