Glossary of College Degree terms
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Advanced Degree
An award conferred by a college, university, or other
postsecondary education as official recognition for the successful
completion of a program of studies past the baccalaureate level. These
degrees include:
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- Post-Masters Certificate
- Further Professional Certificate
- Master's Degree
- Doctoral Degree
- Middle/Intermediate Degree
- First-Professional Degree
Associate Degree
An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than
4 years of full-time equivalent college work.
Baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree.
Bachelor's Degree
An award that normally requires at least 4 but not more
than 5 years of full-time equivalent college-level work. This includes all
bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year cooperative (work-study plan)
program. A cooperative plan provides for alternate class attendance and
employment in business, industry, or government; thus, it allows students to
combine actual work experience with their college studies. Also includes
bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3
years.
Certificate
A formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of
a postsecondary education program which usually require two or less years of
undergraduate course work and are vocationally/occupationally oriented.
Degree
An award conferred by a college, university, or other
postsecondary education as official recognition for the successful
completion of a program of studies. Types of degrees include:
- Certificate
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - Less than 1 Year
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 1 but
less than 2 Years
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 2 but
less than 4 Years
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- Post-Masters Certificate
- Further Professional Certificate
- Associate Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Master's Degree
- Doctoral Degree
- Middle/Intermediate Degree
- First-Professional Degree
Doctoral Degree
The doctoral degree classification includes such degrees
as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of Public
Health, and the Doctor of Philosopy degree in any field such as agronomy,
food technology, education, engineering, public administration, opthamology,
or radiology. For the Doctor of Public Health degree, the prior degree is
generally earned in a closely related professional field of medicine or in
sanitary engineering.
Dual Degree
Program of study in which a student receives two degrees
from the same institution.
First-Professional Degree
An award that requires completion of a program that meets
all of the following criteria: 1) completion of the academic requirements to
begin practice in the profession; 2) at least 2 years of college work prior
to entering the program; and 3) a total of at least 6 academic years of
college work to complete the degree program, including prior required
college work plus the length of the professional program itself.
First-Professional degrees are discipline-specific and may be awarded as
follows:
- Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
- Medicine (M.D.)
- Optometry (O.D.)
- Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
- Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
- Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
- Law (L.L.B, J.D.)
- Theology (M.Div, M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination)
- Chiropractic Medicine (D.C. or D.C.M.)
- Pharmacy (D. Phar.)
Further Professional Certificate
An award that requires completion of an organized program
of study beyond the doctoral or first-professional degree.
Master's Degree
An award that requires the completion of a program of
study of at least the full-time equivalent of 1 but not more than 2 academic
years of work beyond the bachelor's degree.
Middle/Intermediate Degree
Includes Education Specialist, Candidate in Philosophy,
Master in Philosophy, etc.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
An award that requires completion of an organized program
of study requiring 18 credit hours beyond the bachelor's; designed for
persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but do not meet the
requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of master.
Postgraduate Degree
An award conferred by a college, university, or other
postsecondary education as official recognition for the successful
completion of a program of studies past the baccalaureate level. These
degrees include:
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- Post-Masters Certificate
- Further Professional Certificate
- Master's Degree
- Doctoral Degree
- Middle/Intermediate Degree
- First-Professional Degree
Post-Masters Certificate
An award that requires completion of an organized program
of study requiring 24 credit hours beyond the master's degree; designed for
persons who have completed a master's degree, but do not meet the
requirements of academic degrees at the doctor's level.
Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 1 but less
than 2 Years
An award that requires the completion of an organized
program of study at the postsecondary level in at least 1 but less than 2
full-time equivalent academic years, or designed for completion in at least
30 but less than 60 credit hours, or in at least 900 but less than 1,800
contact hours.
Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 2 but less
than 4 Years
An award that requires the completion of an organized
program of study at the postsecondary level in at least 2 but less than 4
full-time equivalent academic years, or designed for completion in at least
60 but less than 120 credit hours, or in at least 1,800 but less than 3,600
contact hours.
Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - Less than 1 Year
An award that requires the completion of an organized
program of study at the postsecondary level in less than 1 academic year (2
semesters or 3 quarters) or in less than 900 contact hours by a student
enrolled full time.
Undergraduate Degree
An award conferred by a college, university, or other
postsecondary education as official recognition for the successful
completion of a program of studies prior to the baccalaureate level. These
degrees include:
- Certificate
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - Less than 1 Year
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 1 but
less than 2 Years
- Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate - At least 2 but
less than 4 Years
- Associate Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
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