College Awards

In the United States, the degree system is a left over from the medieval guild system. Thinking of it this way can help in understanding. This results in a hierarchy of degrees where each level is higher than the ones before it. The important thing to remember is that the degree hierarchy only says the person is good at a particular area of study and the degree does not give the person expertise in unrelated areas.

Certificate

The first level is the Certificate. Institutions usually award Certificates for successful completion of a small series of very specialized courses in one area. The courses for a Certificate may not count for credit toward any other degree, especially at another institution. People usually pursue Certificates to improve a specific job skill, learning how to use a new suite of software for example.

Diploma

A Diploma takes longer than a Certificate and requires more courses. Like the Certificate, the Diploma's courses may or may not count for credit. People normally get a Diploma in order to pursue an entry-level position in a field that does not have greater education requirements. Others may get a Diploma to expand their job skills to be more valuable to an existing employer.

Associate's Degree

The next level up, and the first degree, is the Associate's Degree. Like the name says, it means the recipient is prepared to be an associate of those in the profession. This is the equivalent to becoming an apprentice. For an example, an Associate's Degree in Mechanical Engineering prepares the student to work with mechanical engineers, almost all of whom have higher degrees.

In general, the Associate's Degree takes about two years of full-time course work. This makes it equivalent to the first two years of a Bachelor's Degree.

Bachelor's Degree

The Bachelor's Degree, also called a Baccalaureate, is the more traditional "college degree" that people speak of. In general, it takes four years of full time course work. It is the guild equivalent of the journeyman. For jobs requiring a college degree, this is the requirement for an entry-level position. Many so-called professional jobs require a Bachelor's Degree. Some companies will pay a person with a Bachelor's Degree more than someone without, even if they do the same work.

Master's Degree

For an extra two years of work past the Bachelor's Degree, one can get a Master's Degree. This is the guild equivalent to master. The assumption is that the person with the Master's Degree has really learned quite a bit about their area of study and has really mastered its mysteries. How you interpret that depends on the area of study. A master of math knows very different things from a master of sculpture, though both took a lot of work.

There are often two types of Master's Degrees: the terminal degree and the research-oriented degree. You pursue the research-oriented degree if you are planning to go to work toward a Doctoral Degree. The terminal degree is for when you have gone as far as you are planning to in this field. These are general descriptions and there are exceptions. Getting a terminal degree doesn't mean that you can't pursue a higher degree, but it may not lend itself to the research activities.

Doctoral Degree

The highest award given is usually called a doctorate in the United States. This includes the Philosopher's Degree (PhD.), the Educational Doctorate (Ed.D), and others. In most cases, this takes at least two years beyond the Master's level and requires the writing and defending of a dissertation that adds something to the subject of the degree. For example, if your subject is History, your research and dissertation must say something about history that no one has said before, such as showing that an event happened differently than previously believed.

One important note is that many European countries have laws regarding the use of the title doctor. In those countries, only medical persons call themselves doctor without violating the law.

For most people with a degree at this level, the main source of work will be in education or research, also in an educational environment. If you don't want to do that sort of work, the degree may not be worth the extra effort and cost.