Finish a diploma or associate credential and start working, without waiting on a full four-year timeline.
American National UniversityStackable Degrees
Programs · Stackable Degrees
Build Your Career One Step at a Time
Flexible education that grows with your goals. Whether you're starting your first career, changing professions, or looking to move into leadership, you don't have to earn every degree at once.
American National University’s stackable programs let you earn a credential, begin working in your field, and continue building your education as your career grows.
Think of it as climbing a ladder—one step at a time.
How Stackable Degrees Work
American National University is designed to allow students the best opportunity for educational growth and career-development. With our stackable degrees, students can seamlessly pursue successive levels of education, from a certificate or diploma to associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. As you progress in your career, you can enhance your education “stacking” your credentials to build toward your future.
Start your journey from any level
You don't have to start at the bottom
Begin with any program, or transfer credits from another institution for a head start.
*Credit hours vary by program and institution
A federally recognized model
The U.S. Department of Labor sees a program as stackable when it is part of “ a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual's qualifications. Typically, stackable credentials help individuals move up a career ladder or along a career pathway to different and potentially higher-paying jobs.”
See it in action: a health-careers pathway
ANU’s stackable degrees allow students to quickly enter the workforce without dedicating four or five years to a university education. As graduates develop practical experience, they can return to ANU to add the formal education that will help them further their careers.
Pick the program for you and build onto it with ANU’s stackable degrees to grow your career opportunities.
See it in action: a health-careers pathway
One example of how American National University students stack credentials over time.
Step 1
Diploma, Medical Billing & Coding10 months
Enter the workforce
Step 2
Associate, Medical Assisting+8 months
Advance into clinical roles
Step 3
Bachelor, Health Information Mgmt+2 years
Move into management
Ready to start stacking?
Talk with a advisor about which credential fits where you are today.