associate degree vs AN

associate degree and AN both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
associate degree	Yes	No	No	No
AN	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, AN is a hyponym of associate degree; that is, AN is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than associate degree:

associate degree: a degree granted by a two-year college on successful completion of the undergraduates course of studies
AN: an associate degree in nursing

Other hyponyms of associate degree include AA, Associate in Arts, AAS, Associate in Applied Science, Associate in Nursing.

associate degree (noun)	AN (noun)
a degree granted by a two-year college on successful completion of the undergraduates course of studies	an associate degree in nursing