An associate's degree is a 2-year degree which prepares the student to either enter the work force, or continue on to a 4-year degree program. Associate's degrees are issued by community colleges.
To earn an associate's degree you need to successfully complete 60 credit hours of college study. Some of those classes will be general education classes, like English and math. Other classes may be designed to prepare you for your chosen career, or to transfer to a 4-year school.
The A.A. or associate's of arts degree is ideal for those who are planning to transfer to a 4-year school to complete a bachelor's degree.
People who will transfer to a 4-year school to complete a science related bachelor's degree will earn an A.S. or associate's of science degree from a community college.
The A.A.S. or associate's of applied science degree prepares students to enter the job market with skill related to a specific industry. Many 2-year medical related schools issue A.A.S. degrees to their graduates.
A bachelor's degree is a degree issued after the student completes between 120 to 127 credit hours of study in a specified degree program. All students are required to take general education classes, such as English, math, science and history. Depending on the school, foreign language, or religious classes may be required as well.
In addition to the general education classes, students wishing to earn a bachelor's degree must take predetermined courses related to their program of study.
B.A. stands for bachelor of arts. These include degrees in English, foreign language, journalism, communication, business and others.
B.S. stands for bachelor of science. This degree includes the areas of technology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry and others.
Master of Arts or M.A. degree, and Master of Science, or M.S. are degrees issued after approximately two years of concentrated study after the student attains a bachelor's degree. According to the US Department of Education article, "Structure of the U.S. Education System- Master's Degrees," there are many different master- degree titles. The title is specific to the area which has been studied. For example, you can earn a master's degree in art education, M.A.A.E. or M.A.A.Ed. or master of science in medical illustration (M.S.M.I.).
In some fields, a master's degree is taken in preparation for further study to earn a Ph.D., and in other fields, the master's degree is the final degree.
In most disciplines, the Ph.D. or doctor of philosophy degree is the highest degree a person can earn. To earn a Ph.D., the student must complete 1 to 3 years of additional coursework, and then must usually sit for a written and oral exam. When that is complete, the Ph.D. candidate must research and write a 50 to 450-page original paper, called a dissertation. The Ph.D. candidate must then be quizzed on the information and research contained in the dissertation. Some Ph.D. programs require the candidate to teach undergraduate, and/or master level students.
M.D. stands for medicinæ doctor, translated as "teacher of medicine," and is the degree issued by medical schools. To earn an M.D., the student must first earn a B.A. or B.S. degree and then apply to medical school. Once accepted to medical school, the student will be trained in accepted medical practices through a combination of classwork, research papers and clinical internships.