Degree, College. A university or college awards a degree to a person who has completed a required course of study. In the United States, institutions present the degree in the form of a diploma, a document certifying the award. The four basic kinds of degrees are called associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s. An honorary degree may be awarded for an outstanding contribution in a field.
The associate’s degree
is awarded by most community, or junior, colleges in the United States (see Community college). An associate’s degree usually indicates completion of two years of college work. The most commonly awarded associate’s degrees are the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science. Associate’s degrees an not common in Canada, but they are granted in Australia. An associate’s degree is known as a foundation degree in the United Kingdom.
The bachelor’s degree.
In the United States, a college student normally receives a bachelor’s degree after four years of study in a university or college. Most students specialize in a field of study called a major subject. Many institutions require other types of study outside a major to ensure a well-rounded education. There are many kinds of bachelor’s degrees, but the two most common are the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The B.A. usually includes majors in such subjects as history, literature, and fine arts, and, in certain cases, science and mathematics. The B.S. usually includes majors in the physical and natural sciences. Most engineering students receive B.S. degrees. Many colleges offer specialized degrees, such as the Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Architecture. Outstanding achievement in a bachelor’s degree may be designated by the Latin phrases cum laude (with praise), magna cum laude (with great praise), or summa cum laude (with the highest praise).
British colleges and universities offer two types of bachelor’s degrees, an ordinary, or pass, degree and an honors degree, which requires more extensive and more advanced work. Canadian colleges and universities usually follow British or French tradition in their systems of degrees. See Canada (Education).
The master’s degree.
In the United States, students who desire a master’s degree must complete one or two years of advanced study beyond the bachelor’s degree. Many institutions require a thesis, a written report of a special investigation in the student’s major field. The two most common master’s degrees are the Master of Arts and the Master of Science.
In the United Kingdom, the master’s degree is usually considered the highest requirement for an academic career, but a number of British universities also offer the doctorate. In Scotland, a student proceeds directly to the master’s degree without taking a bachelor’s degree.
The doctor’s degree
is the highest earned degree in the United States, France, Germany, and many other countries. There are two distinct types of doctor’s degrees. One is a professional degree required to practice in certain professions, such as medicine or law. The other is a research degree that indicates the candidate has acquired mastery of a broad field of knowledge and the skills of scholarly research.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is the most important research doctorate and may include specialization in almost any academic subject. In the United States, the research doctorate requires at least two or three additional years of study beyond the master’s degree. Most doctoral students are expected to have a reading knowledge in two foreign languages. The candidate must also complete examinations and present a written thesis or dissertation. The doctoral thesis represents an original contribution to knowledge, and is a more detailed study of a research problem than that required for the master’s degree.
The Doctor of Education, Doctor of Medicine, and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees represent advanced professional training. Students in such professions as medicine and dentistry can obtain a doctor’s degree without first receiving a bachelor’s or master’s degree. But most acquire a bachelor of science degree before entering medical training. The Doctor of Jurisprudence is awarded to law students after successful completion of law school.
Honorary degrees.
Many colleges and universities award honorary degrees to people for achievement in their chosen fields. Chief among these are the Doctor of Letters and the Doctor of Laws. These are given to prominent authors, scholars, and leaders in the professions, business, government, and industry.
History.
College degrees date from the 1200’s when schools in Europe won the right to examine and license their graduates. The system of degrees, which took form by the 1300’s, was modeled on the guild system. A student spent a sort of apprenticeship as a candidate for a bachelor’s degree. Receiving the bachelor’s degree resembled becoming a journeyman in a craft. The master’s degree represented the status of a master craftsman, and served as a license to teach. The student’s thesis was his “masterpiece,” just as a journeyman submitted an example of his work to become a master craftsman. If the student continued to study and teach in law, medicine, or theology, he might earn the title of doctor. The medieval system remained largely unchanged until the impact of science on education in the 1700’s and 1800’s. During the last hundred years, college degrees in the United States have been extended to include many new fields of knowledge.
See also Graduation.
