The associate's degree is the first level of degree available at two-year colleges as well as some four-year schools. Associate's degrees are the result of completion of general education requirements and the first two years of an academic program. Associate's degrees are either an associate of arts or an associate of science degree. An associate of science in a given area of study is usually job specific. You can enroll in an associate's program if you have been rejected by a particular four-year school. When you complete the two-year program with satisfactory grades, you may re-apply to the four-year school and be admitted for the next two years.
A bachelor's degree is the degree obtained by graduates of a four-year college or university. This is the most common undergraduate degree and is a good way to obtain employment in a given field. Students declare a major at the school and a four-year curriculum is laid out as a road map to be completed prior to being awarded the diploma. The bachelor's degree is available as a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts, depending on the subject and the school attended.
The master's degree is a graduate degree that can be earned following completion of an undergraduate bachelor's program. Following the four years of study at the undergraduate level, you must be accepted into the master's program and complete another two years of full time enrollment in high-level courses. A master's degree candidate typically specializes in a specific area of her major and concludes her time in the program by writing a thesis, which is a lengthy scholarly research paper completed in the last semester of the program.
The doctorate level degree, commonly referred to as a Ph.D., is the highest level degree available in a field of study. The doctoral candidate must complete specialized study in his area of expertise and conduct advanced or groundbreaking research in the field. Before obtaining a Ph.D., you must publish a dissertation concerning the subject of his graduate studies. Often the dissertation can take years to compose and may be hundreds of pages long. Many university professors hold a Ph.D. Those who complete this level of education are referred to as "doctors."