What are the Different Types of College Degrees?
In the United States, there are many types of college degrees. Since the 1800s, most accredited four-year universities have followed a uniform system of degrees, offering them at the bachelor, master, and doctor level. Community or junior colleges, likewise, have followed a set pattern of rewarding degrees, usually known as the two-year associate’s degree. All types of college degrees have different focuses and programs, and different universities require different levels of education and various requirements, though they are similar throughout the U.S.
At junior colleges, which are usually smaller colleges representing different communities or counties, college degrees are pretty standard. The associate’s degree is awarded after two full years of study, around 60 credit hours, and represents pre-professional areas of study. They are offered as two different types of college degrees: transfer degrees or career degrees. Associate’s degrees are generally completed with common elective courses, and the credits may or may not transfer toward completion of a further degree at a four-year university.
The types of college degrees offered at universities begin with the bachelor’s degree. This degree is finished through four full years of classes, though it can be achieved in three or five or more. The bachelor’s degree usually runs about 120 credit hours, and is certified as an undergraduate academic degree. The most common bachelor’s degrees attained in the U.S. are the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.). They usually require a certain number of elective courses, a declared major, and a number of higher level courses in the area of concentration. These types of college degrees are equivalent to many degrees awarded throughout Europe and Asia.
The more difficult types of college degrees begin with a master’s degree. The master’s is obtained after an additional one or two years of study after a bachelor’s. This degree can be accompanied by drastic salary raises in many professions, and includes many specialized courses and often professional work in a field. The master’s, like the bachelor’s degree, can be known as an M.A. or an M.S.
The next level of academic degree is the doctorate. The doctorate is another one or two years of study, increasing the education time frame through the different types of college degrees to about 8-12 years. The doctorate is achieved in many high education professions, like lawyers, professors, and therapists, and usually requires more fieldwork in the profession. In the United States, doctorate degrees also require the writing of a dissertation before a person can be declared a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.), or one of many others types of doctorates.
Written by Matthew F.
