An associate's degree study takes two years to complete. The associate's degree student learns the basics of a field of study. This prepares her for an entry-level job or for matriculation into a bachelor's degree program. According to the College Board, students graduating with associate's degrees qualify for entry into careers as dental hygienists, computer technicians and paralegals, depending on major.
Earning a bachelor's degree takes four or five years, depending on your major. Bachelor's degree students study a broad range of liberal arts classes, including academic writing, history and sociology. The University of Maryland, College Park and many other schools also requires students to take a class on diversity. In addition to the basic requirements, educational institutions offer major tracks. A student majoring in a particular subject focuses his studies on that subject. College Board reports that accountants, engineers and journalists need bachelor's degrees.
The next level of higher education following the bachelor's degree is the master's degree. Traditionally, a master's degree student specializes in one specific aspect of a field of study, working to make a contribution to that field. Professional master's programs are designed to help students to gain the skills necessary for a career in a new field, rather than to specialize in a current field. For example, the University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering department's Professional Master's Program caters to students hoping to begin careers as computer scientists.
Choosing to pursue a doctorate's degree rather than a master's degree allows the student to delve even deeper into a small area of a field. The doctorate's degree is based on classwork and a scholarly paper or dissertation. The student writes his dissertation based on his research over the course of study. Doctorate's degrees take as long to finish as it takes the student to finish her research, write her dissertation and defend her research and knowledge in front of a panel of her peers. San Diego State University's full-time education students can complete a Ph.D. program in three years.
The juris doctor degree is the professional qualification leading to a career as a lawyer. According to the Law School Admission Council, study towards a juris doctor degree takes three years as a full-time student or four years as a part-time student. Law school culminates in the bar exam, the professional licensing examination that all practicing lawyers must pass. If a graduating law student passes his state's bar exam, he becomes qualified to work as a lawyer.
Students aspiring to careers in surgery or other specialized medical fields require this professional qualification. Medical study requires four years of post-baccalaureate study and a period of professional training after graduation. Traditionally, medical students began with detailed study of the human body's systems and then progressed to patient care. More recently, medical education advances the introduction of patient care. A student at the Duke University School of Medicine sees patients as soon as her first year.