Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
This question is about education section on resume.
Diploma vs. degree
A diploma and a degree are both educational documents individuals can earn after completing a specific academic path; the difference between a diploma and a degree is that a diploma refers to a certificate a student earns for completing high school or a vocational program, while a degree is earned by a student who completes college.
Diplomas are certificates earned by students in different contexts. Students who graduate high school receive a diploma. Students who graduate from vocational or technical schools can also earn diplomas as a receipt of their completion of a program in a particular field of study. With the exclusion of a high school diploma, diplomas take less time than degrees to earn.
A degree is a document that a student earns when they complete a particular program of study at a college or university. The main types of college degrees are associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees, or PhDs. Degree programs cover more in-depth material about a particular field of study than diploma programs do.
Key Takeaways:
| Diploma | Degree |
|---|---|
| A diploma refers to a certificate a student earns for completing high school, technical, or a vocational program. | A degree is earned by a student who completes college. |
| With the exclusion of a high school diploma, diplomas typically take less time than degrees do to earn, normally one to two years. | Degrees normally take a longer time to earn, their timelines being - associate's degrees (2 years), bachelor's degrees (4 years), master's degrees (1 to 2 years), and doctoral degrees (5 to 7 years). |
| Programs that allow students to receive a diploma normally focus more on hands-on skills and training. | Degree programs cover more in-depth material about a particular field of study than diploma programs do. |
Choose from 10+ customizable resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
