Right after successfully completing secondary school, individuals pursue post secondary education to obtain degrees, learn a specific trade, or simply gain advanced knowledge about a particular topic of interest. Pursuing post secondary education is considered a milestone in anyone's educational career since this level is optional and is already beyond the requirement as prescribed by the law.
Options In Pursuing Post Secondary Education
This level of education comes in a variety of flavors undertaken in a university, a college, or a special training institute. It covers a wide variety of specialized topics such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, history, literature, as well as the engineering and marine sciences. Specialized trainings taken after secondary school such as culinary arts, welding, interior design, and other vocational courses are also categorized under this level of education.
In colleges and universities, post secondary education is also referred to as tertiary education, while higher education is a broader term used to refer to academic programs encompassing both undergraduate and graduate courses. Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) academic degrees are typically conferred to individuals who successfully complete a tertiary education program. These programs usually last between four and five years. Engineering courses take at least five years to finish depending on individual performance. Programs in the pure sciences and the arts, on the other hand, are accomplished within a span of four years.
Entrance into the big universities can be very competitive and expensive. As an alternative, individuals finishing secondary school may opt to enroll in vocational institutes or trade schools offering specialized trainings to mold skilled workers. Training certificates are awarded to individuals who successfully complete such programs, which usually take from two to three years.
A major distinction between post secondary courses in universities or colleges and training institutes or vocational schools is the level, diversity, and amount of coursework undertaken by enrollees. In universities and colleges, formal training begins with an advanced general review of the basic sciences and basic communication skills collectively known as prerequisites necessary to advance towards the degree. Training institutes and vocational schools, on the other hand, take shorter time to finish since trainees are directly exposed to the necessary skills needed to be mastered.
Graduates of post secondary education programs are likely to land in better-paying jobs compared to those who just earned secondary school diplomas. While only a chosen few are able to hurdle the competitive entrance exams in prestigious universities, other individuals wanting to pursue higher education enroll in institutes where special trainings are offered.
