Academic Degrees

Interlinked Thematic Vocabulary Unit Nº 303 v.1.

      Main Definitions

1. grade |n| a score or mark indicating a student's academic performance on an exam, paper or in a course. A "grade" can also refer to which year a student is in while at elementary, middle or high school, but that usage typically does not apply at the college or university level.
2. degree |n| an academic title conferred by universities and colleges as an indication of the completion of a course of study, or as an honorary recognition of achievement.
3. graduate degree |n| an advanced degree that focuses on a specific academic field of study or professional discipline (ie., Law, Medicine, Business, etc.) The general prerequisite for most graduate degree programs is a bachelor's degree – often in a related field of study.

      Kinds of Degrees

1. associate's / associate degree |n| an undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, usually requiring two years of full-time study. An associate's is typically awarded by community colleges; it may be a career or technical degree, or it may be a transfer degree, allowing students to transfer those credits to a four-year bachelor's degree-granting school.
2. bachelor's degree / bachelor's |n| an undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, typically requiring at least four years (or the equivalent) of full-time study. Common degree types include bachelor of arts (B.A. or A.B.), which refers to the liberal arts, and bachelor of science (B.S.). A bachelor's is required before starting graduate studies.
3. master's degree |n| an academic degree higher than a bachelor's degree.
4. PhD |n| a doctorate usually based on at least 3 years graduate study.
5. professional degree |n| a graduate degree that is a prerequisite to becoming licensed to work in specific field. The most common examples of professional degrees include medical degrees required to become a medical doctor and law degrees which are required to practice law.
6. transfer degree|n| a stepping stone into a bachelor's degree program is often referred to as a transfer degree.