Upon completion of high school, thousands of students embark on the quest for higher education. This process involves enrolling in a university and deciding on which college degree type is required for their career choice.
There are four types of college degrees to consider: Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctorate degree. Each degree features a distinct set of criteria and estimated time to complete, and each is tailored to apply to certain career courses. The time frame of how long it takes a student to earn a specific degree depends on the type of college degree being pursued.
Associate’s Degree
An associate’s degree typically takes about two years to complete, and dramatically improves a graduates chances of employment over just a high school diploma or the equivalent. An associate’s degree is awarded after a student completes approximately 20 college courses, and prepares students for specific careers.
Associate’s degrees are offered at public community colleges, private 2-year colleges, for-profit technical institutes and standard 4-year colleges and universities. The associate’s degree is generally designed to prepare students for specific positions, such as information technology or computer repair, though students holding this two year degree often move on to earn a bachelor’s degree, which takes an additional year or two.
Bachelor’s Degree
The next step up from an associate’s degree is a bachelor’s degree. This is the most common degree pursued at a standard 4-year college. It typically takes three to four years to earn a bachelor’s degree, and students choose from majors such as journalism, English, business or education, to name a few.
Master’s Degree
Once a student earns a bachelor’s degree, they can opt to study for their master’s degree. Often this takes an additional two to three years, and qualifies them for higher-ranking professional positions such as executive management over those holding just a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree communicates to employers that graduates are experts in their respective fields and are capable of managing others. This distinction makes their skills quite marketable.
Doctorate Degree
The doctorate degree is the highest attainable degree in academic disciplines. The length of time it takes to earn a doctorate degree will vary depending on the lifestyle and situation of the student, though it generally takes an additional two to four years after earning a master’s degree. Graduates possessing a doctorate degree are able to attain top-level positions in education and business as well as other specialized fields. Earning a doctorate degree requires that the student master their field of study and prove it by providing original research that is evaluated before a degree is awarded.
