- Two-year program that prepares you for a specific job or career
- Can lead to a higher-paying job or help you switch careers
- Some jobs require an associate degree
Bachelor's degree
- Four-year program that provides a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences
- Prepares you for a wide range of careers or for graduate school
- Required for many professional careers, such as doctor, lawyer, engineer
Master's degree
- One-to-two-year program that builds on your bachelor's degree
- Provides specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field
- Required for some professional careers, such as professor, psychologist, therapist
Doctoral degree
- Three-to-eight-year program that prepares you for research and teaching at the university level
- The highest level of academic achievement
- Required for some professional careers, such as physicist, chemist, astronomer
Professional degree
- Typically three-year program that prepares you for a specific profession, such as law, medicine, or business
- Requires a bachelor's degree for admission
- Leads to a professional license