Types of College Degrees

When most people refer to a "college" degree, they mean a four-year bachelor degree. However, there are many types of college degrees and there are pros and cons to each one. The key is figuring out which one is the right one for you.

Determining which degree to earn really just depends on what you want to accomplish with your education and which career path you want to pursue. Every career has its own unique set of education and/or training requirements. And sometimes, there is more than one education path to career success.

For example, to become a doctor in the United States requires a medical license which can only be obtained by earning a medical degree from an accredited medical schools. Alternatively, if you want to become an investment banker you can pursue a Master's of Business Administration (MBA), a degree in finance, economics or even accounting. Typically, the more challenging the career, the higher the education requirement. However, most degrees, regardless of level or focus, will open up new doors and opportunities -- so it's worth earning a degree.

You can also explore different types of colleges degrees using the form below.

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Many vocational or technical careers require professional certification or licensing. In some fields, professional certification and licensing are synonymous, in others they aren't. It's often the case that in order to receive a license, professional certification must first be achieved. Before pursuing a vocational career track, you'll want to thoroughly investigate the certification and licensing requirements for your vocation in the state where you reside, as licensing and certification regulations will vary from state to state.

Professional certification programs focus almost exclusively on helping students develop technical skills that will prepare to perform a specific function or prepare for a particular job. In contrast, college degrees typically offer an extensive general education component and a more indepth, and well-rounded, understanding of a subject. For example, an electrician will typically pursue a professional certification and licensing in order to practice his trade, where an electrical engineer must complete a four-year college ("bachelor") degree and may even be required to complete a graduate degree program.

Unlike traditional college degrees that take approximately four years to complete, certificates and licenses can be completed in one to two years. They are offered at community colleges, technical and vocational schools, and a select number of colleges and universities.

Undergraduate Degrees

An undergraduate degree is a college degree. It's the degree that come after earning a high school diploma or GED, but before a graduate (master's or doctorate) degree. An undergraduate degree is also known as a post-secondary degree, as it's the first degree that can be earned following a secondary (high school) education. Most undergraduate programs, especially four-year bachelor degrees, include a general education component, elective courses, and core (or major) courses. General education courses are exactly that, general. All undergraduate students, regardless of their chosen field of study, are usually required to take the same general education courses, depending on the school they attend. General education typically consists of courses in mathematics, history, English and the sciences. Once general education courses are completed, students will then complete elective and core courses, which are more in line with their major or career path.

There are two categories of undergraduate degrees in the United States: Associate Degrees and Bachelor Degrees. Associate degrees are 2-year programs that are offered at community colleges and a few vocational schools. Bachelor Degrees are 4-year programs offered at colleges and universities.

Students often earn a two-year associate degree at a community college with the intent of transferring to a regionally accredited four- year college or university upon graduation. These associate degrees are often referred to as Transfer Degrees. If your plan is to transfer to a four-year institution, you will want to enroll in a Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.), Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.) or Associate of Engineering Science (A.E.S.) that is regionally accredited. This is very important, as many community colleges and vocational schools do not hold regional accreditation. Almost all four-year colleges and universities are regionally accredited, and a regionally accredited college will only accept transfer credits from a community college is also regionally accredited.

A transfer degree, when earned from an accredited community college, will usually fulfill many of the general education requirements (and a few of the core requirements) of a four-year bachelor's degree. When selecting a community college to earn a transfer degree, make sure you discuss your decision with an admissions counselor or enrollment officer at the four-year institution you'll be attending after you graduate.

Associate degrees are undergraduate degrees offered at community colleges, vocational schools, and a few four-year colleges. These degrees can typically be completed in two years and require students to complete 60 semester credit hours. One of the salient benefits of earning an associate degree is the lower cost of credits relative to other undergraduate degrees (i.e. bachelor degree). Since credits at a community college are often less expensive than those earned via a bachelor degree at a four-year institution, many students opt to complete their general education courses at a community college and then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete their bachelor's degree. As long as the the community college where the credits are earned is regionally accredited, this is a great plan if you want to complete a bachelor degree at a lower cost.

There are two general categories of associate degrees: Occupation and Transfer. As explained above, transfer degrees are intended for students who plan on pursuing a bachelors degree at a four-year university. Occupational degrees are designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge they'll need to find gainful employment upon graduating. Occupational degrees tend to be much more hands-on and technical oriented than transfer degrees. Notwithstanding, an occupational degree can still be used as a transfer degrees as long as it's obtained at a regionally accredited community college.

The most common associate degrees are the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.) and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.). An Associate of Arts usually provides students with a general liberal art education and is designated as a transfer degree. The Associate of Science (A.S.) can also be used as a transfer degree, however, unlike the A.A. that focuses on liberal arts, the A.S. focuses on the sciences. The Associate of Applied Science is designed for students who want to prepare for a specific trade or career path, with the intention of entering the workforce upon graduation. An A.A.S. can be earned in a large variety of disciplines and career fields. Other types of associate degrees include the following:

When someone refers to a "college degree", they're typically referring to a bachelor's degree. A bachelor degree is a four-year undergraduate degree offered by colleges and universities throughout the United States. It is the most popular of all undergraduate degrees among students and is the degree of choice among employers looking to fill entry-level career positions. A bachelor degree is also a prerequisite for most graduate schools and programs.

A bachelor degree has a general education component that typically includes several general education courses, which often include mathematics, English, foreign language, humanities, natural science and social science. Student's who've completed an associate's degree prior to entering a bachelor program, may be exempt from completing several, if not all, general education requirements. In addition to a general education component, bachelor degrees also have major requirements, and electives.

The two most common types of bachelor degrees are the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science. The Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB) focuses on liberal arts, humanities and social science. The Bachelor of Science (abbreviated B.S., BS, B.Sc. or Bc.) usually focuses on technical and science related disciplines. However, what is considered a "liberal art" or a "science" varies from university to university, so an economics degree at one university may be designated with a B.A. while at a different school an economics degree is designated with a B.S. Other popular bachelor degrees include the following:

While traditional bachelor degree programs take four to five years to complete, many colleges -- especially online colleges -- now offer accelerated programs that allow students to earn their degree in as little as three years.

Graduate Degrees

A graduate degree is an advanced academic or professional studies program that focuses on a specific discipline or profession (i.e. Engineering, Psychology, Medicine, etc.) Historically, graduate degrees were almost exclusively "academic" in nature, focusing on research and education. Today, a large number of graduate degrees are not professional in scope, focusing on skill development and oriented toward career development. Many graduate degree have a dual focus on academia and industry. A graduate degree can take anywhere from two to six years to complete, depending on the field of study.

The biggest difference between an undergraduate vs a graduate degree is depth of focus and specialization. Graduate degrees offer a much more focused and indepth education on a particular discipline than undergraduate degrees. In addition, much more is expected of graduate students. There is higher expectation of quality of academic work and performance. Graduate degrees are fast paced and demanding, focus on just one discipline, are more hands-on, require research and are very competitive.

Graduate degrees fall into one of two general categories: Master and Doctoral.

A master's degree is a post-graduate degree that follows the completion of a bachelor degree. Notwithstanding, an increased level of difficulty and rigor, a master's degree typically only takes two years to complete compared to four years for a bachelors degree. A master degree is a logical progression in one's education and career preparation. While a bachelor degree is the degree of choice among employers looking to fill entry-level positions, more and more professions now require a master degree as an entry-level qualification. The most common reasons for pursuing a master degree include the following:

The most common master degrees include the Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The Master of Arts focuses on the fields of humanities, history, philosophy, social sciences and liberal arts. Students who pursue a Master of Science focus their studies on the sciences. The Master of Fine Arts is a two to three-year year program in visual arts, performing arts, creative writing and filmmaking. Other master degrees include: