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Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees

What type of education outcome or award do you want?

Learn about the most common types of certificates, diplomas and degrees offered by post-secondary schools. Consider Types of Minnesota Schools and The Role of Liberal Arts in Your Future to determine how these awards might match your educational objectives. Be sure to check the requirements for each school. You might have to obtain a specific degree before being eligible for another.

Undergraduate certificates, diplomas, and degrees

These awards usually take four years or less to complete. But note that the actual time to complete is also dependent on how much time a student can commit to their studies. Part–time students, for example, may require more than four years for an undergraduate award.

Continuing Education Units (CEU)
One CEU (Continuing Education Unit) is normally defined as 10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.

Certificate
An academic program generally of 9 to 30 credits that can be completed in a year or less by a full–time student. Some certificate programs are designed to provide specialized programs for people who already have diplomas or degrees; others are for people who want to quickly complete a program that leads directly to a specific job.

Diploma
An academic program generally of 30 to 72 credits intended to provide students with skills leading directly to a specific job.

Associate's degree
An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of full–time equivalent college–level work.

Bachelor's degree
An award (Baccalaureate) that normally requires at least 4 but not more than 5 years of full-time equivalent college–level work. Also includes bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years.

Graduate certificates and degrees

Entering one of these programs generally requires prior completion of an undergraduate award.

Post–baccalaureate certificate
An award that requires completion of an organized program of study requiring 18 credit hours beyond the bachelor's; designed for persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of master.

Graduate degree
A degree awarded for education at a level beyond the bachelor's degree. State universities offer graduate certificates, master's degrees and specialist degrees in various professional and liberal arts fields.

Master's degree
An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full–time equivalent of 1 but not more than 2 academic years of work beyond the Bachelor's degree.

Post–Master's certificate
An award that requires completion of an organized program of study of 24 credit hours beyond the master's degree, but does not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctor's level.

Doctorate degree
The highest award a student can earn for graduate study. The doctor's degree classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Juridical Science (J.D.), Doctor of Public Health (D.P.H.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

First professional
An award that requires completion of a program that is necessary to practice in the profession; at least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program; and a total of at least 6 academic years of college work to complete the program. First professional degrees may be awarded in the following 10 fields:

  • Chiropractic
  • Dentistry
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Optometry
  • Osteopathic Medicine
  • Pharmacy
  • Podiatry
  • Theology
  • Veterinary Medicine

Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, IPEDS Glossary