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First Steps to Higher Education
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This section provides an overview of the most common types of certificates,
diplomas and degrees offered by post-secondary schools. Explore your options as you consider the type of outcome or award you want.
Be sure to check Types of Minnesota
Schools and The Role of Liberal Arts in Your Future
to determine how these awards might match your educational objectives.
Read about certificates, diplomas and degrees in these areas:
Undergraduate certificates, diplomas and
degrees
| Type of Degree |
Description |
Prerequisites |
Typical Length* |
Example** |
| Certificate |
A training certificate is awarded for the successful
completion of a program of study at a college, university, or private training
provider or after passing a standardized industry test, such as A+ or Novell
Network certification. (See Awards at Types of Minnesota Schools.)
Employers can Request Customized Training for
a group of employees that may be arranged to lead to a certificate as
well.
|
High school diploma or GED for certificate programs at
colleges and universities or a certain skills set to pass the required test
for industry certificates |
Up to 30 credits for a certificate |
Administrative Assistant,
Bookkeeping Clerk,
Cosmetologist,
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer,
Truck Fleet Maintenance
|
| Diploma |
A diploma is similar to a certificate but is often awarded
for the successful completion of a program for specific employment skills
beyond a certificate. (See Awards at Types of Minnesota Schools.) |
High school diploma or GED |
Up to 70 credits for a diploma(up to 2 years) |
Legal Secretary Diploma,
Truck Diesel Mechanics
|
| Associate Degree |
An associate degree is awarded for the successful completion
of a roughly two-year education program at a post-secondary education institution,
such as a community or technical college or a private career school but
also universities.(See Awards at Types of Minnesota Schools.)
|
High school diploma or GED |
Minimum of 60 semester credits is required (approximately
2 years) |
- Associate of Arts (A.A.)
- Associate of Science (A.S.)
- Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
|
| Bachelor's Degree |
A bachelor's or baccalaureate degree is awarded for the
successful completion of a roughly four-year education program at a post-secondary
education institution, such as a four-year college or university. (See Awards at Types
of Minnesota Schools.) |
High school diploma or GED |
A minimum of 120 semester credits is required.
(4-5 years)
|
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
- Bachelor of Social Work (B.SW.)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
|
Graduate certificates and degrees
| Type of Degree |
Description |
Prerequisites |
Typical Length* |
Examples** |
| Graduate Certificate |
This certificate is awarded for the successful completion
of a professional education program typically beyond the bachelor's degree
without the requirement of a thesis project (See Awards at Types
of Minnesota Schools.)
|
Often a bachelor's or master's degree |
Up to 30 credits |
Educational Technology,
Family Nurse Practitioner, Gerontology,
Marriage and Family Therapy
|
| Master's Degree |
A Master's degree is awarded for the successful completion
of a roughly two-year education program beyond the bachelor's degree at
a university. (See Awards at Types of Minnesota Schools.)
|
Bachelor's Degree |
Around 24 semester credit hours (2 years) |
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
- Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
- Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
|
| First Professional Degree |
A first professional degree is awarded for the completion
of a program that meets all of the following criteria:
- Completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the
profession
- At least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program
- A total of at least 6 academic years of college work to complete
the degree program, including prior required college work plus the length
of the professional program itself.
Although first professional degrees often have the word "doctor"
in their title, they are not research doctorates (See Awards at Types
of Minnesota Schools.)
|
High school diploma, 2 years of college work or bachelor's
degree |
At least 6 years |
First professional degrees may be awarded in the following
10 fields:
- Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
- Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
- Law (J.D.)
- Medicine (M.D.)
- Optometry (O.D.)
- Osteopathy (D.O.)
- Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
- Podiatry (D.P., Pod.D., or D.P.M.)
- Theology (M.Div., M.H.L.)
- Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
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| Doctoral Degree |
A doctoral degree is the highest attainable academic
degree. This degree is awarded for mastery of field of knowledge and demonstrated
ability to independently perform scholarly research.(See Awards at Types
of Minnesota Schools.) |
Bachelor's or Master's Degree |
48 semester credit hours or more beyond the Master's
degree (3-5 years) |
The best-known research doctorate title is the Doctor
of Philosophy (Ph.D.), but the National Science Foundation recognizes
50 other doctoral titles, for example:
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Doctor of Criminology (D. Crim.)
- Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
- Doctor of Library Science (D.L.S.)
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*The length of a certificate, diploma or degree
program depends on two main factors: the specific education program and the
time a student can commit to his or her studies. Students who work part time,
for example, may require more time for program completion than indicated in
this overview.
** The major classifications within a degree
type emphasize different areas of concentration:
- Arts: Focus on liberal arts
- Science: Focus on science and technology
- Applied Science: Focus on occupational preparation
These and other degree types can be obtained in various fields. For
example, you may obtain a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) or Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
degree in English, History, or another field. However, some fields have their
own degree titles, such as B.Arch. (Bachelor of Architecture) or D.S.M. (Doctor
of Sacred Music).
Sources: Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities and Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
Page last updated in August 2008.
First Steps to Higher Education
