A major (also known as a major concentration or concentration) is a term for the specific group of courses that give you a basic knowledge of a field of study, which is in addition to your core curriculum. A major is a term most commonly applied to a program of study leading to a bachelor's degree. However, associate's degrees can also have majors, for instance an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in culinary arts.
Certificate programs do not have majors as such. Rather, they carry a designation (for instance a Baking and Decorating Certificate) which is much more specific than a degree title. Often, students in a community college or career college program--sometimes all the students in the department--will take a common set of core foundational courses in the first year (or term, in the case of shorter programs) which then enables them to pursue a specialized area of study. But generally, the field of study at the community college level is career-focused to the point where students do not take "elective" courses as they do for bachelor's degrees. Hence the designation of the certificate effectively stands in for the "major."
Illinois Wesleyan University Founded in 1850, Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) is a highly selective liberal arts university with an enrollment of 2,100. IWU has long been known for its outstanding faculty, distinctive liberal ...
