Graduating high school or passing a GED test are two of many academic milestones students can experience. After earning their high school or GED diploma, students can receive additional educational certificates, from an associate degree to a doctorate.
To qualify for most two- or four-year colleges, students must take the SAT or Scholastic Assessment Test and/or the ACT or American College Testing. Both assessments determine whether a student is ready for college. The SAT tests students on their reading, writing and language, and math skills. Likewise, the ACT assesses the students’ understanding of English, math, reading, and science and features an optional writing exam.
Students can earn an associate after graduating high school or passing a GED test and completing, generally, two years of studying, which typically happens at a community or junior college. While pursuing an associate, students on average spend their first year on general courses like English, math, and history. In their second year, students commonly focus on their desired major or a specific study.
An Associate of Arts covers the humanities, social science, and comparable fields. On the flip side, an Associate of Science focuses on science, math, and similar studies.
Two years after receiving their associate and transferring to a four-year college, students can redeem their bachelor’s degree. If the student is uninterested in enrolling in community or junior college, they can also receive their bachelor’s once they’ve attended four years of higher education full-time. However, some students take longer than average to finish their bachelor’s. Some may earn their degree later because they’re in an engineering or architecture program, which can take five years to complete.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, a Bachelor of Arts is often less specialized than a Bachelor of Science. Although they are not without math and science, Bachelor of Arts focuses more on the humanities, such as history and philosophy. Additionally, a Bachelor of Arts allows students to study various topics and take up more electives than a Bachelor of Science. Alternatively, a Bachelor of Science centers around math, science, and classes dedicated to a specific major. Finally, in the same vein as a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Fine Arts is specific and generally reserved for students interested in the visual or performing arts. Students can get a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fields like creative writing, music, and theater and dance.
To enter several master’s programs, students must pass a graduate entrance exam like the GRE or GMAT. The U.S. News & World Report defines a GRE, or Graduate Record Examinations, as a standardized test that determines whether a student is ready for graduate school. GREs analyze the student’s knowledge in disciplines like psychology or mathematics. A GMAT, or Graduate Management Admission Test, is an entrance exam specifically for business schools. It assesses the student’s critical thinking, numerical literacy, and other business-related skills.
Like the degrees mentioned earlier, there are types of master’s students can work toward, such as a Master of Arts and a Master of Science. A Master of Arts covers English, foreign languages, and art. A Master of Science studies biology, data science, and marketing. Master’s take an average of two years to finish. However, some master’s can take three years to complete, like a law degree, and others can end after one year, especially in accelerated programs.
“Getting a master's is less about standardized tests or graded papers and more about a comprehensive understanding of a topic within your major that interests you,” said Danielle Benim, Cram Crew’s College Readiness Team Lead, who earned her master’s in English literature.
Students can reap either an academic or professional doctorate. Either way, they must take advanced coursework and generally write and defend a dissertation or lengthy essay based on original research that will be reviewed by a group of professors.
Academic doctorates are suited for students interested in academia or research within a specific field. For an academic doctorate dissertation, students often write about new ideas or studies related to their chosen field. Academic doctorates include degrees in philosophy and education. Contrastingly, professional doctorates center around specific occupations and feature degrees in business administration or dental surgery. Students pursuing a professional doctorate classically address solutions to prevailing problems within their selected field in their dissertations. Additionally, if students wish to pursue a professional doctorate unlike their undergraduate degree, they generally must complete prerequisite courses.
However, if students wish to apply to a medical school, they must take the MCAT or Medical College Admission Test. If they wish to enroll in a law school, they typically take the LSAT or Law School Admission Test. These tests will cement whether they are fit for medical or law school, respectively. Depending on the field doctoral students are in, they can earn their doctorate in four to six years, spending much time researching and preparing for their dissertation.
Cram Crew can prepare clients for their first step in a long educational journey with Academic Support and Test Prep services featuring personalized strategies for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.
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