A.A.

Associate of Arts
The associate of arts is a basic-level undergraduate degree granted upon completion
of a two-year program, usually at community or junior college, technical college or
trade school. As such, these are typically a jumping off point towards pursuing a full
bachelor's degree.

A.S.

Associate of Science
Similar to the A.A., the associate of science degree is the culmination of a two-year
academic program. The A.S. is usually awarded to junior college students enrolled in
science or tech-related programs.

B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
The usual degree path for majors in liberal arts, humanities or social sciences such as
English, creative writing, fine arts or political science. A B.A. is typically awarded upon
completion of a four-year undergraduate program at a traditional school or university.
B.S.
Bachelor of Science
The bachelor's typically awarded to undergraduates in science and technical fields.
B.F.A.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Awarded to majors like art history, theater, film studies and photography.
B.B.A.
Bachelor of Business Administration
A business-oriented bachelor's path, typically associated with management,
accounting, marketing, etc.
B.Arch
Bachelor of Architecture
A bachelor's degree geared towards the architecture field.
BSN
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
A degree path oriented towards the technical and hands-on training necessary to
obtain a nursing license.
B.E.
Bachelor of Engineering
Concentrates on engineering fields like electrical engineering, mechanical engineering
and computer engineering.
M.A.
Master of Arts
The basic graduate-level degree granted to grad students in fields in the humanities,
social sciences or fine arts.

M.B.A.

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration is the master-level degree granted upon
completion of a business administration or management-oriented program. In
contrast to an M.A., M.B.A. programs are typically oriented around subjects more
narrowly tailored towards business operations like accounting, marketing and analysis.

M.S.
Master of Science
Typically awarded to graduate students in scientific or technical fields.
M.S.W.
Master of Social Work
Similar to the M.B.A., the Master of Social Work is narrowly defined master's degree
focused on social work. M.S.W. programs may adhere to either a clinical track or
practice track. The clinical track is oriented towards working with patients, while the
practice track focuses on politics and policy as well as management.
Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Despite what the name might suggest, this isn't a degree for philosophers exclusively.
A Ph.D is the doctorate-level degree granted in a variety of different disciplines. These
are typically research-intensive programs pursued by those who've already acquired
bachelor's and master-level credentials in their field of study.
Psy.D.
Doctor of Psychology
The Psy.D. is similar to a standard doctorate degree, but granted specifically for
students pursuing psychology practice.

What do these letters stand for?

Answer
There are two parts; one can classify the educational level of the degree: "B" stands for bachelor's
degree; "M" stands for master's degree; and "D" stands fordoctoral degree. The second part denotes
the discipline of the degree, like "S" for science, "A" for arts, or "Ph" for Philosophy.

What are the distinctions between arts and science degrees?

Answer
Depending on the school you attend and the kind of courses you take, you could earn an arts degree or a
science degree. Typically, an "arts" degree means that you focused on a wide area of learning and
discussion, while a "science" degree implies a deep, technical understanding of your subject.

What kinds of designations exist for doctoral students?

Answer
The highest degree you can earn in most liberal arts disciplines is a PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy.
However, clinical and counseling psychologists earn a PsyD,Doctor of Psychology nomenclature;
medical students earn M.D. degrees and law students can earn J.D. (Juris Doctor) degrees.

What about some of the other specialized degrees?

Answer
Distinctive nomenclature are named after applied disciplines, include Master of Social Work (MSW),
Doctor of Social Work (DSW), Master of Education degree(MaEd), Master of Business
Administration (MBA), or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).