OVERVIEW OF DEGREES AND MANY OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR POTENTIAL COLLEGE STUDENTS
Many options exist for potential college students when it comes to selecting a possible degree and field of study. Included in these choices are undergraduate degrees, graduate programmes and professional degrees, making it possible for anybody with the desire to seek an educational path that fits them the best to do so, especially in areas that are currently popular in the United States.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
There are two broad categories of undergraduate college degrees: associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. The average amount of time it takes to earn a degree - also called time to degree - is two years for an associate’s degree and four years for a bachelor’s degree. Some credits from associate’s degree programmes can typically be applied toward a bachelor’s degree, but an associate’s degree is not required for entrance to a bachelor’s degree program.
ASSOCIATE’S DEGREES
Most associate’s degree programmes are offered at vocational schools and community colleges, although some national universities have also started conferring 2-year degrees. Students who are seeking general education at this level are most likely to earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or an Associate of Science (A.S.) in topics ranging from literature to computer programming. The A.A. and A.S. degrees are most suited to transfer to a 4-year college or university.
Associate’s degree programmes are also very popular for students who are seeking more direct professional training or credentials. The most common type of vocational associate’s degree is the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.). Some schools also offer specific diplomas, such as the Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN). Exact labels for professional associate’s degrees will vary between institutions.
BACHELOR’S DEGREES
Bachelor’s degrees are offered at all 4-year colleges and universities, from large public institutions to small private colleges. The two most common types of bachelor’s degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.). Some fields offer specialized degrees, such as the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), but many schools simply lump these programmes under the more general B.A. or B.S. categories.
Whether you earn a B.A. or a B.S.
depends as much on your institution as your field of study. Some schools offer a B.A. for humanities and social sciences and a B.S. for applied sciences and research programmes, but many institutions divide their degree programmes by the graduation requirements.
According to the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES), the most common fields for bachelor’s degree students are business, social studies, health sciences and education.
GRADUATE DEGREES
Because graduate education is a common way to gain advanced professional training in a very specific subject, the world of graduate degrees is even more complex than the world of undergraduate degrees. It can be loosely divided into three main areas: master’s degrees, doctoral degrees and professional degrees.
Time to degree varies based on the type of program. It is typically the shortest for master’s programmes (one to two years of post-graduate study) and the longest for doctoral programmes (five to seven years of post-graduate study).
MASTER’S DEGREES
There are two main types of master’s degrees: academic and professional. An academic master’s program is likely to result in a Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.S.) degree. Many people earn an academic master’s degree with the intention of continuing on to doctoral study.
There are almost as many professional master’s degrees in the U.S. as there are professions. Many institutions invent a new degree name when they create a new program, resulting in a large and often confusing range of possibilities. Some of the more common professional master’s degrees include the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Education (M.ED.).
Most 4-year research universities and many liberal arts colleges offer
degrees at the master’s level. The NCES lists education and business as the two most common fields for master’s-level studies.
DOCTORAL DEGREES
The most common type of doctoral degree is the academic Doctor of Philosophy (PH.D.). This is a terminal degree in most academic fields and is primarily oriented toward training for research, writing and teaching at an advanced level.
However, it is becoming more common for some fields to offer their own types of doctoral programmes that combine advanced practical skills with the usual doctoral focus on research and pedagogy. Such programmes include the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Doctor of Education (ED.D.).
PH.D. degrees are commonly found at both public and private research universities. According to the NCES, health professions and the clinical sciences confer the most doctoral degrees, followed by education, engineering, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology and physical sciences.
PROFESSIONAL DEGREES
Although many graduate professional degrees are technically considered doctoral degrees, they are best understood as a separate category. Professional degrees can be found at law and medical schools throughout the country. The most popular types of professional degrees include: Juris Doctorate (J.D.), a law degree
Medical Doctor (M.D.), a physician’s degree Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), a dentistry degree Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.d.), a pharmaceutical medicine degree There are many degree options, ranging from two year associate to four year bachelor’s, to two year master’s, to doctorate and professional degrees, that can vary in length. The common areas of study are just as varied as the degree level options.