Associate's degree: A two-year degree, often awarded by a community college. Whether or not it truly takes two years, an Associate's degree typically requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours. The degree may be an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate in Nursing (ADN), or other. Most courses taken during an Associate's degree program will be “general education” courses.
Bachelor's degree: A four-year degree, often awarded by a college or university. Whether or not it truly takes four years, a bachelor's degree typically requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours. Credits earned during an Associate's degree can often transfer to (be reused for) a bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degrees may be a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), or other. Most bachelor’s degrees require each student to select a major, or area of study. The student will split their coursework between “general education” courses and specialized courses specific to their major.
Credit hours: A credit hour is a unit of measure in higher education that represents the standard way to quantify the academic value of a course and track a student’s progress toward a degree. They indicate the expected time commitment for each course, including both in-class and out-of-class work. For example, a typical three-credit course means that students are expected to spend three hours per week in the classroom (or equivalent online instruction) and approximately six hours per week on coursework outside of class, totaling nine hours of engagement with the course per week. Over a 15-week semester, this would equate to 45 hours of class time and 90 hours of outside work, totaling 135 hours of engagement with the course. Colleges and universities specify the total number of credit hours needed to earn a degree, whether it’s an associate, bachelor, master, or doctoral degree. Credit hours earned at one institution may be transferable to another, but transfer policies vary from institution to institution.
Doctoral degree: Also called a doctorate, this degree is the highest level of education (in most cases). Students may enter a doctoral program after earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Doctorates provide and require intense study in a specific topic of the student’s choosing. Many doctorates involve two or three years of coursework, followed by two or three years of research and writing a dissertation or thesis. Others may involve clinical rotations and hands-on experience.
General education: The set of courses that (nearly) everyone at a college or university has to take. These courses may include English, History, a math course, a science course, a writing course, a public speaking course, or others. If a course is not a general education course, it is probably a specialized course required for specific majors.
Graduate degree: A Master or Doctoral degree. Essentially, any degree that happens after earning a bachelor's degree.
GRE: Graduate Record Exam. Many graduate programs (master’s degrees and doctoral degrees) require applicants to submit GRE scores. In recent years, increasing numbers of graduate programs are removing their GRE requirement. Check requirements at least a year in advance of applying, so that you will have time to study for and take the GRE if required.
Higher education: Schooling that happens after earning a high school diploma or GED.
Master's degree: A graduate degree, earned after a bachelor's degree. Master’s degrees are typically two years long, although some may be shorter or longer. Most master's degree programs require a minimum of 30 credit hours, but some may require more, up to 60 or even 72 credits. Master’s degrees are an opportunity to specialize in a subject with greater depth than a bachelor’s degree allows. Some master’s degrees involve huge amounts of reading and writing. Others may focus on math and science courses, or on practical skills such as interactions with patients or clients.
Major: A primary area of study, selected during a bachelor's degree and sometimes during an associate’s degree. Majors can include Nursing, Social Work, Public Health, Music Therapy, Addiction Counseling and hundreds of others. Each school will have its own list of majors.
Minor: A secondary area of study, after a major. The list of available minors may be just as long as the list of available majors. Most bachelor's degree programs have elective courses built into the plan of study. Selecting a minor allows students to use these electives to take classes concentrated on a certain subject that interests them or complements their major.
For a longer list of terms, visit the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Glossary of Higher Education.