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Your Child's College Degree Options
Which Kind of Degree Does Your Child Want?
Your child wants to earn a college degree — but that could mean a number of things. As part of the college-selection process, your child should think about what kind of degree is the goal, and which college awards that degree. Here are some of the options.
Associate Degree
Students receive an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree after completing two years of study that are similar to the first two years of a four-year college program. Community colleges, and some four-year universities, offer associate degrees. After earning an A.A. or an A.S., some students transfer to a four-year college to complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree. Others enter the workforce right away. The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded on completion of technological or vocational programs of study. Some careers, such as nursing, require only an associate degree.
Bachelor's or Baccalaureate Degree
Students receive a bachelor’s degree after completing a four- or five-year, full-time program of study at a college. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) are the most common. Other colleges award very specific degrees, such as the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) or Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.).
Graduate Degree
After completing a bachelor’s degree, your child may decide to pursue an advanced or graduate degree. In general, students can earn a master’s degree after studying for two more years. Studying for four years after getting a bachelor’s can earn students a doctoral degree. Many students go into the workforce after getting a bachelor’s degree and then return to college later to pursue a master’s degree, often one in a different subject area than their first degree.
Professional Degree
Earning a professional degree means completing the academic requirements to become licensed in a recognized profession. For example, your child needs a professional degree to become a doctor, lawyer, veterinarian or pharmacist. These programs of study require at least two years of previous college work for entrance, and at least six years of total college work for completion.
Combined Bachelor's and Graduate Degree (or Joint Degree)
A combined degree allows students to complete a bachelor's degree and a master's or professional degree in less than the usual amount of time. In most programs, students apply to the graduate program during their first three years of undergraduate study, and begin the graduate program in their fourth year.
Liberal Arts and Career Combination
In this program, also known as a 3-2 program or dual degree program, students typically complete three years of study in a liberal arts field followed by two years of professional or technical study (for example, engineering). At the end of this study, they’re awarded two degrees — usually a B.A. and a B.S.
Teacher Certification
At some colleges, students can receive teacher certification by completing a bachelor's degree and state certification requirements as part of the same program. Your child’s college adviser can help prepare a plan of study to meet these twin demands. All institutions that prepare teachers are accredited by the state; each state sets its own certificate standards.
A program leading to teacher certification typically involves three types of courses:
- General liberal arts courses
- The major (such as elementary education or mathematics)
- Professional education courses, including student teaching
To gain certification in most states, candidates must pass an achievement test in the field in which they plan to teach.
