Types of College Degrees in Nebraska

Certificate : Awarded for completion of a program for a specific skill area or field. The program requires less than a year of full-time study. Some are awarded for completion of noncredit classes or continuing education units.

Diploma : Awarded for completion of a program of study leading to specific employment skills. The program requires less than two years of full-time study.

• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) : Awarded for completion of a technical program that prepares you for a specific occupation. The courses may be accepted at a four-year college and applied toward a bachelor's degree.
• Associate of Arts (AA) : Awarded for completion of an academic program that is similar to the first two years of a general education or liberal arts academic program at a four-year college or university. The credits often transfer to a four-year school and count towards a bachelor's degree. The transfer is based on an academic transfer agreement.
• Associate of Science (AS) : Awarded for the completion of an academic program that is similar to the first two years of a general academic program or a program that focuses on science. The credits often transfer to a four-year college and count towards a bachelor's degree based on an academic transfer agreement.
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) : Awarded for completion of a minimum of 108 credit hours need to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam to be licensed as a registered nurse. Many of the required courses transfer to four-year colleges.

Bachelor's Degree : Awarded for completion of an undergraduate program at a four-year college or university. Some trade schools offer bachelor-degree programs. Undergraduate programs require that you take a core of general education courses and courses related to one subject area or major. There are several different types of bachelor's degrees; the examples below are the most common.

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Awarded for completion of an academic program with a major in such areas as English, history, journalism, Spanish, and political science.
• Bachelor of Science (BS) : Awarded for completion of an academic program with a major in such areas as biology, chemistry, math, and agriculture.
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) : Awarded for completion of an academic program with a major in such areas as art, music, theatre, and dance.
• Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd) : Awarded for completion of an academic program in elementary, middle level, secondary, or special education.

Master's Degree : Awarded for program completed after a bachelor's degree. Master's degree programs are offered in graduate schools at universities and some state colleges. These degrees help you advance your career in such areas as education and business. Some occupations such as physical therapy and social workers require master's degrees for employment. Most master's degree programs take at least two years to complete. There are different types of master's degrees and these are examples of the most common: Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Education (Med).

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