| A | B |
|---|
| associate’s degree (or AA) | An academic degree given for successful completion of a course of study at a two-year college. |
| bachelor’s degree (or BA or BS) | An academic degree typically requiring four years of study, conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies; a bachelor of arts is a BA and a bachelor of science is a BS. |
| college | An institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate programs, usually of a four-year duration, that lead to a bachelor’s degree in the arts or sciences (BA or BS). |
| consulting | An employment position in which an industry expert is called in to provide assessments and give advice. |
| entry level | What a job is called if it doesn’t require prior work experience, making it suitable for someone who is new to the field or has just graduated and is looking for a first job. |
| graduate school | Post-undergraduate education, usually in pursuit of a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional degree. |
| major | The subject, theme, or professional field in which students choose to specialize during their undergraduate education. |
| master’s degree | A graduate degree typically requiring two or three years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree; an academic degree higher than a bachelor’s but lower than a doctorate |
| MBA | A master’s in business administration; an advanced university degree in business studies. |
| median | One type of average, found by arranging the values in order and then selecting the value in the middle. Half of the values are higher and half are lower. |
| minor | A secondary specialization students may choose to focus on during their undergraduate education. While a student might take 30 or more units in a major, a minor might require only 15 units |
| PhD or doctorate | One of the highest earned academic degrees conferred by a university; a PhD is a “doctor of philosophy” while an MD is a “doctor of medicine.” |
| postsecondary education | Education pursued after high school (secondary school). |
| salary | Yearly earnings. |
| undergraduate | A university student who has not yet received a first degree. |
| unit | A value that indicates the amount of college credit assigned to a course. In many cases, one hour of lecture a week equals one unit of credit. Units are used to determine whether a student is full-time or part-time and may also be a part of scholarship requirements. |
| university | An educational institution that usually maintains one or more four-year undergraduate colleges (or schools) with programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Also maintains a graduate school of arts and sciences that awards master’s and doctoral degrees (PhDs); may also maintain graduate professional schools, such as law or engineering schools. |
