Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming when thinking about college.  Where should I go to school?  How long do I have to be there?  Do I need to get a Master's degree?  What in the world is a Master's degree?

We've created this article to give our young people a chance to understand what all of those degrees mean and what's behind all of the acronyms (BA, MS, PHD, etc.).  If you understand the terms, how long it takes to get each degree, and what you can do once you have a degree at least you can know your options are and what you're getting into.

College Terms and Definitions

Freshman - a person in their first year of a 4-year high school program or 4-year college program

Sophomore - a person in their second year of a 4-year high school program or 4-year college program

Junior - a person in their third year of a 4-year high school program or 4-year college program

Senior - a person in their fourth year of a 4-year high school program or 4-year college program.  After you successfully complete your senior year you graduate from that insitution.

ACT (test) - The American College Testing (ACT) test is designed to assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college level work. The tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning.

SAT (test) - The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a standardized test for college admission.  The SAT test is taken in high school and may be taken more than once.

Graduation - The process of earning a degree or diploma from a learning institution.  Once you complete the requirements of a school you will graduate and receive a diploma.

Diploma - The document you receive when you graduate from a learning institution.  The diploma usually contains, at a minimum, your name, the name of the learning institution, the type of program you completed, and the year in which you completed your requirements (earned your diploma).

Undergraduate (degree) - a person currently enrolled in a 4-year college program is sometimes called an undergraduate.  Once a person completes the requirements of the 4-year program the undergraduate has earned an undergraduate degree.  An undergraduate degree is commonly referred to as a bachelor's degree.

Major - When you go to college you have to decide what field of study you want to get your degree in.  The primary field of study you choose is called your major.  For example, if you want to learn how to design buildings you would have a major in architecture and you would be an architecture major.  Your major field of study is the one you will have the most classes in and when you graduate you will graduate with a degree in your major (ex: bachelor's degree in architecture).

Minor - When you attend college you must have a major (see above).  You can also have a minor, which is a secondary field of study that interests you.  You must take several classes in that field (as outlined by the university) for you to qualify as earning a minor in that field.  When you graduate having met the minor requirements, your minor will be noted in your transcripts and most of the time on your diploma.

Graduate (degree) - A person who completes an  undergraduate degree and continues their college education can pursue a graduate degree.  A graduate degree usually takes 2 years as opposed to the 4-year undergraduate degree, but there are some graduate programs that require 4 years.  In some cases you can enter a graduate program at the same college or university where you got your undergraduate degree, but this is not required.  In fact, many students pursue their graduate degree at a different school to get a different perspective, experience a different teaching style, or because another school specializes in their selected graduate field of study.

Associates Degree - An associates degree (sometimes called an AA degree) is a degree you get when you complete a 2-year college program.  Junior colleges and comunity colleges specialize in 2-year programs, but you may also find 4-year colleges offering 2-year associate degree programs.  Once you complete your associates degree you could transfer to a 4-year university and some or possibly all of your credits may count toward your 4-year undergraduate degree.

Bachelor's Degree - A bachelor's degree is the degree you get when you complete your undergraduate studies at a 4-year college or university.  There are two primary types of bachelor's degree: bachelor of arts (BA), in which you complete coursework in a non-technical discipline (business, art, etc.); and bachelor of science (BS), where you earn a degree in a technical field (engineering, architecture, etc.).  A  bachelor's degree is sometimes referred to as a baccalaureate.

Masters Degree - A master's degree is the degree you get when you complete your graduate degree coursework in a master's program.  You can only get a master's degree after you have completed your undergraduate work and earned a bachelor's degree.  There are two primary types of Master's degrees just like bachelor's degrees: master of arts (MA); and master of science (MS).

Doctorate - a doctorate degree is the highest degree you can earn, and is granted to an individual who has completed an undergraduate degree, a master's degree, and completed his doctorate program.  Doctorate programs can last anywhere from 2 to 6 years but are generally 4 year programs.  The most common doctorate degree is a medical doctorate (MD), but you can earn your doctorate in almost any field (ex. PhD in Math).  A person who earns a doctorate degree is said to have earned a PhD, which stands for a doctor of philosophy.  Doctorate programs usually involve the writing of a thesis paper - a document that shows your mastery of the academic discipline.  Doctorate programs may also require the completion of an internship.

Juris doctorate - This is the degree you get when you complete law school (your law degree).  The juris doctorate (law degree) can be pursued after you complete an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.  Once you complete your law degree you can take the state bar exam to practice law in that state.

magna cum laude - is a latin term which means "with high honor".  The term is given to students who graduate from a university with the highest grades at that school, with the cutoff determined by that school (usually the top 5% of the class).  For example if a 3.8 grade point average is the standard at Harvard and you graduate with a 3.9 grade point average you will have graduated magna cum laude.

summa cum laude - summa cum laude is a latin term that means "with highest honors" and is reserved for students who graduate in the top 1% of their graduating class.

Internship - An internship is a job you perform where your primary objective is to learn about the job or profession the job relates to.  For example, students pursuing their PhD in medicine are requied to work in a hospital as a medical intern in order to learn about the practice of medicine in a "real world" environment.  Internships can be paid, but many are unpaid or pay an amount less than a standard job in that profession.  Internships are also usualy a fixed duration (ex: 3 months, or a year)

Types of Schools

High School - an academic institution that offers a 4 year program with coursework in basic math, reading and science skills as well as coursework to prepare you for college.  High school students can obtain a high scholl degree without taking or passing the required coursework to qualify for entrance into college (not advisable).  Thre are two primary types of high school: public and private.  Public high schools do not charege for admission and attendance (funded by the government).  Private high schools charge an admission fee for each year of attendance and often require students to academically qualify for admission by taking and passing academic tests as well as providing letters of recommendations from previous teachers and/or community members.

College - an institution of higher learning reserved for people who have completed high school.  To get into college you need to have your high school degree or Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED) by having taken and passed a GED exam.  Other college entrance requirements include:

- The completion of certain high school level academic courses (as required by the college)

- Achieved a minimum grade point average (as required by the college)

- Taken and scored a certain level on the Standard Achievement Test (SAT) and/or the ACT Test

- Letters of recommendation from teachers and/or community members

- Money to pay for tuition

University - A university is an institution of higher education and research that grants degrees for the completion of academic coursework in a selected field of study.  Universities have multiple colleges (school of business, college of engineering, etc.) which allow students to pursue a degree (pick a major) in their area of interest.  Universities can be public (ex: University of California Berkeley) or private (ex: Stanford). 

Junior College - Junior colleges (sometimes called JC's) offer 2-year academic programs, as opposed to 4-year programs that you find at general colleges and universities.  Most of the coursework taken at a junior college can be applied to a 4-year degree if a student wants to continue his/her education after completing studies at the JC level.  When you graduate from junior college you have earned an associates degree.

Community College - Community colleges offer 2-year academic programs similar to junior colleges and are often a stepping stone to a 4-year college or university.  Most community colleges also offer individual courses designed to teach a particular skill (ex: bookkeeping, accounting) to allow you to enter the workforce right away.  Tuition is low and you can pay for one course at a time (versus 4-year colleges or universities where you pay for at least a semester worth of classes at a time).

Vocational School - A school that focuses on teaching students a "vocation" or specific technical/job skill .  The focus at a vocational school is job training rather than academics, and as such the majority of the classes revolve around perfection of the skill (ex: automotive repair, computer network administration).  Vocational schools usually have two-year programs and may or may not require a high school diploma to be admitted.  Vocational schools are sometimes called trade schools because you go there to learn a trade (welding, ironwork, computers, etc.).

Culinary School - a school where you learn how to cook (the art of food preparation).  When you go to culinary school you learn how to become a chef and can specialize in certain types of food (ex: pastry chef, sushi chef).  Three are many culinary schools in the U.S. and around the world where you can learn to cook in the styles of many regions and countries (italian cuisine, french cuisine, etc.).

State School - A state school, or state university, is simply a college or university in the state university system (San Francisco State University versus the University of San Francisco).  There are no significant academic differences for students at a state school versus non-state university but generally the state school is seen as less prestigious than a university and may not be as academically rigorous (or expensive). 

Acronyms

GED - General Equivalence Diploma

AA - Associates Degree

BA - Bachelor of Arts

BS - Bachelor of Science

MA - Master of Arts

MS - Master of Science

PhD - Doctor of Philosophy

ACT - American College Testing

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test