Editing Academic degree (section)

=== North America ===

==== Canada ====

In Canada, education is the responsibility of the provinces and territories, rather than the federal government. However, all of Canada follows the three-level bachelor's-master's-doctorate system common to the Anglophone world, with a few variations. A common framework for degrees was agreed between the provinces and territories in 2007.<ref name="Canada Framework">{{cite web|url=http://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/95/QA-Statement-2007.en.pdf|title=Canadian Degree Qualifications Framework|work=Ministerial Statement on Quality Assurance of Degree Education in Canada|publisher=[[Council of Ministers of Education, Canada]]|pages=2–7|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

Bachelor's degrees take normally three to four years, more commonly three years in Quebec (where they follow on from college courses rather than directly from secondary education). Outside Quebec, three-year bachelor's degrees are normally ordinary degrees, while four-year bachelor's degrees are [[honours degree]]s; an honours degree is normally needed for further study at the master's level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futurestudents.yorku.ca/thinking/def-bachelor|title=Bachelors Degree|publisher=[[York University]]|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> Master's degrees take one to three years (in Quebec they normally take one and a half to two years). Doctorates take a minimum of three years. Alone among Canadian provinces and territories, British Columbia offers two-year [[associate degree]]s, allowing credit to be transferred into a four-year bachelor's program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Academic credentials in Canada|url=http://www.cicic.ca/1149/Academic-credentials/index.canada|publisher=The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

In Canada, [[first professional degree]]s such as [[Doctor of Dental Surgery|DDS]], [[Doctor of Medicine|MD]], [[Doctor of Pharmacy|PharmD]] and [[LLB]] or [[Juris Doctor|JD]] are considered bachelor's level qualifications, despite their often being named as if they were doctorates.<ref name="Canada Framework"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.med.ualberta.ca/education/ume/admissions/dofm_require.cfm |title=UA Medical School |publisher=Med.ualberta.ca |access-date=8 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214065853/http://www.med.ualberta.ca/education/ume/admissions/dofm_require.cfm |archive-date=14 December 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.md.utoronto.ca/site5.aspx |title=UToronto Medical School |publisher=Md.utoronto.ca |access-date=8 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618225429/http://www.md.utoronto.ca/site5.aspx |archive-date=18 June 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/programs/template.asp?id=467 |title=Osgoode Hall Law School |publisher=Yorku.ca |access-date=8 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uwindsor.ca/jdllb/ |title=University of Windsor Law School |publisher=Uwindsor.ca |access-date=8 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612092701/http://www.uwindsor.ca/jdllb/ |archive-date=12 June 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pharm.umontreal.ca/etudes/premier-cycle/doctorat-de-premier-cycle-en-pharmacie-pharm-d/ |title=Faculté de pharmacie de l'Université de Montréal |publisher={{Lang|fr|[[Université de Montréal]]|italic=no}} |access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref>

===== Quebec =====
In the province of [[Quebec]], the majority of students must attend [[college education in Quebec|college]] prior to entering university. Upon completion of a two-year pre-university program, such as in sciences or humanities, or a three-year technical program, such as nursing or computer science, college graduates obtain a ''[[Quebec College Diploma|college diploma]]'', which is a prerequisite for access to university-level studies. Although these college programs are typical, they are not offered in every institution in the province. Moreover, while a few other pre-university programs with various concentrations exist, many other technical/career programs are available, depending on the college of choice. For example, [[Dawson College]] in [[Montreal]] has nearly sixty different programs leading to a college diploma.

Special programs, such as [[Physical rehabilitation|physical rehabilitation therapy]], are offered in some colleges as well. These programs allow students to enter professional university programs, such as [[physiotherapy]] (which consists of an integrated [[Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy]] and [[Master of Physical Therapy]]), without having to meet the usual grade and course prerequisites required from students holding a pre-university science diploma. A similar option is offered for college nursing graduates as they can pursue their studies in university to obtain a [[Bachelor of Nursing]] in two years (rather than the usual three or four years, depending on whether the student has completed a college diploma in Quebec). Additionally, whereas aspiring medical students are usually required to complete an [[undergraduate degree]] before applying to medical schools, Quebec college graduates have the option to enter:
* a "medical preparatory" year at [[McGill University]] or {{Lang|fr|[[Université de Montréal]]|italic=no}} and then pursue medical studies for the following four years;
* directly into the undergraduate medical education program at [[Université Laval]] (4 to 5 years in duration) or {{Lang|fr|[[Université de Sherbrooke]]|italic=no}} (4 years in duration).

==== Mexico ====
Education in [[Mexico]] follows a three-degree system similar to that of Canada and the US. The pre-university academic level is the ''bachillerato'' (also called ''preparatoria''), similar to [[High school (upper secondary)|high school]]. Students typically leave preparatoria at the age of 18 for university, at which point they choose to specialize in a specific academic area (a ''carrera''), such as economics, business administration, sciences, law, engineering or medicine, for 8–10 semesters of full-time study, which typically takes 4–5 years. They study for a ''técnico superior universitario'' (associate degree, only half of the ''licenciatura'', with the possibility of finishing a full bachelor's degree later, mainly in fields such as engineering and computer sciences),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sep.gob.mx/es/sep1/Requisitos_Nivel_Tecnico_Superior_Universitario|title=Secretaría de Educación Pública :: Requisitos Nivel Técnico Superior Universitario|date=28 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928005426/http://www.sep.gob.mx/es/sep1/Requisitos_Nivel_Tecnico_Superior_Universitario|archive-date=28 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profesionistas.org.mx/por-que-estudiar-una-licenciatura-o-carrera-tecnica/|title=¿ Por qué estudiar una licenciatura o carrera técnica ? |website=Profesionistas.org.mx|date=13 February 2014|access-date=18 August 2017}}</ref> or a ''licenciatura'' (bachelor), then a ''maestría'' (master), then a ''doctorado'' (doctorate). They can also get the degree of "ingenieria" or "medico" as an engineer or MD, respectively.

After receiving the ''licenciatura'', students may take extra courses called ''diplomados'' (similar to a [[certification]] but issued by a university). These courses last 4–12 months and are a means to further study without continuing to the next degree level, and are usually to demonstrate that students are staying up-to-date in their fields. Most students stay at this level, but some choose to continue to the ''maestría'', equivalent to the [[master's degree]]. Study at the ''maestría'' level takes 1–3 years and mandates completion of a [[thesis]]. Post-graduate students in Mexico typically enter a master's program after a few years in the workforce and often continue working while studying.

Traditionally, students who have completed the ''maestria'' may continue on to the ''doctorado'' or the [[doctorate]]. Doctoral study typically lasts 3–4 years. In recent years this schemes has become flexible such that in some PhD programmes, students are accepted before, or not completing, the course of study for a master's.

==== United States ====
In the United States, since the late 19th century, the threefold degree system of bachelor's, master's, and doctorate has been in place but has evolved into a slightly different pattern from the European equivalent. The [[U.S. Department of Education]] now classifies degrees in six categories: [[associate degree]]s, [[bachelor's degree]]s, [[first professional degree]]s, [[master's degrees]], intermediate graduate qualifications and [[doctorate|research doctorate]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Structure of U.S. Education|url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-structure-us.html|publisher=[[US Department of Education]]|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

The standard academic progression remains bachelor's—master's—(research) doctorate. Most standard ''academic'' programs are based on the four-year bachelor's degree, most often [[Bachelor of Arts]] (B.A.) or [[Bachelor of Science]] (B.S.), a one- or two-year master's degree (most often [[Master of Arts]] (M.A.) or [[Master of Science]] (M.S.); either of these programs might be as long as three years in length) and a further two to five years of coursework and research, culminating in "comprehensive" examinations in one or more fields, plus perhaps some teaching experience and then the writing of a dissertation for the doctorate, for a total of ten or more years from starting the bachelor's degree (which is usually begun around age 18) to the awarding of the doctorate. This timetable is only approximate, however, as students in accelerated programs can sometimes earn a bachelor's degree in three years or, on the other hand, a particular dissertation project might take four or more years to complete. In addition, a graduate may wait an indeterminate time between degrees before candidacy in the next level or even an additional degree at a level already completed. Therefore, there is no time limit on the accumulation of academic degrees.

By far the most common research doctorate is the [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (Ph.D.), comprising 98.1% of research doctorates in 2014. The [[Doctor of Education]] (Ed.D.) made up 1.1% (not including Ed.D.s classified as professional degrees rather than research doctorates) and all other research doctorates were less than 1% in total.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16300/technotes.cfm|title=Technical Notes|work=Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2014|date=December 2015|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=[[National Science Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16300/data/taba1.pdf|title=Types of research doctoral degrees recognized by the Survey of Earned Doctorates: 2014|work=Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2014|date=December 2015|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=[[National Science Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsf16300/data/taba2.pdf|title=Research degrees included in the Survey of Earned Doctorates: 2010–14|work=Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2014|date=December 2015|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=[[National Science Foundation]]}}</ref>

Some schools, mostly [[junior college]]s and [[community college]]s and some four-year schools, offer an [[associate degree]] that takes two full years of study. These may be in professional or academic fields, and the most common awards are the Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees. [[Articulation (education)|Articulation]] agreements may allow credit earned on an associate degree to be counted toward the completion of a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 2008 |title=Structure of the U.S. Education System: Associate Degrees |url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/associate.doc |url-status=dead |access-date=4 September 2016 |publisher=[[US Department of Education]]}}</ref>

The "[[first professional degree]]" is a graduate-level degree program designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in various fields other than academic scholarship and research. First professional degrees require a minimum of two years of college-level education prior to entering the program and a minimum of six years of total college-level education (including that undertaken prior to entry) to complete the program.<ref name="US Department of Education">{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/professional.doc|date=February 2008|title=Structure of the U.S. Education System: First-Professional Degrees|publisher=[[US Department of Education]]|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> Most professional degree programs require a prior bachelor's degree for admission and many require seven or eight years of total study. Many first professional degrees, e.g. [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]], [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] or [[Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine|D.O.]] are named as doctorates but should not be confused with research doctorates such as the Ph.D. (or, in law, the [[Doctor of Juridical Science|S.J.D.]]).<ref name=" US Department of Education"/><ref>Association of American Universities Data Exchange. [http://www.pb.uillinois.edu/aaude/documents/graded_glossary.doc Glossary of Terms for Graduate Education]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304031242/http://www.pb.uillinois.edu/aaude/documents/graded_glossary.doc |date=4 March 2009 }}. Accessed 26 May 2008; National Science Foundation (2006). "[https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf06312/nsf06312.pdf Time to Degree of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308130032/http://spellmirelaw.com/ |date=2016-03-08 }}," ''InfoBrief, Science Resource Statistics'' NSF 06-312, 2006, p. 7. (under "Data notes" mentions that the J.D. is a professional doctorate); San Diego County Bar Association (1969). [https://archive.today/20070807073217/http://www.sdcba.org/ethics/ethicsopinion69-5.html ''Ethics Opinion 1969-5'']. Accessed 26 May 2008. (under "other references" discusses differences between academic and professional doctorate and statement that the J.D. is a professional doctorate); University of Utah (2006). [http://www.gradschool.utah.edu/catalog/degree.php University of Utah – The Graduate School – Graduate Handbook]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626081148/http://www.gradschool.utah.edu/catalog/degree.php |date=26 June 2008 }}. Accessed 28 May 2008. (the J.D. degree is listed under doctorate degrees); German Federal Ministry of Education. [http://www.blk-bonn.de/papers/hochschulsystem_usa.pdf ''U.S. Higher Education / Evaluation of the Almanac Chronicle of Higher Education'']  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413192035/http://www.blk-bonn.de/papers/hochschulsystem_usa.pdf |date=13 April 2008 }}. Accessed 26 May 2008. (report by the German Federal Ministry of Education analyzing the Chronicle of Higher Education from the U.S. and stating that the J.D. is a professional doctorate); Encyclopædia Britannica. (2002). ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 3:962:1a. (the J.D. is listed among other doctorate degrees).</ref> First professional degrees should also not be confused with professional master's degrees such as the [[Master of Architecture|M.Arch.]] and [[M.B.A.]], which are classified as master's degrees,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/master.doc|title=Structure of the U.S. Education System: Master's Degrees|date=February 2008|publisher=[[US Department of Education]]|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> or with intermediate graduate qualifications that also bear the title of doctor, such as [[Doctor of Ministry|D.Min.]] or [[Doctor of Psychology|D.Psy.]]<ref name="Intermediate Graduate Qualifications">{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/grad.doc|title=Structure of the U.S. Education System: Intermediate Graduate Qualifications|date=February 2008|publisher=[[US Department of Education]]|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

Intermediate graduate qualifications lie between the master's level and doctorate. They include awards such as the [[Certificate of Advanced Study]], [[Graduate Diploma]]s, [[Professional Engineer]] status, and Professional Diplomas, as well as [[specialist degree]]s such as [[Education Specialist]], [[Doctor of Ministry]], [[Doctor of Psychology]] and the [[Licentiate in Sacred Theology]].<ref name="Intermediate Graduate Qualifications"/>

In 21 US jurisdictions, religious institutions can be authorized to grant religious-exempt (rel. exmpt., rel. expt., etc.) degrees without accreditation or government oversight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/religious_exempt.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221105944/http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/religious_exempt.aspx|url-status=dead|title=Oregon Student Assistance Commission Office of Degree Authorization (ODA): Religious Exempt Schools|archivedate=21 February 2011}}</ref> Such degrees are used primarily to attain church-related employment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyemerald.com/2.2358/bill-addresses-degrees-from-unaccredited-institutions-1.207136 |website=Dailyemerald.com |title=Bill addresses degrees from unaccredited institutions |date=29 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115125617/http://www.dailyemerald.com/2.2358/bill-addresses-degrees-from-unaccredited-institutions-1.207136 |archive-date=15 November 2010 }}</ref>

===== Current levels of attainment of degrees =====
Traditionally, more men than women attended and earned degrees at the world's universities. A milestone was reached in the United States, according to the 2010 census, as women surpassed men in attaining master's degrees, for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/in-a-first-women-surpass-men-in-college-degrees/|title=In a first, women surpass men in college degrees|date=26 April 2011|work=cbsnews.com}}</ref> The U.S. census reports that 10.5 million men have master's degrees or higher, compared with 10.6 million women. The first year that women surpassed men in earning bachelor's degrees was 1996.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Women-surpassing-men-by-degrees-1354014.php#ixzz1L9AUAydV|title=Women surpassing men by degrees|work=Times Union|date=27 April 2011}}</ref>

===== Perceptions of the value of a degree in the US =====
Students, the media, and the general public have shown much concern over the value of getting a higher degree in the US ever since the Great Recession of 2007. A 2015 survey of 2,000 adults (900 of which were graduates), implemented by the education technology company Greenwood Hall, reported that more than half of the graduates surveyed believe those getting their degree now will be receiving a lower return on their investment than their counterparts 10–15 years ago.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|url = http://silk.library.umass.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=100996548&site=ehost-live&scope=site|title = Placing a Value on Education|last = Bidwell|first = Allie|date = 13 February 2015|journal = US News Digital Weekly|access-date = 13 October 2015|issue = 7|volume = 7}}</ref>{{update inline|date=July 2022}}

Media coverage of the rising costs of higher education and increased student debt have also affected the public's perceptions of whether higher degrees are still worthwhile. Statistics citing that college graduates make around $1 million more in their lifetimes than those who did not attend college and live longer, healthier lives work in favor of those who argue the continued value of higher degrees.<ref name=":0" /> Studies like the 2011 Learning Gains study by Arum and Roksa, on the other hand, reported that only 55% of students had any learning gains during their first two years of college, which favors the argument that investing in higher education may not still be worth it.<ref>{{cite journal|title = The Value of a College Degree|last = Rose|first = Stephen|date = November 2013|journal = Change|doi = 10.1080/00091383.2013.842101|issue = 6|volume = 45|pages = 24–33|s2cid = 143986876}}</ref>