College & DegreeTerminology

The BIG Picture

Community College

• Degrees

• Certificates

• Professional/Technical vs.Academic

Community College

Associate Degrees• Approximately 2-years

to complete (about 90 cr.)

• Transfer degreesEx: Associate of Arts Degree (AA)

• Professional/Technical DegreesEx: Associate in Accounting Technology

Community College

Transfer Degrees:• Generally fulfill requirements of first 2

years of 4-year colleges• If appropriately planned, allow transfer to

a 4-year college as 3rd year student, or Junior

Professional/Technical Degrees :

• Designed to provide practical skills and knowledge to prepare student to enter entry-level job in a particular field.

• Most Pro/Tech coursework does not transfer well

• A few pro-tech degrees may be accepted by certain colleges if an agreement exists called an “articulation”.

Community College

Certificates• Approximately 1 year to

complete (about 45 cr.)

• Generally considered Professional/Technical

“4-year” College and University

DegreesBachelor’s Degrees:• Generally about 4 years total

in length (can get first 2 years at community college and then transfer)

• Most common degrees: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Also referred to as ‘undergraduate degrees’, ‘baccalaureate degrees’ or “4-year degrees”.

• Many ‘majors’ or ‘concentrations’ available.

• A ‘minor’ area of study is often possible

“4-year” College and University

DegreesMaster’s Degrees:• 1 to 3 years in length• Most common degrees:

Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS)

• A bachelor’s degree is usually required to start a Master’s

• Master’s degree work is further specialization in a subject area

• Some professions require a Master’s degree to practice.Ex: Licensed Mental Health Counselor; Architect.

“4-year” College and University

DegreesDoctorate Degrees:• 2 to 3 years in length• Also called: “Ph.D. degree”

which stands for “Doctor of Philosophy” or “doctoral degree”

• Most require Master’s Degree to work towards Doctorate.

• Some professions require a Doctorate degree to practice.Ex: Lawyer (Doctor of Jurisprudence); University professor.

The Big Picture

Associate’s Degree

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree

Doctorate Degree

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

4th Year

Common college terms:

• Bulletin or class schedule• Catalog• Credits• Quarter system• Tuition• GPA

(grade point average)• Credit evaluation

(unofficial or official)