Understanding college terminology helps with planning , saves you time and is important to your success as a student .

Earn a

Certificate

• Update your skills

• Enter the workforce

College Credit Certificate : Short-term career education program that is part of an AS degree . Career and Technical Certificates ( CTC ) are also available to prepare students for entry level employment in specific career fields .

YEAR

( or less )

Earn an

Associate ' s Degree

• Enter the workforce

• Increase earnings

• Prepare to start a bachelor ' s degree

Associate in Arts Degree ( AA ): A two-year degree in general education designed for transfer to a university . This degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 . Associate in Science Degree ( AS ): A two-year technical degree designed to gain skills to prepare to enter the workforce . This degree contains some general education coursework that is transferable .

YEARS

Earn a

Bachelor ' s Degree

• Enter the workforce

• Increase earnings

• Advance your career

• Transfer to graduate school

Bachelor of Applied Science ( BAS ): A four-year degree designed to accommodate the unique demands for entry into and advancement within specific workforce sectors . Bachelor of Science ( BS ) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing ( BSN ): EFSC offers these four year degrees in addition to the BAS option for students seeking a degree in Science Teacher Education or a Nursing RN to BSN advancement .

YEARS

Academic Communities : The eight career pathways available for students . Each community is a group of academic programs that provide students with an educational pathway towards their career goals .

Aa

Arts , Humanities Communication & Design

Industry / Manufacturing & Construction

Public Safety

Science , Technology , Engineering & Mathematics

Social & Behavioral Sciences and Human Services

Specializations : Tracks that offer unique coursework to help you meet your career and academic goals within certain degrees .

Terms : The length of time that you take a college class . This word is used interchangeably with Semesters . See the example on page five for Fall and Spring Terms .

Transfer : 2 + 2 Pathways - Students who earn a two-year Associate in Arts Degree at EFSC are guaranteed admission into one of the state ’ s 12 universities to complete a four-year baccalaureate degree . EFSC ’ s Transfer GPS ( Graduation Pathway for Success ) and FloridaShines . org are designed to prepare students for transfer to a Florida public university or college .

For more help with terminology , visit easternflorida . edu / go / glossary 4