Types of Degrees

If you decide you would like to attend college, it’s wise to decide what type of degree you are interested in before beginning the college application process. Five recognized types of degree programs exist:

• Certificate of Completion — These typically take anywhere from eight weeks to a year to complete. For careers including criminal justice, food service and financial planning, a certificate of completion may suffice.
• Associate’s Degree — This type of degree requires about 60 credit hours of study. For careers including hospitality or telecommunications, this degree may suffice. Many students who complete an associate’s degree program often transfer into a bachelor’s degree program.
• Bachelor’s Degree — The bachelor’s degree is the most popular of all the degree programs. Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must complete between 120 and 128 credit hours. Students pursuing professions such as public administration, computer systems development, human resources and more take this study path.
• Master’s Degree — In order to obtain a master’s degree, students must have already obtained a bachelor’s degree. Usually, students are required to write a thesis paper or be able to apply work experience to the degree program in order to obtain a master’s degree.
• Doctoral Degree — It takes about five years for the average student to complete a doctoral degree. In order to obtain this degree, students must write a publishable thesis, complete their own original research and complete a course of study.