We recently added academic ranks and titles to the Glossary of Confusing Words, and had a request to add types of degrees as well. Always happy to oblige!

Here are the types of academic degrees you might encounter in U.S. higher education, and what each one means:

Certificate – Recognition for completing a non-degree program. Some colleges or universities also allow you to pursue a certificate while studying for a degree in another field.

Associate’s – The degree given by a community or junior college for completing two years of full-time undergraduate study (or the equivalent). An associate’s degree can be tied to a specific career/technical skill, or it can be a transfer degree, counting towards the completion of a bachelor’s degree at another institution.

Bachelor’s – The degree awarded by a college or university for completing four years of undergraduate study (or the equivalent). The most common types of bachelor’s degrees are the bachelor of arts (B.A. or A.B.) and bachelor of science (B.S.), but you could see any number of other specialized bachelor’s degrees.

Master’s – The degree awarded by a graduate school for completing postgraduate study (postgraduate = after the bachelor’s degree). Most master’s degrees take one or two years of full-time study to complete. Like bachelor’s degrees, there are many specialized types of master’s degrees, but the most common are the master of arts (M.A.), master of science (M.S.) and master of business administration (M.B.A.).

Professional Degree – Some careers require a specialized professional degree in order to practice in that field. Examples are the doctor of medicine (M.D.), required for medical doctors, and the juris doctor (J.D.), required for lawyers. Most (but not all) professional degrees are postgraduate degrees requiring you to get a bachelor's first.

Doctorate (Ph.D.) – The highest academic degree awarded by a university. A Ph.D. usually requires at least 3 years of graduate study beyond the last degree received, and completion of oral/written exams and a dissertation of original research. We’ve actually covered the Ph.D. before in the Glossary, in the context of explaining the difference between a Ph.D. doctor and a medical doctor (short answer: you call them both doctors, but they’re two totally different things).

Have you come across a word related to education in the U.S. that you want to see defined in our Glossary of Confusing Words? Let us know in the comments or by using the form below.

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It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.