Refers to a postsecondary education credential that is intentionally built into a longer academic or workforce pathway—such as a bachelor’s degree program, apprenticeship, or employer-aligned training model—so that learners earn a recognized associate degree along the way to a higher-level credential or career outcome. By awarding the associate degree as part of the pathway, embedded models ensure that learners receive a meaningful, labor-market-relevant credential even if they do not complete the full bachelor’s program.