Majors

[TinCow]

As a follow-up to my previous post, here's a basic diagram of the US education system:

Elementary School (in Europe, Primary School)
Ages: ~3 to 9
Degree: NONE
Goes Next to: Middle School

Middle School (in Europe, part of Primary School)
Ages: ~9 to 13
Degree: NONE
Goes Next to: High School

High School (in Europe, Secondary School)
Ages: ~14 to 18
Degree: High School Diploma
Goes Next to: JOB or Associate's Degree or Technical Degree or Undergraduate Degree

Associate College
Ages: ~18 to 20
Degree: Associate's Degree
Goes Next to: JOB or Undergraduate Degree

Technical College
Ages: ~18 to 20
Degree: Technical/Professional Degree
Goes Next to: JOB

Undergraduate College/University
Ages: ~18 to 21
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Goes Next to: JOB or Graduate

Graduate College/University
Ages: ~21 to ???
Degree: Masters, Doctorate, etc.
Goes Next to: JOB or more Graduate

It is worth noting that 'Elementary School' and 'Middle School' are not really separate systems of any kind. They are simply a system used to differentiate between the age of the student. Some schools use 'Elementary School' for every student up to 12 or 13 years (without any 'Middle School'). Some only use it up to about age 6 or so. Some schools also have 'Junior High' which is about 12 to 14 years. However, it is all semantics. In every case, without exception, the entire Primary and Secondary School system in the US takes 13 years, from 'Kindergarden' to 12th grade. Elementary, Middle, Junior High, and High are all just case-specific names given to different years within the Primary/Secondary system.

The first degree that a person obtains is the High School degree, after completion of all of Primary and Secondary school. This is a very low-level general education degree and generally does not qualify a person for much more than the service industry or manual labor. After Secondary school, the undergraduate degree is still general education, but at a higher level and with the ability to focus on a particular area. An undergraduate degree can qualify a person for a basic job in a specialized field or a more advanced job in a basic field, but it depends greatly on the job, the person, and the quality of the degree itself (i.e. Harvard vs. Middle of Nowhere University). A graduate degree is generally required for all many high-level professions.

There are also two other degrees that I listed above but didn't discuss before. First, there is the Associate's Degree. This is usually an alternative to undergraduate. Like a Bachelor's degree, it is a degree in general education, but it takes only two years instead of four. On the job level, it provides a big boost over a High School degree, but not as big a boost as a Bachelor's Degree. Second, there is the Technical Degree. This is a specific degree in a professional field that requires specific knowledge, but not necessarily a large amount of schooling. This is for things like medical testing, repair/maintenance of industrial equipment, etc. Technical degrees can be obtained in one to two years (sometimes even six months), and are often mandatory for employment in those areas.