Some colleges do offer graduate programs (masters and Ph.D. programs).Although many citizens of the United States use the word ‘college’ as an informal way of referring to any higher education program, there are various higher education programs. These programs are slightly or fully distinct, and they take place in different institutions. College and University are slightly different due to their type of grade and the number of students they can accommodate. A college typically offers a two-year degree (associate degree) for most courses while a university offers a four-year degree (bachelor’s degree) for maximum courses.
Typically, most colleges do not offer graduate programs (masters and Ph.D. programs), but there are some exceptions. Depending on the budget and sophistication, colleges like The College of William and Mary in Virginia, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and St. Joseph’s College in New York, offer graduate programs in business, sciences, engineering, education, law, and so on. Some other specialized colleges offer skilled programs, but most of them are owned by private organizations.
Why do most colleges ignore graduate programs?
For an institution to facilitate a higher educational program, whether specialized or general, it needs the required resources and information. Most colleges have lesser resources to conduct extensive research and graduate programs. Sometimes, the facilities they have can not assist substantial research or technical know-how of each course. For instance, a college institution with engineering courses like production engineering, polymer, and textile engineering, etc, may only have general engineering facilities instead of distinct production facilities.
Higher Educational Degrees
Although college seems to be an informal general term for any higher education program, there are two major types of higher educational degrees, namely the Associate degree in colleges and the Bachelor’s degree in Universities.
The Associate Degree
The Associate degree is a two-year degree program that compels 60 credit hours or more to obtain. On completion, the full-time student can obtain an Associate of Arts (A.A) or an Associate of Science (A.S), depending on the field of study. Some colleges offer skilled programs where full-time students can obtain an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) certificate. In other countries, students earn these degrees in pyrotechnics, and they can decide to work with it or pursue a course at the University.
Reasons why some students decide to pursue an Associate degree
There are many reasons why students choose to pursue an Associate Degree instead of a Bachelor’s Degree or a Graduate Program.
- Some of them may not have the finance to facilitate an uninterrupted study at the University and may decide to try the more affordable program.
- Others may score below the cut-off mark for a University and go for a program that can accept their score.
- Some of them may be directed towards a more technical field of study and may decide to get a close practical knowledge before going into the University.
The Bachelor’s degree is a four-year program that requires up to 120 credit hours or more to obtain for a full-time student. Although the program duration differs by courses or fields of study, with some courses going for five years, most of them go for four years, vacations included. Most Universities offer a vast range of courses in Arts, Science, and Business fields respectively where students can obtain the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and other four-year program certificates.
Bachelor’s Degree
Benefits of a Bachelor’s Degree
- Individuals with a Bachelor’s Degree can work in good companies with little or no experience in the job.
- Citizens with a Bachelor’s Degree get higher-paying jobs than those without college degrees.
- Increased access to jobs, especially in professional fields like medicine, engineering, law, education, and so on.
- Since the University is a community where individuals can meet and connect with different people from various backgrounds, many graduates can assume managing positions or team leadership positions in an organization.
Graduate Programs
There are two major forms of graduate programs namely the Master’s Degree program and the Doctorate Degree program. Both degrees are obtainable only after an individual has completed a Bachelor’s Degree program at the University.
Master’s Degree
A Master’s Degree is attainable when an individual has completed a four-year Bachelor’s Degree program and decides to pursue a postgraduate study. The degree requires 30 credit hours or more in an average of 18 months to attain. Individuals can obtain a Master of Science (M.S), Master of Arts (M.A), or a Master of Business Administration (MBA), according to their study fields.
Benefits of a Master’s Degree
- A Master’s Degree gives you access to higher positions, training, and leadership experience. Many companies entrust more into the hands of individuals with more educational certificates.
- It also gives you a higher potential earning, up to $500,000 more on average earnings, compared to an individual with only a Bachelor’s Degree.
Doctorate Degree
A Doctorate Degree is the highest educational degree an individual can earn and it can take a long time to attain. Many Doctorate students end up not finishing the program, due to the rigorous writings and personal work involved. A doctorate compels a minimum of 60 credit hours for full-time students, even when most of them have to combine their studies with their jobs. It also takes a minimum of three years and a maximum of 10 years to obtain, depending on your field of study and how you choose to spread it.
Citizens running a Doctorate Degree program can obtain a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), a Doctor of Education (Ed.D), or any other professional doctorate program (Doctor of Medicine (M.D), etc).
Benefits of a Doctorate Degree
- A Doctorate Degree grants you access to work in specialized or advanced fields that requires higher solving skills.
- Individuals with a Doctorate Degree can be professors or work in a higher academic setting relating to their fields.
- It earns you a certain level of respect in your field or your organization and increases your income.
Conclusion
Education is important as it helps fine-tune your career and polish your pathway to greatness. After obtaining a high school diploma, individuals can pursue higher education programs in a college or a university, depending on their fields of study. With an Associate Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree, these individuals can go on to pursue a graduate degree in the University, although some colleges offer graduate programs.
