Put these degrees in the order that you would earn them, starting from the first one.

 High school diplomaMaster's degreeAssociate's degreePhDBachelor's degree

Match these degrees to the number of years needed to earn it. (After you earn the one before it).

1. High school diploma

2. Master's degree3. Associate's degree4. PhD5. Bachelor's degree 

a. 12 yearsb. 1-2 yearsc. 2 yearsd. 3-7 yearse. 4 years

Post-secondary educationPhD or advanced

professional degreeMaster’s degreeUndergraduate programsVocational-technical

institutionsJunior/community

collegesPrimary & secondary

educationEarly childhood

education

Source: 2003 Digest of Education Statistics, Figure 1. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, NCES, 2004).

High school diplomaGeneral Education Development (GED)

certificateAssociate’s degreeBachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeDoctorate (PhD)Professional degrees

Nursery schoolPreschoolDaycareHead StartKindergarten

Compulsory, but varied by state12 years

Elementary or primary schoolMiddle school or junior high schoolSecondary school (high school)

Public schoolPrivate schoolRunning StartHomeschool

CalendarDaily routineTransportationExtracurricular activitiesParental involvement

Elementary curriculumSecondary curriculumGrades

LetterGrade point average (GPA)

Standardized testsWashington State:

WASLMeasurements of Student Progress (MSP)High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE)

HistoryCurrent goalsSchools

Types of trainingInternshipsApprenticeshipsTraditional classroom

Certificate, diploma or associate degreeDeveloping fields

Associate’s degreeBachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeDoctorate (PhD)Professional degrees

*To transfer foreign credits – transcript/ credential evaluation

TuitionPublic vs. privateGoalYears

FreshmanSophomoreJuniorSenior

Grades & transcriptStandardized test scores (SAT or ACT)Recommendation lettersStudent essaysExtra-curricular activities

Large lectures with discussion or lab sectionTypical student:

18-22 years oldFull-time student, part-time workerLives on campus in a dormitory or off-campus

apartmentAthletics, Party Life, and Greek system

High school completionGEDJob trainingAssociate’s degreeSome bachelor’s degrees

*To transfer foreign credits – transcript/ credential evaluation

TuitionPublic vs. privateGoals:

Adult basic education (ABE/ESL)Vocational and technical trainingTraining for local employersTransfer to universityCommunity education

Information formPlacement testingTransfer credits

Smaller classes – 20-30Nontraditional students

Average age Student/workerLive off-campus

Campus life – studying

PrefixESL, BUS, MATH, BIOL&, CHEM& Ampersand (&) indicates a common course

NumbersLess than 100Over 100Over 400

Basis for tuitionCredits ≈lecture hoursFull-time = 12+ creditsTransfer credits not always equal

"Testing Students in Washington State." State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Web. 25 June 2010.

U.S. Department of Education, International Affairs Staff, Education in the United States: A Brief Overview, Washington, D.C., 2005. Print.