Science Degree Types
Science-related degree programs are usually of two types, academic and applied. Applied degree programs are for students preparing for specific jobs such as clinical lab technology and wildlife biology. These programs are usually terminal, that is, they are not intended for students who plan to continue immediately to higher degree programs. Science-related applied degree programs are for needed for preparation for most technical jobs in agriculture, engineering, chemistry and medicine.
Academic science degree programs are for students who want to be research scientists and/or science teachers. Academic degree programs usually prepare students to go on to more advanced programs such as those in graduate schools or professional schools. Often there is not a clear distinction between applied and academic, but generally, if you are studying the basic nature of how things work you are academic, if you are using scientific knowledge to make something, grow something or repair something, then your work is applied.
Associate's Degrees (A.A., A.S.)
Associate's degrees are usually conferred by community colleges or other two-year colleges in recognition of the successful completion of a two-year program. These programs may be academic with the intent of preparing students for transferring to four-year colleges and universities or they may be for vocational preparation of students. The two most common associate's degrees are the Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.). The distinction between these degrees is very variable and is explained somewhat in the bachelor's degree section below. About 25% of all degrees* awarded each year are associate's degrees.
Bachelor's Degree (B.A., B.S.)
The standard "four-year" degree is the bachelor's degree. The bachelor's degree is the main type of undergraduate degree, although most professional degrees (MD, JD, DDS, etc.) are considered to be undergraduate also. A bachelor's degree is the required degree one must earn before going on to graduate school or, increasingly, to most professional degree programs. When one is referred to as a "college graduate," it is assumed the person has completed a bachelor's degree program. Technically all bachelor's degrees are academic. They are considered academic because at least half of the program consists of "general education," that is, study of a wide spectrum of knowledge. Virtually all recipients of bachelor's degrees have taken two years of general education including math, English, history, philosophy, science, foreign language, and art or music in their first two years of college. Usually the last two years of the bachelor's degree program will consist of more-advanced courses in the major, or specialization, area.
The degree names Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S. or S.B.) are widely used in many majors in colleges and are widely misunderstood because of the use of the word "arts" in one and "sciences" in the other. There are many non-science degree programs in which students who neither study nor use science are awarded degrees called the Bachelor of Science. A science major who receive Bachelor of Arts degree is likely to have studied no more "art" than any other college student and is likely to have studied more science than many who earn a degree called Bachelor of Science. Unfortunately the word "science" is used incorrectly to describe many fields in an attempt by those in those fields to give them more prestige or imply credibility.
In some colleges in some areas of science the academic science majors earn a B.A. degree. Those who pursue an applied program may earn a B.S. degree. Most geology and physics majors earn B.S. degrees whether they have academic or applied interests. In some prestigious colleges (e.g., Harvard, etc.) most or all biology majors earn B.A. degrees. Some schools refer to their B.A. degree as an A.B. degree. It is the same type of degree.
People in purely applied programs such as agriculture and engineering would usually earn a B.S. degree upon successful completion of their course of study. There are variants of bachelor's degrees in other fields that are neither B.A. nor B.S. degrees. About 54% of all degrees* awarded each year are bachelor's degrees.
Master's Degrees (M.A., M.S.)
The master's degree is the first of two levels of graduate degrees. One must have completed a bachelor's degree with an A or B grade-point average and have successfully passed admissions tests to be admitted to a graduate degree program. Master's degree programs are usually designed to take 1-2 years to complete and usually require specific coursework as well as either a thesis or a comprehensive exam or both. Master's degree work is usually more specialized and advanced than the bachelor's degree-level work, hence the name "master."
There is no consistent distinction between Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degree programs. Recipients of these degrees may have taken exactly the same course of study. About 16% of all degrees* awarded each year are master's degrees.
The Doctorate (Ph.D.)
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is the highest academic degree. The Ph.D. degree is usually a research-oriented degree and it is the "credential" required for teaching and research in most universities. The name of the degree is from the Latin word docere, meaning "to teach" and the Greek philosophos, meaning "lover of wisdom." The term "doctor" in all fields is from the same Latin root.
Admission requirements for Ph.D. programs are rigorous, usually including very high GPAs in prior bachelor's- and master's-degree programs and high scores on the Graduate Record Exams. The Ph.D. requires considerable study and scholarship beyond the bachelor's and master's levels. A Ph.D.-degree program typically takes 3-5 years to complete and requires a dissertation, a significant work of original research. All Ph.D. programs utilize a series of rigorous exams including "qualifying" and comprehensive exams that have extensive oral and written components.
There are also doctoral degrees in applied areas such as D. Eng., Ed.D., D.Pharm., etc. Some professional programs in psychology and other fields have the Ph.D. as their most-advanced degree. About 2% of all degrees* awarded each year are academic doctoral degrees.
Professional Degrees (M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S.)
There are many science-related professional degrees. These degrees are, technically, undergraduate degrees, since professional programs historically did not require a college degree for admission. Most of the medical programs now have very rigorous entrance requirements. The most common health-field doctoral degrees are: MD, DDS, DMD, DVM, DPM, DO, and OD. Professional programs usually take four years and prepare the student specifically for the government licensing requirements in the field. About 2% of degrees* awarded each year are first professional degrees.
here is a summary from one university's website:
Types of Degrees
*statistics are from the State of Colorado