College Knowledge!
Common Terms and Phrases You Might Hear When Talking About Education Beyond High School
College Knowledge!
Common Terms and Phrases You Might Hear When Talking About Education Beyond High School
A student’s official area or program of study.
Examples: "Matt is a Film major" or "Elena is majoring in Chemistry"
An additional area or program of study that usually requires fewer courses to complete.
Example: “Sarah is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Spanish.”
A college student who is working towards two-year Associate's Degree or a four-year Bachelor’s Degree.
You might also hear these students referred to as "undergrads."
A student who has already earned a Bachelor’s degree and is continuing their education in an advanced degree program.
You might also hear these students referred to as "grads" or "grad students."
A quantitative measure of the progress towards a degree or certificate used by many colleges and universities.
Most often, the number of credits a student earns by completing a class is determined by the number of hours the student spends in that class or completing coursework per week. For example, a 3-credit class might meet twice a week for about 1.5 hours at a time!
An undergraduate degree typically earned after two to three years of study, often at a community college.
Common types of Associate’s Degrees include the Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) depending on the field of study. Typically, students must earn about 60 credits to graduate with an Associate’s degree.
An undergraduate degree typically earned after four years of study, usually at a “four-year” college or university.
Common types of Bachelor’s degrees include the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) depending of the major course of study. Typically, students must earn about 120 credits to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree.
A graduate degree in an academic or professional field of study that students may choose to pursue after earning a Bachelor’s Degree.
Common types of Master’s degrees include the Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Education (M.Ed.).
A graduate degree in an academic field of study that students may choose to pursue after earning a Bachelor’s Degree and/or a Master’s Degree.
“Ph.D.” stands for a pretty old-fashioned title- “Doctor of Philosophy”- but students earn this type of degree in all kinds of fields!
A college which typically offers Associates degrees, certificates, and other types of educational programs designed to help students advance in their educational journeys and careers.
Usually, these types of colleges do not offer four-year or Bachelor's degrees, but many students attend a community college before transferring to a four-year college or university. They are often less costly to attend than four-year colleges and universities. Examples close to home include Columbia College and San Joaquin Delta College.
A college or university which offers four-year or Bachelors's degrees. Many also offer graduate programs which allow students to earn advanced degrees.
Examples you might recognize include UC Davis, San Jose State University, and Stanford University.