College Vocabulary 101

An academic degree which usually takes four years to earn and is awarded by a college or university.

• Associate's Degree

• Associate's Degree

• Bachelor's Degree

• Doctoral Degree

An advanced 2-year program completed after a bachelor's degree.

• Bachelor's Degree

• Master's Degree

• Doctoral Degree

• Associate's Degree

2 year college degree from a community college, university, college, or technical school. The recipient of this degree can then transfer the credits toward a 4 year Bachelor's Degree.

• Bachelor's Degree

• Associate's Degree

• Master's Degree

• Doctoral Degree

These schools offer a broad selection of courses in the liberal arts, which includes areas such as literature, history, languages, mathematics, and life sciences. Most are private and offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelors degree.

• Community College

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities

• Military Service Academies

• Liberal Arts College

These Schools offer 2-year degree programs that lead to an Associate's degree, or other type of certification. You can transfer from these schools to a 4-year college to finish your Bachelor's degree.

• Community College

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities

• Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• Liberal Arts College

Any degree program beyond a Bachelor's degree, (Master's or Doctoral)

• Undergraduate School

• Graduate School

• Military Service Academies

• Career Specific Training Program

the first four years of college study (up to a bachelor's degree)

• Undergraduate School

• Graduate School

• Military Service Academies

• Career Specific Training Program

a schoolthat is predominantly funded through a national or subnational government

• Four Year School

• Institute of Art or Technology

• Public University

• Private University

a type of unselective and noncompetitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a certificate of attendance or GED certificate

• Early admissions

• Open-admission

• undergraduate program

• graduate program

a group of courses required by a college or university in order to receive a degree or certificate; an area that you specialize in

• degree

• requirements

• major

• graduate school