College Credentials: Terminology & Tips

If you are a parent with children in or approaching college, it may seem that a law degree is necessary to navigate the requirements for coursework and graduation. The terms associated with academic credentials, such as degrees, diplomas, and certificates can be as confounding as a foreign language.Let’s take a look at some of the aspects regarding college degrees and coursework – and some great tips to help students complete college more quickly.

1. College Degrees

An Associate’s Degree (Associate of Science/A.S., or of Arts/A.A.) is a two-year degree granted by a community college to a student completing a program, typically about 60 credit hours.

A Bachelor’s Degree (Bachelor’s of Science/B.S. or of Arts/B.A.) is earned after four years as a full-time student, typically 120 semester credit hours or 180 quarter credit hours. This is also referred to as a baccalaureate degree. Often the B.A. requires completion of a foreign language requirement.

Tip: To stay on track to complete a bachelor’s in four years (two semesters per academic year), students must complete an average of 15 credit hours per semester. Students sheepishly call themselves “Super Seniors” when, for various reasons, they have fallen behind this pace or have changed majors frequently and are in their fifth or sixth year of working on their bachelor’s degree.

A Master’s Degree (Master’s of Science/M.S. or of Arts/M.A.) is a degree beyond the bachelor’s, and therefore considered a graduate degree. Master’s degrees are awarded after completion of course requirements of a minimum of one year of full-time study beyond a bachelor’s degree. The requirements may or may not include an original research paper, called a master’s thesis. Professional master’s degrees in a specialty area include Master’s of Fine Art/M.F.A. and Master’s of Business Administration/M.B.A.

Tip: If a student’s bachelor’s degree is not in the same subject matter area as the master’s, the student may have to take additional courses as pre-requisites for the master’s program. For example, a student with an undergraduate major in Political Science who applies for an Engineering master’s program would have to take math and science undergraduate coursework to be ready to handle the graduate level coursework in Engineering.

A Doctorate Degree is awarded for completion of the highest level of advanced graduate study, a minimum of three years full-time study beyond either the bachelor’s or master’s degree. Most often, doctoral degrees are Doctors of Philosophy/Ph.D. In addition to coursework, a doctorate requires a rigorous oral and written examination in the subject area as well as a dissertation, which is a written presentation of original research.

2. College Coursework

General Education Requirements, or “Gen Eds”, are the courses identified by the college or university that are required of all students. These courses are in subject matter areas such as English/Communications, Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Health and Physical Activity. Colleges and universities consider this core curriculum an essential foundation for all students in higher education, to provide a richer context within which to understand their own specialized field of study.

Tip: Check on the internet or on a specific college’s website for articulation agreements that may be in place to smooth the transfer transition from one institution to another. For example, the Illinois Articulation Agreement is a statewide transfer agreement among over 100 colleges and universities in Illinois. This website has information on the types of transfers, the transfer process and resources for students such as core curriculum worksheets.

An Academic Major is a focused field of study required for graduation. When a student chooses a major, there are core courses required of all majors, and then there are courses in a specialization area within that major. For example, an Accounting major typically requires core courses in business such as marketing, accounting, economics, management, computer science and finance, and additionally requires specialized accounting courses such as cost accounting, auditing, taxes, and financial reporting. Majors typically require 30-40 credit hours (semester).

A Double Major is a student’s choice to gain specialization in two subject matter areas. This can be advantageous when the two subjects are complimentary and related to the student’s career path, such as a double major in International Business and Chinese.

Tip: Choosing a double major as a hedge strategy for career indecisiveness – “If I don’t get a job with one background, I can look for something in the other area” – isn’t the best plan. A much better strategy is for the student to get some clarity through a career assessment on a career direction that plays to their strengths and interests, and that will provide the guidance for choosing a major.

A Minor is a group of related courses in a secondary subject area and requires fewer classes than a major. Some degree programs require a minor.

Tip: While most Gen Ed courses are taken the first two years of a four year academic program, an increasing number of majors or departments outline a sequence of classes that begin during a student’s freshman year. This builds a case for the importance of students knowing their career direction and academic major choice as freshmen.

Summary tip: Requirements for graduation are specific to each college or university and academic department, so it’s smart to pay close attention to the detailed information on a college’s website and in the current course catalog. Once on a campus, students should meet with their faculty or academic advisors at least once per term (quarter or semester) to make sure they’re on track for graduating on time. For students with a declared major it is much easier to lay out a four year plan.

For a glossaries with additional college terminology, visit iseek education and Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.