college°ree terms 01
DESCRIPTION
Basic information for students new to collegeTRANSCRIPT
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)