Academic titles What’s what and who’s who

Basics

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Higher education is what happens AFTER high school

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2 levels of higher education

– Undergraduate coursework • Associate (after 2 years) • Bachelor degree (after 3 years) – Graduate coursework • Master degree • Doctoral degree

The difference between levels

• Undergraduate coursework is a basic educational foundation within a given program of study following high school. – The course work includes a general cluster of knowledge that promotes a well rounded education. Thus, the student is exposed to a variety of areas, not just their chosen field of study. – These areas would include general education courses such as First Language, Math/statistics, History, Laboratory Science, courses in Humanities, Economic and Social Sciences to mention a few. – These “general” courses would be tightly coupled with the students Major Requirements and Major Elective Requirements.

• Major requirements: mandatory for degree in “chosen major” • Major Elective Requirements: mandatory for chosen “specialization” • Graduate course work - in most cases - is very specific and particular to one field of study. – Thus, the graduate study is advanced course work which follows undergraduate course work.

National variation: EU

• • Principles for graduate and undergraduate degrees are set in the so called “Bologna agreements” – all EU education ministries agreed in Bologna to reform their national eduction system to adhere with the UK/US inspired undergraduate-graduate-coursework principle (regulating so-called level 5, 7 and 7 degrees) All degree-programs remain to this moment nationally defined by one or the other local government agency – But the Bologna agreements stipulate that from “Bologna onwards” all government-subsidized colleges and universities agree to accept study credits gained in “foreign” EU-institutes through an as yet bilateral inter institute “exchange rate” called ECTS or European Credits.

National variations: f.e. UK

• • • • Descriptors for graduate and undergraduate degrees are set by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in their document "The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland". (FHEQ) A bachelor degree is specified as a level 6 course A master degree is specified as a level 7 course Though level 5 associate studies do excist as yet we couldn’t find specific degree definitions.

– Closest I can find is “A-levels”: you choose the courses, not a specific course program

US situation

• • information on the difference between varying levels of tertiary (post high school) education is given on the US Department of Education website.

In the US there are 6 main levels of post high school degrees: – Undergraduate courses • Level 1: freshman-years  Associate Degrees • Level 2: senior years  Bachelors Degrees – Graduate courses • Level 3: First-Professional Degrees – F.e. medical professional doctoral = MD • Level 4: Master's Degrees   professional doctoral degree Master – Post-graduate courses • Level 5: Intermediate Graduate Qualifications  • Level 6: Research Doctorate Degrees – F.e. medical doctoral = PhD  f.e. MBA Academic Doctoral degree

Confusion: which school does what?

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Confusion:

– Same words, different meaning in different languages and countries •

General rule in Western Culture countries

– College • degrees up to level 6, no research facilities – University • level 7-degrees, research facilities, more prestigious

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“Deviations”

In roman cultures – “collège” is a secondary school – “collège Grande Ecole” is “higher” then a university for engeneering degrees • UK – – Only universities can give degrees Colleges can’t unless they are university colleges which means they have associates with a “real” university that certifies their degrees.

• • In Australia and Canada – Only universities can give degrees • They “do” level 7 degrees only – Colleges give diplomas and certificates • They “do” up to bachelor degrees (usually a 4 year trajectory) US: – – – A “college” is an institute of higher education specialised in one are the other subject • F.e. business college A “university” is a conglomerate of several colleges • F.e. Harvard university A renoun higher education institute can be both a college or a university or an institute • F.e. Dartmour college, Harvard university, MIT

Note

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US “Community college”

– College that offers degrees up to level 5 (2-year programs) – Community colleges can offer trade and technical certifications and training as well as the first 2 years of a 4-year program, but they are unable to grant Bachelor's degrees.

Strutting your stuff

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Community colleges US

– Basic argument: time investment vs return • • Associate only takes 2 years, bachelor 4 Associate education focusses on specific majors skipping some are all of the “generals” in a bachelor program – Possibility of transfering associate program credits directly to university credits in same “specific” avoiding the “vocational bachelor detour” in science and arts • Salary jump – from high school to associate degree: 15% – From associate to bachelor: anywhere from 0% to 5% • Associate studies = open enrollment – Your tempo, your finances, your timing, your “composition”

Sources

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Associate:

– http://www.communitycollegereview.com/articles/71 – http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080527063733AA7QjKo (UK equivalent)

College vs university:

– http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_college_and_a_u niversity

Graduate vs undergraduate

– http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_an_undergraduate_and_ a_graduate_degree