# Someone explain college degrees to me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969 "2005-12-23T14:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/1 "2005-12-23T14:24:53Z")
Had someone taken the time back when I was in high school to explain how College work, it might not have been so forbidding and confusing to me then. Twenty plus years later I still have barely a grasping of it all. It’s : Associates (which means what, exactly?) Bachelor’s ( again, what is the difference ) Master’s: Needed for teachers PhD: You become a Doctor, but not necessarily an MD. This is all followed up with a “What do you think of online education?” question. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/2 "2005-12-23T14:29:49Z")
Associates: 2 year degree (community college) – you’ve completed your general ed requirements. Bachelors: 4 year degree (“regular” college or university) – you’ve completely your general ed requirements plus done more intensive work in one particular field, your major. Masters: 1 year, at least theoretically – coursework plus a thesis (an extended paper, probably under 100 pages) Ph.D.: at least three years – two years of coursework, comprehensive exams (very intensive exams covering big chunks of subject matter), plus a dissertation (original research, probably over 200 pages). Plus perhaps other requirements as well – my grad school required reading knowlege of two foreign languages, e.g. [Ed.D. – not a real degree. sniff.] twicks, Ph.D. and intellectual snob ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/3 "2005-12-23T14:45:39Z")
Associates degree is 2 years, not typically offered by your normal universities and colleges. You get them at some professional colleges and community colleges. Bachelor’s is your normal 4 year college degree. Can be a “bachelor of arts” (BA) in something like “History” or a “bachelor of science” (BS) in something like Math. Masters is 1-2 more years of study. Also offered in MA and MS forms, also things like M.Eng (masters of engineering). I think that some high schools, like private schools, prefer you have this. Sometimes you need a Masters of Education to teach, I think, even though your bachelor’s degree might be in Math or English, or whatever. Ph.D. takes minimum 4 years after a bachelors. You can get your master’s degree on the way there. I know people who spect 7+ years in graduate school before getting a Ph.D. (doctor or Philosophy) A Ph.D. is granted the title of “Doctor” but this has nothing to do with medical docotr. An M.D. is a medical doctor, someone who has completed medical school. Some people do get a MD and a Ph.D. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/4 "2005-12-23T14:46:28Z")
The same terms also mean slightly different things in different countries. In the UK: Bachelors: 3 or 4 years, focussed solely on a single subject. (A BEd (Bachelor of Education) is a real degree, and qualifies you as a school teacher, as does a one-year PGCE after a Bachelors degree) Masters: 1 or 2 years, in some cases solely assessed on a thesis & oral exam, in other cases structured similar to a first degree, but more focussed on a single field PhD: In many cases assessed on an original-research thesis and oral exam only. I know one person who took eleven years to complete his. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/5 "2005-12-23T14:47:08Z")
At some universities, like mine, a master’s degree takes two years, but at least one person has been known to do it in three semesters. Generally speaking, the only work you do on your master’s has to do with your specific field; that is, you don’t have any other general-ed requirements like you do with an associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. So, next semester, I’m taking an Internet broadcasting course and a communications-specific research course. I won’t have to take courses from any other department but my own unless I choose to. A master’s thesis is generally also original research, but doesn’t have nearly the same scope as a dissertation. It’s generally around 50-60 pages and must be defended to a committee to make sure the research is sound. I don’t want to teach, but the advantage of a master’s is that I will be qualified to take management jobs in larger markets or consult. Robin ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/6 "2005-12-23T14:49:53Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Also offered in MA and MS forms, also things like M.Eng (masters of engineering). The UK has other descriptions of Bachelors degrees as well, but it doesn’t actually mean anything about the qualification, and often is just an accident of history of the institution and faculty in question. (GorillaMan BMus MMus) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/7 "2005-12-23T14:54:35Z")
Or if you’re a crazy whackjob like me, you do your Ph.D. in 14 months. Sorry, just had to share. ---
**Author:** ![Ka-BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Ka-BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ka-BOOM)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/8 "2005-12-23T14:55:43Z")
One of my college professors described the various degrees as follows: B.S.–Bull Sh_t M.S.–More Sh_t PhD.–Piled higher and deeper. In Illinois a Bachelors degree with a teacher certification is all that’s needed to teach K-12. A Masters degree will help you jump up the pay scale faster. If you want to teach at the college level a Masters is required although many colleges would prefer someone who is working on or already has a PhD. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/9 "2005-12-23T15:29:38Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Or if you’re a crazy whackjob like me, you do your Ph.D. in 14 months. Sorry, just had to share. How did you do that? That’s not even enough time to finish the required course work where I was. > [@Shirley](#): > > This is all followed up with a “What do you think of online education?” question. Forgot to add: not much. There might be some good ones out there, but they’re too lumped together with the ones where a person doesn’t have to do any real work to gain any respect. And, if you’re applying for the same job as someone with a degree from a brick and mortar university, you’re going to be out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/10 "2005-12-23T16:42:35Z")
**Trunk** and **twickster** did a good job of explaining the basics, so I only have a few little things to add… > [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Master’s: Needed for teachers Master’s degrees aren’t just for teachers: a trend I’m seeing in the software industry (maybe just around here) is that it’s more and more common for project managers, software developers, software testers, and even technical writers to have a master’s degree. In fact, I happen to be a technical writer who is working on a master’s: it will be a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English, with a concentration in Professional Writing & Editing (other concentrations offered by my school are Literature, The Teaching of Writing & Literature, and Linguistics – they’re all English MAs). Having a master’s degree isn’t a requirement by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that as more and more people get them it will become an unspoken requirement (in order to remain competitive). > [@](#): > > This is all followed up with a “What do you think of online education?” question. It depends on the program/institution. **Trunk** has a more pessimistic view than I do: I think there are plenty of legitimate online learning opportunities out there, and I don’t think that an online degree carries any less weight than a bricks-and-mortar degree. If it’s from an accredited institution, a bachelor’s degree is a bachelor’s degree. My co-worker’s MS from Strayer University is no less “real” than my MA from George Mason University will be, and required no less work. > [@twickster](#): > > [Ed.D. – not a real degree. sniff.] I’ll tell that to my supervisor, who completed her EdD in 2 years at the age of 30 (while working full-time)… 😉 But seriously: is it common for PhDs to look down on EdDs, even just jokingly? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/11 "2005-12-23T16:46:24Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > But seriously: is it common for PhDs to look down on EdDs, even just jokingly? What makes you think I’m joking? Two years while working full time, oh my – opposed to five years of going to school full time? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/12 "2005-12-23T16:50:49Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Or if you’re a crazy whackjob like me, you do your Ph.D. in 14 months. Sorry, just had to share. How is that possible? Ph.D.s in the U.S. usually require two years of courses followed by years of reaserch and then a dissertation. My Ph.D. program (that I didn’t finish) was considered high pressure because it wanted students to complete the degree in 4 - 5 years. The average is about 7 years in many fields. This is all more than full-time work. Finishing a Ph.D. in less than 3 1/2 years is simply impossible in the great majority of U.S. Ph.D. programs that I am familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/13 "2005-12-23T17:01:13Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > But seriously: is it common for PhDs to look down on EdDs, even just jokingly? Bah. _Everybody_ looks down on EdDs, period. Education isn’t a subject. Either get a degree in a real field or don’t. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/14 "2005-12-23T17:04:37Z")
Put it this way: Ed.D’s – “Dr.” Ruth, Bill Cosby Ph.D’s – Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, twickster… You do the math. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/15 "2005-12-23T17:10:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Education isn’t a subject. Either get a degree in a real field or don’t. Yeah. Because only crappy little places such as [Cambridge University](http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/ftrc/index.html) would offer genuine higher degrees in education. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/16 "2005-12-23T17:17:02Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Put it this way: Ed.D’s – “Dr.” Ruth, Bill Cosby > > Ph.D’s – Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, twickster… > > You do the math. 😉 You went to school with Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein? Cool. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/17 "2005-12-23T17:17:59Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > You went to school with Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein? > > Cool. > > 😃 I could tell you stories about dorm hijinks you wouldn’t believe! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/18 "2005-12-23T17:21:02Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Yeah. Because only crappy little places such as [Cambridge University](http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/ftrc/index.html) would offer genuine higher degrees in education. :rolleyes: Big deal. Just because a college offers a degree in something doesn’t mean it is a legitimate subject, or something worthwhile. I’ve spent too much of my time around people with degrees in Education. Hard to imagine a more counter-productive group in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/19 "2005-12-23T17:22:08Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Two years while working full time, oh my – opposed to five years of going to school full time? My bad, I didn’t mention that she was going to school full-time during those two years, nor did I realize that you might not appreciate what goes into an EdD: most of the other people in her program still haven’t completed their dissertations yet, more than a year after she finished hers. And some of those people didn’t have day jobs. So yeah, I think 5 years of full-time school isn’t much “better” than 2 years of full-time school _and_ full-time work. I’m not demeaning the value of a PhD, or how much work it requires, I just think you might be underestimating the EdD a little. (Says the woman who will never think about school again after her master’s thesis is done… 😃 ) > [@silenus](#): > > Bah. Everybody looks down on EdDs, period. Education isn’t a subject. Either get a degree in a real field or don’t. Riiiight, because everyone knows that Philosophy is a “real” field… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969/20 "2005-12-23T17:29:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Big deal. Just because a college offers a degree in something doesn’t mean it is a legitimate subject, or something worthwhile. Could you tell me how you’re defining “legitimate subject”? (An interesting tale in a history of my old university was the controversy stirred up many decades ago, by the introduction of a course which was regarded by many as not being a ‘real subject’, or worthy of university-level study. The subject? English Literature.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-explain-college-degrees-to-me/336969.md?page=2)