Education Glossary

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Certification vs Certificate Program

Certification - an industry-recognized competency credential issued by a national professional organization. Examples include the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification, issued by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Registered Nurse Board Certified certification, issued by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AACC). Certifications usually involve both passing a test and working in the field for a specific amount of time.

Certificate Program - In spite of the name similarity, a certificate program is completely different from a professional certification (above). A certificate program is a set of courses that results in a certificate of completion instead of a degree. Completion usually takes less than 2 years. People take certificate programs not just to start their careers but also to supplement their existing education.

College Admissions Tests

SAT - the SAT Reasoning Test, formerly known simply as the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The SAT is the most common college admissions test in the United States. It is an aptitude test, measuring reasoning and verbal abilities, and consists of three sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Each section provides a score ranging from 200-800 with a total high score of 2400 (3 X 800).

ACT - The ACT (American College Test) is another admissions test that is growing in popularity. The ACT is an achievement test, and attempts to measure what a student has learned in school. It consists of five sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test.

College vs University

College - two definitions:
1) A commonly used umbrella term that refers to any institution of higher learning, whether a 1,000 student community college or a 50,000 student university; and
2) A subset of a university, for example, a College of Business. Colleges do not typically offer degrees beyond a 4-year bachelor's degree.

University - generally, universities are very large institutions with research capabilities and colleges within them. They offer degrees beyond the standard 4-year bachelor's degree including graduate degrees, professional degrees (such as a law degree), and the impressive sounding Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Degrees

Associate's - a 2-year degree offered at both community colleges and some 4-year colleges.

Bachelor's - a 4-year degree offered at colleges and universities.

Master's - typically, a 2-year degree offered at universities. This degree is a post-graduate degree attained after you have already earned a bachelor's degree.

PhD - typically, a multi-year degree offered at universities. It is a post-graduate degree attained after you have earned a bachelor's degree and, in some cases, a master's degree. In addition to coursework, a PhD requires you to (with the help and blessing of an advisor) perform original research and write a dissertation paper detailing the research.

For-Profit vs Non-Profit schools

For-Profit - a school whose goal is to make money for its shareholders or owners. Examples of for-profits schools include the University of Phoenix and Devry University. For-profit schools are becoming more popular because

They focus their programs of study on locally in-demand career sectors such as healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing;
Their approach helps students quickly attain their desired credentials - sometimes at the expense of providing instruction in core competencies such as reading, math, and language arts;
They often provide both classroom and on-line distance learning; and
They effectively advertise and market their services by using regional media such as radio, television and online ads.

Non-Profit - a school whose goal is simply to educate students and, in some cases, to perform research. The majority of schools, whether public or private (below), are non-profit.

Be sure to thoroughly compare your options, particularly in terms of cost and accreditation, before signing on the dotted line!!

Post-graduate - a general term indicating any education you undertake after receiving a 4-year (typically) bachelor's degree.

Program - a group of courses designed by educators to achieve a specific level of knowledge in a specific area. For example, a 2-year nursing program at a community college (associate's degree) is designed to ensure that its graduates have a specific level of knowledge (commensurate with 2 years of study) in nursing. Most programs are degree programs in that you receive some type of degree (associate's, bachelor's, etc.) upon passing the required courses.

Public vs Private schools

Public - a school that receives public (tax dollar) funding. For public colleges and universities, much of this funding comes from the state in which the school is located. For public community and technical colleges, this funding comes not only from the state but also from local and regional taxes. As a result, public schools are usually less expensive than private schools (below), particularly if you reside in the same state as the school.

Private - a school that does not receive public funding. Funding for private colleges and universities comes primarily from student tuition and fees, endowments, and gifts from alumni and others. Although they can be very expensive, many of the nation's elite schools (e.g., Harvard, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Yale, to name just a few) are private. In addition, they often provide smaller class sizes and a more intimate learning environment.

Secondary vs Post-secondary schools

Secondary - high school, basically.

Post-secondary - education after high school. For example, a post-secondary school could be a local community college, a technical institute, a 4-year college, or Harvard law. At this site, the term "school" generally refers to a post-secondary school.

School Accreditation vs Program Accreditation

School Accreditation - an accreditation that a school receives from an accrediting body. The vast majority of schools are accredited by some accrediting body.

In the case of non-profit schools (either public or private), the accrediting body is one of six regional accreditors with the actual accreditor being determined by the school's location. For example, schools in Virginia are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

For-profit schools generally use a completely different national accreditation system, although some for-profits also use the regional system described above.

Program Accreditation - In spite of the name similarity, program accreditation is completely different from school accreditation. Program accreditation is an accreditation that a program receives from a related accreditation body. For example, the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) accredits nursing programs.

For some occupations, program accreditation is not an issue. However, for other occupations such as nursing (and health care in general), program accreditation is vitally important because it's required for certification and licensing. In these cases, the certification's or license's requirements will explicitly state that you must be a graduate of an accredited program. So, if you are pursuing a career in one of these occupations, make sure that the program in which you are enrolling is properly accredited!

To learn more, view Specialized & Professional Accreditation: What Should I Know? at YouTube.