The most commonly awarded degrees include: Associate degrees, Bachelor's Degrees, Master's Degrees, and Doctorates.
Video Classification of Academic Degrees
1st level: Associate's degrees
Associate degrees are classified into an undergraduate academic degree awarded to those who complete two years of coursework after high school. It is generally awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, and technical educational institutes. An associate degree is almost equivalent to the first two years of the four-year bachelor program. It is the lowest level of education after high school and termed to be the first-level postsecondary academic degree.
The time requirement of an associate degree is generally two years, completing 60 semester credit hours. Different prerequisites incorporate "general ed" courses, for example, English synthesis, Algebra, social collaboration, humanities, and so on. Some individuals ociate degrees as "two-year" degrees in light of the fact that it is conceivable to get the degree in approximately that time span. For learners who place into developmental (frequently called pre-college or remedial) courses, the time will be stretched out since these credits will not count toward the associate degree. Conversely, secondary school graduates who enter school with a high measure of exchange credits could complete the degree in less than two years. In extraordinary circumstances, a few people take one year to earn the associate degree
Maps Classification of Academic Degrees
2nd level: Bachelor's degrees
The time requirement to complete a bachelor's degree is usually four years for a standard program, completing 120 semester hours. Examples of bachelor's degree include Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science.
3rd level: Master's degrees
Master's degrees are awarded to scholars who have done advanced study having specialised in a discipline. Within the study toward a master's degree, graduates are engaged in self-propelled learning of a specific group of hypothetical and connected subjects; high aptitudes in examination, basic assessment or expert requisition; and the capacity to tackle complex issues and think thoroughly and autonomously.
In the United States education system, a master's program generally requires two years after the four-year bachelor's degree program. The duration can be long or short depending on the education system of different countries. Master's degree programs can incorporate 36 credit hours after the four-year completion of a bachelor's degree.
The most common types of master's degree are the Master of Arts and Master of Science.
4th level: Doctoral Degree
Some doctoral degrees are commonly referred to as first professional degrees. For example, a lawyer receives a JD also known as a law degree which is also called a doctor of jurisprudence. A medical doctor receives an MD, and a doctor of osteopathy receives a DO. Likewise, Physician's Assistants and Pharmacy Doctorates are also first professional degrees. Many first professional degrees involving the practice of medicine require post-graduate work in residency.
In the United States and other first world countries, an accredited PhD is the most advanced degree that can be attained, according to the Department of Education. The International Affairs Department of the Department of Education states "The research doctorate, or the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and its equivalent titles, represents the highest academic qualification in the U.S. education system." in its publication Structure of the U.S. Education System: Research Doctorate Degrees found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.html under the Research Doctorate Degrees tab.
Doctoral degrees commonly take from four to 9 years to complete. Degree status and pay are not always directly linked.
5th level: Experience-based degrees
Experience-based degrees are professional degrees offered as a recognition for services offered in a certain field. It can also be termed as life experience based degrees where college credits are given to recipients for certain years of practical life experience. The credit hours and time span differ in experience-based degrees in different countries based on their educational standards.
References
Source of article : Wikipedia