OBJECTIVES:SWBAT name many of the academic degrees they can earn (including abbreviations)

SWBAT to explain the purpose of each academic degree by matching them to their respective careers

SWBAT describe the amount of time it takes to earn each academic degree

SWBAT to map out the education/training required to obtain many professional careers

OPTION #1

OPTION #2

1. Go to Community College or Junior College to save money or figure out what your major; earn Associate’s Degree

2. Transfer to a college or university to earn a Bachelor’s Degree

3. Use Bachelor’s Degree to get a well-paying job

4. Continue education by earning Graduate Degree(s) to advance in career and earn more money

5. Achieve all your life’s BHAGs

P lanning Y our A cad em ic/ C areer P ath

Assoc iate's Degreeat C ommunity C ollege

or J unior C ollege

A.A. or A .S .

Doctoral DegreeStudying your Master's

discipline in much more

depth Ph D.

M aster's Degreein a Specific Discipline

M .A., M .S., M E d., M .B .A .

Profession al DegreeUsually earning a license

to practice a trade

M .D ., J .D ., D .D .S., Ph arm .D .

Bach elor's Degreeat a 4-Year C ollege

or University

B.A. or B .S .

H igh Sch ool D iplom a

**Optional

Undergraduate Degrees

Graduate Degrees

WHY SHOULD I KEEP GOING TO SCHOOL?!

Education LevelAnnual Salary

Some High School $19,800

High School or GED $27,650

Some College $32,500

Associate's Degree $35,900

Bachelor's Degree $50,550

Master's Degree $62,750

Doctoral Degree $89,400

Professional Degree $109,600

Education LevelLifetime Earnings

Some High School $1,000,000 High School or

GED $1,200,000

Some College $1,500,000

Associate's Degree $1,600,000

Bachelor's Degree $2,100,000

Master's Degree $2,500,000

Doctoral Degree $3,400,000 Professional

Degree $4,400,000

TYPES OF ACADEMIC DEGREES

There are generally two types of post-secondary academic degrees:

Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- ASSOCIATE’S

People who earn Associate’s Degrees may do so for the following reasons: Trying to figure out what they want to major in Save money by completing general education classes at

community/junior college ($250 per class vs. $1,250 per class)

They are generally awarded mostly by community colleges, junior colleges, or business colleges after two years of studying general education.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- ASSOCIATE’S

An Associate’s Degree is a degree that provides the foundation for someone to go on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree.

It is a degree that accounts for most of the required general education credits needed to earn a Bachelor’s Degree.

The two most commonly types are Associate’s of Arts (A.A.) and Associate’s of Sciences (A.S.).

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- ASSOCIATE’S

Career Options:

-Medical Assistant

-Physical Therapy Assistant

-Occupational Therapy Assistant

-Dental Assistants

-Sales Person

-Registered Nurse

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- ASSOCIATE’S

Think, Pair, Share, WRITE: What are some possible Pros and Cons to pursuing an

Associate’s degree? THINK: Will this degree give me the options I want in my

life? Income, Lifestyle, Career Fulfillment

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- BACHELOR’S

Bachelor’s Degrees are awarded by colleges and universities after a person completes their general education requirements and major requirements.

Typically there are two types of Bachelor’s degrees awarded, Bachelor’s of Arts (B.A.) & Bachelor’s of Sciences (B.S.).

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- BACHELOR’S

Bachelor’s Degrees take four years because you are required to earn about 120-124 total credit hours.

Quick Math- you must earn 30-31 hours each year.

College classes are typically 3 credit hours.

10 classes per year or 5 per semester

NOTE: Certain schools may calculate credit hours differently; it still winds up being about the same amount of school.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- BACHELOR’S

Career Options:

-Engineer

-Marketing/Sales

-Finance/Accounting

-Computer Science

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES- BACHELOR’S

Think, Pair, Share, WRITE: What are some possible Pros and Cons to pursuing a

Bachelor’s degree? THINK: Will this degree give me the options I want in my

life? Income, Lifestyle, Career Fulfillment

NYTIMES (5/27/14)

“The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else reached a record high last year, according to the new data, which is based on an analysis of Labor Department statistics by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington. Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree. That’s up from 89 percent five years earlier, 85 percent a decade earlier and 64 percent in the early 1980s”

PPT

POWERPOINT

Tinyurl.com/degreeppt

WORKSHEET

Tinyurl.com/degreeGO

dredick@noblenetwork.org

GRADUATE DEGREES

These are degrees that

people seek after

“graduating” and earning

a Bachelor’s Degree.

The course of study undertaken to earn Graduate Degrees usually focuses on more specific areas of a field, going much more in depth to prepare you for a career.

GRADUATE DEGREES- MASTER’S

A Master’s Degree is a graduate degree that allows people to enhance their knowledge and skills in the discipline of their Bachelor’s Degree. Ex. Bachelor’s in Economics, then Master’s in Business

Administration

In order to be accepted into a Master’s Program, you must also pass the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or a similar test. Basically, the ACT on steroids.

In order to earn a Master’s Degree you must pass Comprehensive Exams (‘Comps”) or write a detailed Thesis (35+ pages) paper to prove that they are experts in that discipline.

GRADUATE DEGREES- MASTER’S

Master’s Degrees typically take two years to earn.

There are generally two types of Master’s Degrees: Master’s of Arts (M.A.) and Master’s of Science (M.S.).

You can also get a profession specific Master’s Degrees, like a Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.) or a Master’s of Fine Arts (M.F.A.).

GRADUATE DEGREES- DOCTORATE

Doctoral Degree- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is usually the highest degree you can earn in a field.

Most people get a Ph.D. to become professors and teach that subject at the collegiate level or to be an expert researcher/practitioner in that field. Ex. Doctor in Music- Northwestern University

These degrees usually take 3-5 years to earn.

In order to earn a Ph.D. you must write a Dissertation, which is a huge paper (100+ pages) on a very specific topic.

You must “defend” your dissertation in front of your professors to prove that you are worthy of the degree.

PROFESSORS/ RESEARCHERS

1. Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. or B.S. 4 Years

2. Master’sDegree

M.A. or M.S.2 Years

3. Doctor of Philosophy

Ph.D.3-5 Years

4. Teach at a college or research/ practice in your field

GRADUATE DEGREES-DOCTORATE/MASTER’S

Think, Pair, Share, WRITE: What are some possible Pros and Cons to pursuing an

Doctorate or Master’s degree? NOTE: Doctorate and Master’s are NOT the same thing.

Doctorate’s require more work. They are simply similar in career trajectory.

THINK: Will this degree give me the options I want in my life?

Income, Lifestyle, Career Fulfillment

PROFESSIONAL DEGREES

A Professional Degree is designed to prepare someone for a particular profession by training him or her in specialized skills.

These degrees vary in their length of study based upon the skills being taught. Most professional degrees require hands-on training in the field to master the skills.

Ex. Doctors, Lawyers, Pharmacists, Dentists

MEDICAL DOCTORS

1. Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. or B.S. 4 Years

2. Doctor of Medicine

M.D. 4 Years

5. Optional Specialized Fellowship 3-5 Years

Ex. Surgeon

3. Paid residencyin your area of interest

about 3 YearsEx. Obstetrician

4. Practice medicine as a doctor

MEDICAL DOCTORS- BASIC FACTS

Major in college- PreMedicine, Biology, Chemistry, or other sciences

Gatekeeper(s)- Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) & State Licensure Exam

Education/Training- 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 3 years of residency= 11 years

Median annual salary is around $135,000

DENTISTS

1. Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. or B.S. 4 Years

2. Doctor of Dental

SurgeryD.D.S. 4 Years

4. Optional- Advanced Degree(s) 2-5 Years

Ex. Orthodontist

3. Pass State Licensure Exam; Practice as a

licensed dentist

DENTISTS- BASIC FACTS

Major in college- PreDentistry, Biology, Chemistry, or other sciences

Gatekeeper(s)- Dental Admissions Test (DAT) & State Licensure Exam

Education/Training- 4 years of college, 4 years of dental school, 1-2 years of residency= 8-10 years

Median annual salary is around $135,000

LAWYERS

1. Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. or B.S. 4 Years

2. Juris DoctorJ.D.

3 Years

4. Optional- Advanced Degrees

or Experiences1-2 Years

Ex. Sports Law or clerk for judge

3. Pass State Bar Exam; Practice as licensed

lawyer

LAWYERS- BASIC FACTS

Major in college- PreLaw, English, Political Science

Gatekeeper(s)- Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) & State Bar Exam

Education/Training- 4 years of college, 3 years of law school= 7 years

Median annual salary is around $100,000

PHARMACISTS

1. Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. or B.S. 4 Years

2. Doctor of PharmacyPharm.D.

4 Years

4. Optional Advanced Degrees

3-5 YearsEx. Drug

researcher

3. Pass State Licensure Exam; Practice as licensed pharmacist

PHARMACISTS – BASIC FACTS

Major in college- Chemistry, or other sciences

Gatekeeper(s)- Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) & State Licensure Exam

Education/Training- 4 years of college, 4 years of Pharmacy school= 8 years

Median annual salary is around $95,000

GRADUATE DEGREES- PROFESSIONAL

Think, Pair, Share, WRITE: What are some possible Pros and Cons to pursuing a

Professional degree? THINK: Will this degree give me the options I want in my

life? Income, Lifestyle, Career Fulfillment

ECS MOTTO

We promise to do what we have to do in order to do what we want to do.

EXIT SLIP

Complete the Exit Slip on the back!!!

REFLECTION

Think, Pair, Share, Write

After learning more about degree/career options and their trajectories, have your plans changed in anyway? How so? Why?