Q. WHAT DO THESE ABBREVIATIONS (B.S., B.A., M.A., and PH.D.) MEAN?
A. You are most likely already familiar with the different levels of schooling leading up to high school: pre-school, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. In college, the two major levels (or programs) are undergraduate and graduate. As you might have guessed, you must receive your undergraduate degree before you can move on to your graduate degree. There are generally two types of undergraduate degrees that you may receive: a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree or a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. These degrees take about four years to complete. Whether you receive a B.A. or a B.S. depends on your major (the main focus of your education) and the other classes you are required to take.

Generally a bachelor of arts degree focuses on the humanities—foreign languages, education, literature, and the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, and psychology, for example). Bachelor of science degrees focus on mathematics and sciences such as physics, biology, geology, and chemistry. This is not to say that following one path will exclude you from taking courses in the other program, only that your emphasis will be on certain courses required for the degree.

It is important to keep in mind that every college and university has different requirements for receiving a B.S. or B.A. degree, and that there are other undergraduate degrees in addition to these two.

Graduate work (degrees beyond the B.A. and B.S.) is divided into two levels. A masters degree, or M.A., is the first level of graduate work. This degree typically takes 2 to 3 years to complete. A doctorate, or Ph.D., is the highest level degree and can take an average of six to ten years to complete. Some universities have programs that allow students to go directly from undergraduate work into a Ph.D. program.

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