Types of College Degrees and Degree Levels

What Degree Is Right For Me?

The best way for you to answer that is to answer these questions:

1. Is there a specific degree that my ideal career requires?
2. How long am I willing to stay in school?
3. What total tuition amount can I afford to pay for either by myself, with help from family, through financial aid or student loans?

The most important question in that list – and the one that will greatly affect how you may think about the others – is the second question: Is there a specific degree that my ideal career requires?

There are many great trade careers that may require only a certificate or vocational certificate for consideration. However, most jobs that pay more than minimum wage require a specific college degree, experience, and training.

For example, teachers are required to have a bachelor’s in education, whether that’s a bachelor’s in early elementary education, elementary education, or secondary education. If you want to teach at a college level, you’ll have to get a PhD if not a master’s degree. Doctors are required to have an MD or DO medical degree and need to complete multiple years of rotations and residencies before they can practice medicine on their own.

Certain jobs and careers in business require a, Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) Degree for consideration. In fact, an MBA is quickly becoming the new normal for companies that are hiring management-level employees.

As you can see, each college degree or certificate opens a door to different opportunities and career paths. Use the list of college degrees below to determine which degree type is right for you.

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List of College Degree Levels and Types of Degrees

Certificates and Licenses

Unlike degree programs, which typically include general education courses, certificates and licenses are designed to teach you a particular skill-set set to prepare you for a specific job or to perform a specific function.

Certificates and licenses typically take 1-2 years to complete. They can be earned at community colleges and technical and vocational schools. Several 4-year colleges also offer certificate programs.

In some fields, professional certification and licensing are synonymous, in others they are not. Before choosing one or the other you’ll want to first, thoroughly research the career you are interested in and second, explore the job requirements within the state where you want to work.

Most U.S. states and regions have their own governing organization that determines the required credentials and training for different jobs. The best way to determine what is required is to contact the local regulatory agency for your field and/or professional association (e.g. California Board of Nursing, Colorado Psychology Examiners, etc.).

Undergraduate Degrees

Simply put, undergraduate degrees is the category of degree you can earn after you finish high school diploma or GED and before a master’s or doctoral degree. Undergraduate degrees are sometimes referred to as post-secondary degrees. Courses in the undergraduate degree level incorporate general education learning material as well as curricula from elective, pre-requisite, and core classes.

General education courses are required if you are pursuing an undergraduate degree, regardless of your chosen field of study. General education courses may include subjects related to math, history, art, science, and English.

Pre-requisites and core courses will often be specific to the field of study that you choose to pursue. For example, a psychology program may require certain prerequisite courses to be taken before you are able to apply for entrance into the program. Once admitted into the psychology program, you can then take core classes in behavioral science, adolescent psychology, psychology research and statistics, abnormal psychology, counseling, neuroscience, and more.

Some programs require a declaration rather than admission and thus the courses in that program are open to anyone who has declared that to be their major or minor; sometimes these courses have no enrollment restrictions and are open to anyone who has interest in the course.

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Types of Undergraduate Degrees

There are two general types of undergraduate degrees: Associate Degrees and Bachelor’s Degrees. Associate Degrees earned at a community college with the intent of transferring to an accredited four-year institutions are sometimes referred to Transfer Degrees.

Associate Degrees

Associate degrees are undergraduate degrees that typically take 2 years to complete. They are offered at community colleges, vocational colleges, technical schools, and some 4-year colleges.

Credits earned through an associate degree program often cost less than those earned at a four-year college and are usually transferable to a four-year college if earned at a community college or vocational school that is regionally accredited.

The most traditional associate degrees are the Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS). There are also several other types of associate degrees, including the Associate of Applied Science (AAS), which is designed to prepare students for a particular career path.

Most traditional associate degrees programs consist of three parts: general education requirements, major or subject-specific requirements, and electives.

There is a type of associate degree that is called a transfer degree. If you plan on completing your first two years of college at a community college and then transferring to a four-year college or university, you’ll want to enroll in a program that allows you to earn one of the transfer degrees listed below.

• Associate of Arts (AA)
• Associate of Science (AS)
• Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT)
• Associate of Engineering Science (AES)
• Associate of Fine Arts (AFA)

You’ll also want to make sure that the institution where you earn your degree is regionally accredited and that the credits will transfer to the four-year college that you want to attend. A majority of four-year colleges and universities are regionally accredited and will only accept transfer credits earned at community colleges that are also regionally accredited.

When earned from an accredited school, the associate degrees listed above will typically fulfill your general education requirements as well as many of the beginning courses for your major that you’ll need to fulfill at a 4-year college.

When considering attending a community college or any 2-year undergraduate program, discuss your choices with a college advisor at your current school or an enrollment office at the 4-year college you plan to attend down the road for more confirmation of transferability.

Common Associate Degrees and Their Abbreviations

Bachelor’s Degrees

A bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate degree offered at a four-year college or university. Bachelor’s degrees typically take 4-5 years to complete.

Bachelor’s degrees are the most commonly sought undergraduate degrees. This is most likely because they are the degree of choice among employers looking to fill entry-level positions and are required for entry into most graduate programs.

The bachelor’s degree requires that you complete several general education core courses, such as English, math, science, humanities, communications, and social sciences. If you are entering a bachelor’s degree program, having already completed an associate degree, you may be exempt from taking several, if not all, of the required general education courses.

At some point during the course of your bachelor’s degree, you will also be required to choose a college major, which is a subject or field of academic study and focus.

Two Categories of Bachelor’s Degrees

There are several different types of bachelor’s degrees. The two main categories of bachelor’s degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS). BA degrees typically focus in the humanities and social science fields. BS degrees usually focus on scientific and technical fields.

Other bachelor’s degrees include the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), to name just a couple.

Not only is the bachelor’s degree often the minimum degree requirement of employers but students who want to pursue a graduate or professional degree must typically first earn a bachelor’s degree.

In some industries, graduate degrees – master’s degrees and doctoral degrees (PhD, PsyD, M.Ed., etc.) – are the new required minimum for entry into an increasing number of career fields. These fields include clinical psychology, medicine, law, and college teaching.

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Types of Bachelor’s Degrees and Their Abbreviations

Graduate Degrees

Graduate degrees are advanced programs of academic and professional study that focus on a particular discipline or profession (e.g. healthcare and medicine, psychology, business, etc.). Graduate degrees can take anywhere from 2-6 years to complete.

In the past, graduate programs were primarily “academic” in nature (research and education oriented). Today most are “professional” (skills development and knowledge application oriented) or are a combination of professional and academic.

How is a Graduate Degree Different from an Undergraduate Degree?

In relation to an undergraduate degree, graduate degrees are much more focused on a particular discipline and offer a field-intense education. In addition, there is a much higher expectation regarding the quantity and quality of students’ academic work.

Differences Between Graduate and Undergraduate Degree Programs

• Fast-paced and demanding
• Studies focused around core discipline with few electives
• Higher standard of required work and performance
• Smaller class size with more interaction between students and teachers
• More hands-on and clinical experience
• Real-world application of classroom instruction
• Work experience via teaching, internships, fellowships, or research
• Original work and research often required
• Higher level of competition between students

Types of Graduate Degrees

There are two general categories of graduate-level degrees: master’s and doctoral.

Master’s Degrees

A master’s degree is a post-secondary or graduate degree that is often pursued following a bachelor’s degree. Although a master’s degree is much more rigorous and demanding than a bachelor’s degree, it can usually be completed in two years of full-time study.

The majority of master’s degrees involve intricate analysis and/or extensive research.

5 Reasons to Get a Master’s Degree

1. To better meet job requirements
2. Qualify for career advancement and management opportunities
3. Deeper knowledge of career field and needed skills
4. Set yourself apart from other professionals
5. Increase salary potential

General Master’s Degree Areas

• Master of Arts (MA)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Types of Master’s Degrees

Specialist Degrees

A specialist degree is a type of professional degree that is typically earned in addition to a master’s degree. Specialist degrees are designed to provide working professionals with an additional certification to fulfill licensing requirements (e.g. EdS for a school principal).

Specialist degrees are typically only offered at certain U.S. graduate colleges and universities. These degree programs require additional coursework, training, and/or internship experience.

Types of Specialist Degrees

• Specialist of Education (EdS, SpEd)
• Specialist in Psychology (PsyS)
• Specialist in School Psychology (SSP)
• Specialist in Arts (SpA)
• Specialist in Community College Teaching (SCCT)
• Specialist in Library and Informational Science (SLIS)

Doctorate Degrees

A doctoral degree is an advanced graduate degree that typically follows a master’s degree program. Depending on the field of study, some students can go from a bachelor’s program directly into a joint masters/doctorate program.

In many fields, a doctoral degree is considered a “terminal degree”, the highest academic degree in a given field of study. Depending on the field of study and previous education, a doctoral degree can take anywhere from 3-7 years to complete, sometimes longer.

Unlike bachelor’s and master’s degrees that can be completed on a part-time basis, doctoral degrees are work-intensive and usually require full-time attention. Sometimes up to 40 to 60 hours a week of research and studying. Most doctoral degrees are research-oriented and are earned under the supervision and tutelage of a professor.

Historically doctorate degrees were primarily research-oriented and designed to prepare students for a career in research and teaching. Now they are required for entry into several professional career fields like psychology, college teaching, and medicine.

Many professionals now pursue these degrees in an effort to increase their career options and salary.

Categories of Doctorate Degrees

• Professional Doctorates – The professional doctorate, as the name suggests, is a professionally oriented doctorate degree that focuses on a particular profession. These programs typically emphasize skill development and knowledge acquisition. An example of a professional doctorate is the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).
• Research Doctorates – These doctorate degrees are research-oriented doctorates that focus almost exclusively on academic research. Common research doctorates include Ph.D. and Doctor of Philosophy.
• Higher Doctorates – A higher doctorate is a tiered research degree. While not as common in the United States, these degrees are awarded in several countries including France, Great Britain, and Ireland.
• Honorary Doctorates – An honorary doctorate is degree in which the usual requirements have been waived. This degree is typically awarded as a way of honoring or recognizing an individual’s contributions in a specific field, or to society in general. Honorary doctorates are not awarded by all universities that award doctorate degrees.

Professional Degrees

A professional degree professional degree is a doctorate-level degree that is required as a prerequisite to working in a particular career field.

Types of Professional Degrees

• Chiropractic (DC, DCM)
• Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
• Law (JD, LLB)
• Medicine (MD)
• Optometry (OD)
• Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• Pharmacy (PharmD)
• Podiatry (DPM, DP, PodD)
• Theology (MDiv, MHL, BD, Ordination)
• Veterinary Medicine (DVM, VMD)

Professional degree programs are typically offered by specialized schools that focus in a particular area of expertise like law, medicine, psychology, engineering, business, etc.

Most professional degree programs require a bachelor’s degree, at a minimum, as a condition for application and acceptance. All classes, coursework, internships, residencies within these programs focus on the specific field of study. These degrees are sometimes referred to as “First Professional Degrees”.

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