Educational Pathway
This is the credential you earn after finishing high school.
Diploma (or High School Diploma)
Abbreviation for a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.
BA
This is your primary field of academic study in college (one word).
Major
This is the abbreviation for the doctoral degree often focused on research and scholarship
PhD
Name the two-year college credential often offered at community colleges
AA or AS (Associate of Arts / Associate of Science)
Abbreviations for the common two-year degrees (give both).
AA / AS
A student majoring in Biology and adding a smaller focus in Spanish would call Spanish their
Minor
How long do master's programs commonly take, according to the lecture? (give the range in years)
About 1–3 years
Put these in order from lowest to highest: bachelor's, doctorate, associate, master's.
Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate
A professional degree for physicians is abbreviated as this
MD
Give two examples of majors listed in the notes/lecture.
Examples: Biology; Psychology; Engineering; Business; Political Science (any two)
Name two examples of professional degrees used to prepare students for specific professions (two different fields
Examples: MD (medicine), JD (law), PharmD (pharmacy), DMD (dentistry)
This part of college includes broad courses across subjects (English, math, science) that every student often takes regardless of major.
General education (or General education courses
Name two common graduate-level degree abbreviations for advanced study (one in arts/social sciences and one in sciences
MA and MS (or MA / MS)
Why did the lecture say a major does NOT lock you into one career forever? (One clear reason.)
Many careers value transferable skills and degrees provide skills that apply across multiple jobs (so students can change paths)
True or False: A master's is always required before a doctorate or professional degree.
False
A student who starts at a community college, completes general education and transfer coursework, then finishes a four-year degree at a university is following this kind of pathway. What is it called?
Transfer pathway or community college to university transfer pathway
Explain briefly (one sentence) the main difference in typical focus between a BA and a BS.
A BA often emphasizes humanities, languages, and social sciences while a BS tends to emphasize math, science, and technical coursework.
Provide the example (major + minor) given from the lecture, that could combine technical knowledge with language or cultural knowledge.
Major: Biology; Minor: Spanish
Describe (one sentence) what distinguishes a PhD from a professional degree like an MD.
A PhD focuses on advanced research and scholarship in a field, while an MD is a professional degree designed to prepare graduates for clinical practice.