Editing Academic degree (section)

=== South America ===

==== Argentina ====
{{Main|Education in Argentina}}

==== Brazil ====
Undergraduate students in Brazilian universities graduate either with a bachelor's degree, a licentiate degree or a technologist degree. Bachelor degrees in Brazil normally take four or five years of full-time study to complete, with the exception of the human medicine course, which requires six years. Licentiate degrees normally take four-years, and are for students who want to qualify as [[secondary school|school]] teachers. ''Licenciatura'' courses exist mostly in mathematics, humanities and natural sciences. The technologist degree is available in technology-related fields and can be normally obtained in three years. These degrees are for entry into industry.

Admission as an undergraduate student to most top public or private universities in Brazil requires that the applicant pass a competitive entrance examination known as the [[Vestibular]]. Contrary to what happens in the United States, candidates must declare their intended university major when they register for the Vestibular. Although it is theoretically possible to switch majors afterwards (in a process known within the universities as ''transferência interna''), that is actually quite rare in Brazil. Undergraduate curricula tend to be more rigid than in the United States and there is little room to take classes outside one's major.

Individuals who hold either a bachelor's degree, licentiate or technologist are eligible for admission into [[Graduate School|graduate]] courses leading to advanced [[master's degree|master]]'s or doctor's degrees. Criteria for admission into master's and doctor's programs vary in Brazil. Some universities require that candidates take entrance exams; others make admission decisions based solely on undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation and possibly oral interviews. In most cases, however, especially for the doctorate, the candidate is required to submit a research plan, and one faculty member must agree to serve as supervisor before the candidate can be admitted into the program. The exceptions are the [[natural sciences]] post-graduate programs, which accept students with very broad or vague research prospects that sometimes the prospect is given ''in promptu'' during the interview, preferring to let the students define their study program and advisor in the course of the first year of studies.

There are two types of post-graduate programs: ''lato sensu'' (specialization and MBAs) and ''stricto sensu'' (professional master's, master's, and doctorate).

Specializations or MBAs are courses that include taking a minimum number of graduate classes (minimum of 360 hours) but with no need to do research nor defend a thesis, only to present final work showing knowledge acquired. It is a professional level where theory and practice are focused broadly.

Professional master's or master's degrees usually take one to two years of full-time study. Requirements for an academic master's degree include taking a minimum number of advanced graduate classes (typically between five and eight) and submitting a research thesis, which is examined orally by a panel of at least two examiners (three is the preferred number), sometimes including one member from another university or research institute. The emphasis of the thesis must be in adding some value to knowledge, but not necessarily in being original.

Doctoral degrees normally take four additional years of full-time study to complete. Requirements for obtaining a doctor's degree include taking additional advanced courses, passing an oral qualifying exam, and submitting a longer doctoral dissertation which must represent a significant original contribution to knowledge in the field to which the dissertation topic is related. That contrasts with master's thesis, which, in addition to being usually shorter than doctoral dissertations, are not required to include creation of new knowledge or revision/reinterpretation of older views/theories. The doctoral dissertation is examined in a final oral exam before a panel of at least two members (in the state of São Paulo the preferred number is five, while the other regions prefer three members), usually including one or two external examiners from another university or research institute.

Finally, a small number of Brazilian universities, most notably the public universities in the state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]], still award the title of {{interlanguage link|Livre-Docente|pt|Livre-docência}} (''free [[docent]]''), which is of higher standing than a doctorate and is obtained, similar to the German [[Habilitation]], by the submission of a second (original or cumulative) thesis and approval in a ''Livre-Docência'' examination that includes giving a public lecture before a panel of full professors.

''See also [[Universities and Higher Education in Brazil]]''

==== Colombia ====
In Colombia, the system of academic degrees is based in the British model, similar to the U.S. model. After completing their "bachillerato" (high school), students can take one of three options. The first one is called a {{lang|es|profesional}} (professional career), which is similar to a bachelor's degree requiring from four to 6 years of study according to the chosen program. The other option is called a {{lang|es|técnico}} (technician); this degree consists of two and a half years of study and prepares the student for technical or mechanical labors. Finally, the third option is called a {{lang|es|tecnólogo}} (equivalent to associate degree) and consists of three years of study.

After this, students, now called {{lang|es|profesional}} (professionals), {{lang|es|técnicos}} (technicians) or {{lang|es|tecnólogos}} (associates), can opt for higher degrees. Formal education after the bachelor's degree leads to the master's degree with the title of {{lang|es|maestro}} and doctorate degrees, known as {{lang|es|doctorado}} (doctorate). The master's degree normally takes two years.

Students also can take a specialization course, {{lang|es|especialización}}, equivalent to a graduate certificate degree, after their bachelor's degree. These programs, like in the U.S., are very popular, because it requires only one to two years of study.

In Colombia, similar to the U.S. system, the students may not go directly to the {{lang|es|doctorado}} without having the "master" degree first.

==== Chile ====
After completing {{lang|es|enseñanza media}} (high school), students receive a {{lang|es|Licenciatura de Enseñanza Media}} (high school diploma), which is a requirement for higher education.

In Chile, there is a distinction between academic degrees and professional titles:
* {{lang|es|Grado académico}} is the denomination given to an academic degree granted by a higher education institution recognized by the Chilean Mineduc (Ministry of Education).
* {{lang|es|Titulo profesional}} is the denomination given to a professional title. Some professional titles are required for occupations such as physicians, attorneys and as civil/commercial engineers. A professional title may or may not require a {{lang|es|grado académico}}, additional examination or work experience. For example, the {{lang|es|abogado}} (attorney) professional title is granted by the Chilean Supreme Court and requires an examination, academic degree and 6 months of pro-bono work experience.

Among {{lang|es|grado académico}} degrees, there are the following levels:
* {{lang|es|Bachiller}}, undergraduate degree obtained by completing a 2-year {{lang|es|bachillerato}}.
* {{lang|es|Licenciado}}, undergraduate degree obtained as a 4+ year {{lang|es|licenciatura}}. Equivalent to a bachelor's degree.
* {{lang|es|Magister}}, graduate degree, requiring a {{lang|es|licenciado}} degree or equivalent. Equivalent to a master's degree.
* {{lang|es|Doctorado}}, a doctoral degree, often requiring a {{lang|es|magister}} degree or equivalent.

Higher-education programs that provide a professional title but not an academic degree are referred to as {{lang|es|carreras técnicas}}, which are similar in duration and scope to associate degree programs. These are often granted by educational institutions of the type {{lang|es|instituto profesional}} (IP) or {{lang|es|centro de formación técnica}} (CFT).

==== Venezuela ====
Academic degrees in Venezuela start with the ''Certificado de Educación Básica'' (Certificate of Basic Education), awarded upon completing the 9th grade. The next degree is earned upon completing the 11th grade and confers the title of ''Bachiller en Ciencias'' (High School Graduate of Science), ''Bachiller en Humanidades'' (High School Graduate of Humanities) or ''Técnico en Ciencias'' (Science Technician). The reason for this diversity is because some schools provide vocational education as part of their high school curriculum (thereby allowing them to hand out "technician" titles), while elsewhere the student is required to decide whether to study science or the humanities for the last two years of secondary school.

Titles at the higher-education level usually depend on the institution handing them out. Technical schools award the student with the title of ''Técnico Superior Universitario'' (university higher technician, to distinguish from science technician). Universities award the student with the title of ''ingeniero'' (engineer) or with the title ''licenciado'' (licentiate) after completing a five-year program. The ingeniero degree requires more physics than the licenciado degree, but both take five years. Some higher-education institutions may award ''diplomados'' (diploma), but the time necessary to obtain one varies. Medical doctors are awarded the title "Médico Cirujano" after completing a 6-year course of study.

Postgraduate education in Venezuela follows the conventions of the United States (being named "master's" and "doctorate" after the programs there).