academic degree, Title conferred by a college or university to indicate completion of a course of study or extent of academic achievement. In medieval Europe there were only two degrees: master (a scholar of arts and grammar) and doctor (a scholar of philosophy, theology, medicine, or law). The baccalaureate, or bachelor’s degree, was originally simply a stage toward mastership. In contemporary France the baccalauréat is conferred on the completion of secondary education, the licence on completion of a three- to four-year program of university study, the maîtrise on the passing of advanced examinations, and the doctorat on completion of several years of advanced academic studies. Other contemporary degrees include the Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, typically awarded after a four-year program of college study; the Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.S.) degree, earned after a year or two of additional study; and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), earned after several years of post-baccalaureate study and research. In the mid-20th century the Associate of Arts degree (A.A.) began to be awarded by U.S. junior colleges. Common professional degrees are the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). Honorary degrees are granted without regard to academic achievement.
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