Higher Academic Higher Academic LingoLingo

Higher Academic Higher Academic LingoLingo

Didn’t you graduate?Didn’t you graduate?Didn’t you graduate?Didn’t you graduate?

2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees

Associate of Science (A.S.)Associate of Science (A.S.)

Associates of Science Associates of Science DegreeDegree

Associates of Science Associates of Science DegreeDegree

Associate of Science (A.S.)

Granted by 2-year institution, such as community college

Transferrable to 4-year institution

Associate of Science (A.S.)

Granted by 2-year institution, such as community college

Transferrable to 4-year institution

CCSN

2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S)

Granted by 2-year institution, such as community college

Transferrable to 4-year institution

Most often used for degrees that will be used immediately

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S)

Granted by 2-year institution, such as community college

Transferrable to 4-year institution

Most often used for degrees that will be used immediately CCSN

2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees2-Year Science Degrees

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S)

Associate of Science (A.S.)

Asssociate of Nursing

Associate of Technology

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S)

Associate of Science (A.S.)

Asssociate of Nursing

Associate of Technology

CCSN

4-year Science Degrees4-year Science Degrees4-year Science Degrees4-year Science Degrees

Bachelor’s Degree

Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.)

Bachelor of Science degree (B.S. or B.Sc.)

Bachelor’s Degree

Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.)

Bachelor of Science degree (B.S. or B.Sc.)

HonorsHonorsHonorsHonors

HonorsHonorsHonorsHonors

cum laude (“with praise”)

magna cum laude (“with great praise”)

summa cum laude (“with highest praise”)

cum laude (“with praise”)

magna cum laude (“with great praise”)

summa cum laude (“with highest praise”)

B.A. vs. B.S. DegreeB.A. vs. B.S. DegreeB.A. vs. B.S. DegreeB.A. vs. B.S. Degree

B.S. tends to concentrate either more in science or mathematics or in the field of study

The difference or preference for B.A. vs. B.S. is not only discipline-specific but also school-specific

B.S. tends to concentrate either more in science or mathematics or in the field of study

The difference or preference for B.A. vs. B.S. is not only discipline-specific but also school-specific

Advanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science Degrees

Masters of Science (M.S.)

Requires a Bachelor’s degree first

Usually a 2-3 year maximum

Completed at 4-year institution

May be a terminal degree, or en route to a Ph.D.

Masters of Science (M.S.)

Requires a Bachelor’s degree first

Usually a 2-3 year maximum

Completed at 4-year institution

May be a terminal degree, or en route to a Ph.D.

The Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s Degree

The “magister” degree (“teacher’s degree”)

Ideal degree for specialized teaching

Highly marketable for specialized research associate positions

The “magister” degree (“teacher’s degree”)

Ideal degree for specialized teaching

Highly marketable for specialized research associate positions

The Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s Degree

The Master’s graduation gown

and hood

Pretentious academics!

The Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s DegreeThe Master’s Degree

The “magister” degree (“teacher’s degree”)

Ideal degree for specialized teaching

Highly marketable for specialized research associate positions

Requirements

~ a year of graduate level courses

In biology a M.S. will require at least some limited independent research.

The “magister” degree (“teacher’s degree”)

Ideal degree for specialized teaching

Highly marketable for specialized research associate positions

Requirements

~ a year of graduate level courses

In biology a M.S. will require at least some limited independent research.

Advanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requires at least Bachelor’s degree first

Previous M.S. degree may lower class load

Completed at universities only

The highest academic degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requires at least Bachelor’s degree first

Previous M.S. degree may lower class load

Completed at universities only

The highest academic degree

Now THAT is a pompous Now THAT is a pompous hood!hood!

Now THAT is a pompous Now THAT is a pompous hood!hood!

Doctoral robes and extravagant hood

Advanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science DegreesAdvanced Science Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Time of study varies (widely!), U.S. average approximately 5.5 years without a previous M.S. degree

Life science Ph.D.s require extensive individual research projects (again, highly variable)

Little emphasis on teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Time of study varies (widely!), U.S. average approximately 5.5 years without a previous M.S. degree

Life science Ph.D.s require extensive individual research projects (again, highly variable)

Little emphasis on teaching

Other “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” Degrees

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

apparently the “sexiest” doctoral degree

One of about two doctoral degrees that allow the practice of medicine (in U.S.A, of course)

Fairly rigid program lasting 4 years

Some perform research

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

apparently the “sexiest” doctoral degree

One of about two doctoral degrees that allow the practice of medicine (in U.S.A, of course)

Fairly rigid program lasting 4 years

Some perform research

FreaksM.D. / Ph.Ds

gluttons for punishment

pursue two doctoral degrees simultaneously

allows (supposedly) easier research on humans

usually end up as administrators, in my opinion

Dr. Sterling Milton

Other “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” DegreesOther “doctoral” Degrees

Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)

essentially a European Ph.D.; research driven

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.)

Typically a 3 year program

Most are used for employment as commercial pharmacists, but may include research

Amani’s father is a pharmacist (coming to speak)

Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)

essentially a European Ph.D.; research driven

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.)

Typically a 3 year program

Most are used for employment as commercial pharmacists, but may include research

Amani’s father is a pharmacist (coming to speak)

Graduate SchoolWho’s Who and What do they do?

The Academic Laboratory• The academic laboratory at a university is

where most life science, non clinical, research takes place

The Principal investigator (PI)

The PI is the person (almost always a professor) in charge of the laboratory and its research direction

Duties include:

securing funding

directing research and mentoring graduate students and postdocs

in a tenure (track) position

dr. jodi Huggenvik(Graduate PI)

University professorsAssistant professor

Tenure track, but not yet tenured

must have a Ph.D. or equivalent, and other desirable (usually research) qualities for the department hiring.

Salary is funded mainly by the institution, but may be supplemented by external sources (i.e. grants)

Associate professor

A tenured assistant professor with a positive record at the institution.

Full professor

A further promoted associate professor. Usually requires many years of service at the institution.

University professorsResearch professors

A college level faculty appointment that does not have the possibility of tenure.

Salary is usually dependent on grants, not on the institution!

May be the PI of the lab or may work under another PI

Dr. Holly Hobart, Research professor

The “Grunts”

Postdocs

Completed a Ph.D. or equivalent

Works “under” another PI

Analogous to a “residency” for M.D.s A period of final training before obtaining their own lab.

Stipend almost always comes from a grant written either by the PI or the postdoc his/herself.

Dr. ted weinert(my postdoc mentor)

The “Grunts”

Graduate Students

Students pursuing a M.S. or Ph.D.

Receive a tuition waver and stipend for either performing research (R.A.) or for assisting professors with teaching (T.A.)

The stipend comes from the university for T.A.s or (usually) from a grant for R.A.s

Some grunts

The “Grunts”Technicians

Performs extensive benchwork, but rarely tests own hypotheses

Typically have B.S. or M.S. degrees

Salary comes from PI grants

Student workers

College students working toward B.S. degree

Paid (poorly) from PI grants

Grants: Where Money comes from

Private funding

Trust funds and foundations (e.g. Bill and Melinda Gates)

Community organizations (American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, etc.)

Grants: Where Money comes from

Public (govt.) funding

By far the largest amount of funding is from federal sources

NIH

NSF

Hundreds of smaller federal and state granting institutions

Dept. of Defense Breast and prostate

cancer program

Academic vs. Private SectorAcademic

Colleges and universities, a few institutes affiliated with schools

Private (usually commercial)

Biotechnology corporations

i.e. Pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Merck, Phizer, startups)

Non-profit institutes like NVCI

Government run laboratories

National Institutes of Health

Academics vs. Private Sector

category Private Academic

Salary ✔✔Vacation ✔✔

OccupationalFreedoms ✔✔

Job Stability -- --Research Focus ✔✔

Teaching ✔✔