Types of College Degrees

Analyzing the types of college degrees and choosing one which suits you best, can be a pretty extensive process. There are several factors which affect your decision, such as cost of the course, its duration, the career opportunities after its completion. Here are the different degrees that you can pursue.

Certificate programs are the simplest courses, but are often a fast track option to a specialized career of your choice. They are generally short term courses, which train you in a very niche segment and are used by people who are looking to update their knowledge.

They enhance your know-how with respect to particular subject, so they should be supplemented with some other course as well. They provide you a skill, which may be beneficial to you on the job, but you may not have learned earlier.

For example, suppose you are an engineer in a company, but also want to learn how the finances work, you can enroll yourself in a certificate program and that qualification can suffice, if you wish to work in the financial department of your company.

The good thing about certificate courses is that, you are provided with the coursework and tests online as well, which negates the need to sit in a classroom.

While diplomas often form a basis for your existing career, if you are looking for a career change, you can take a diploma course in the field which you are looking for and hence change your 'line'.

They are generally held for a year or two, and they may be classroom based or online education, depending on the type of diploma you opt for. They have a more detailed course curriculum as compared to certificate programs.

To gain an associates degree, you will in all probability have to enroll in some full-time education for two years. It is most often done at the undergraduate level and often there are different online degree programs. This type of college degree forms the base for all your further education.

It equips you with the basic knowledge in the field, which you are taught and helps you understand the basics of different subjects. It covers several fields of education like art, science, business, legal, medical, nursing, and trade.

The course is generally a broad one, which covers a wide range of subjects, in which you can specialize in the final year, and further at the end of the course.

One of its most common examples is the bachelor's degree in medicine, wherein all the fields of medicine are covered in basic detail, so by the end of final year, the student has a feel of all the subjects being taught and is hence in a position to judge which one to specialize in.

To enroll in a master's degree program, you have to first complete your bachelors. As mentioned before, the bachelor's degree will give you a feel of what you would like to specialize in, and the master's degree course imparts detailed knowledge of the subject of your choice. This program generally takes 2 years.

It is widely considered as the highest degree. After completing your masters, you may choose to write a thesis or a research paper on a subject of your choice, which if approved by the concerned body, will give you the title of 'Doctor'. In this program, you get precise, accurate, and perfect knowledge of your field of study.