Degree vs. Title
Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on September 19, 2023
A degree is an academic qualification received after completing a course of study, while a title is a name that describes someone's position, role, or social standing. A degree may grant you a title (e.g., Dr.), but they are fundamentally different.
Key Differences
A degree is an educational certification conferred upon individuals who complete a program of study at a college, university, or other academic institution. A title, on the other hand, is a formal or informal designation that signifies a person's social status, role, or profession. For instance, a person may earn a Bachelor's degree in Business but could hold the title of Manager in a company.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
In summary, a degree is a formal acknowledgment of academic achievement, whereas a title represents a designated position or societal standing. Both play vital roles in defining an individual’s identity but in distinct arenas: academia for degrees and social or occupational hierarchy for titles.
Harlon Moss
Sep 19, 2023
The process of obtaining a degree involves academic achievement and is standardized according to educational guidelines. The acquisition of a title might not necessarily involve formal education. For instance, a "Sir" or "Dame" title may be conferred as an honor, unrelated to academic accomplishments.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
People often use degrees to qualify for specific roles that may confer particular titles. For instance, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is often required to take on the title of Attorney. However, holding a degree doesn't automatically guarantee a specific title, and conversely, some titles don't require a degree.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
Degrees often come in hierarchies like associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate, indicating progressively higher levels of expertise and education. Titles can also have hierarchical structures but are generally tied to societal roles or career advancements, such as Clerk, Manager, and CEO.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
Comparison Chart
Definition
Academic qualification earned through study.
Designation that indicates role, status, or honor.
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Acquired Through
Education, usually at academic institutions.
Various means including education, work, or honor.
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Sep 19, 2023
Hierarchical Structure
Yes (e.g., Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate)
Yes (e.g., Clerk, Manager, CEO)
Harlon Moss
Sep 19, 2023
Required for
Specific professions and advanced studies.
Varies; sometimes needed for specific roles.
Janet White
Sep 19, 2023
Degree and Title Definitions
Degree
A step in a scale or series, usually expressing relative intensity or value.
The first-degree burn was mild.
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Sep 19, 2023
Title
A designation that indicates a person’s role, status, or honor.
She won the title of World Chess Champion.
Janet White
Sep 19, 2023
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Degree
A social or familial connection or similarity.
They are related by a degree of consanguinity.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 19, 2023
Degree
One of a series of steps in a process, course, or progression; a stage
Proceeded to the next degree of difficulty.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An identifying name given to a book, play, film, musical composition, or other work.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A step in a direct hereditary line of descent or ascent
First cousins are two degrees from their common ancestor.
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Apr 25, 2023
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Title
A written work that is published or about to be published
The titles in the publisher's fall catalog.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
Relative intensity or amount, as of a quality or attribute
A high degree of accuracy.
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Title
A division of a legal code, generally consisting of multiple related statutes.
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Degree
The extent or measure of a state of being, an action, or a relation
Modernized their facilities to a large degree.
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Title
Often titles Written material to be read by viewers that is included in a film or television show, typically presenting credits, narration, or dialogue.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A written piece of translated dialogue superimposed at the bottom of the frame during a film; a subtitle.
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Degree
(Mathematics) A planar unit of angular measure equal in magnitude to 1/360 of a complete revolution.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A formal appellation attached to the name of a person as a sign of office, rank, profession, or hereditary privilege.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A descriptive name; an epithet
The dubious title of the worst bowler in the league.
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Degree
The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation.
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Title
A right or claim, or the basis of a right or claim
"The weight of a fish is commonly its only title to fame" (Henry David Thoreau).
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
The exponent of the derivative of highest order in a differential equation in standard form.
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Degree
An academic title given by a college or university to a student who has completed a course of study
Received the Bachelor of Arts degree at commencement.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
The aggregate evidence that gives rise to a legal right of possession or control.
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Degree
(Law) A division or classification of a specific crime according to its seriousness
Murder in the second degree.
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Degree
A classification of the severity of an injury, especially a burn
A third-degree burn.
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Title
A source of income or area of work required of a candidate for ordination in the Church of England.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(Grammar) One of the forms used in the comparison of adjectives and adverbs. For example, tall is the positive degree, taller the comparative degree, and tallest the superlative degree of the adjective tall.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A Roman Catholic church in or near Rome having a cardinal for its nominal head.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An appellation given to a person or family to signify either veneration, official position, social rank, the possession of assets or properties, or a professional or academic qualification. See also :Category:Titles
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Degree
A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university or, in some countries, a college, as a certification of academic achievement. (In the United States, can include secondary schools.)
She has two bachelor's degrees and is studying towards a master's degree.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
(property law) Legal right to ownership of a property; a deed or other certificate proving this.
A good title to an estate, or an imperfect title
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(geometry) A unit of measurement of angle equal to 360 of a circle's circumference.
A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.
Most humans have a field of vision of almost 180 degrees.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(physics) A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit.
180 degrees Fahrenheit is equivalent to 100 degrees Celsius.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(algebra) The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial.
A quadratic polynomial is a polynomial of degree 2.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
The name of a book, film, musical piece, painting, or other work of art.
I know the singer's name, but not the title of the song.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
The dimensionality of a field extension.
The set of complex numbers constitutes a field extension of degree 2 over the real numbers.
The Galois field has degree 3 over its subfield
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A publication.
The retailer carries thousands of titles.
Buyers of the new video game console can choose from three bundled titles.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(graph theory) The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.
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Title
A written title, credit, or caption shown with a film, video, or performance.
The titles scrolled by too quickly to read.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(surveying) The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.
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Title
(bookbinding) The panel for the name, between the bands of the back of a book.
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Degree
(geography) A unit of measurement of latitude and longitude which together identify a location on the Earth's surface.
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Title
The subject of a writing; a short phrase that summarizes the entire topic.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
(grammar) Any of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
(sports) The recognition given to the winner of a championship in sports.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An inscription put over or upon anything as a name by which it is known.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
The amount that an entity possesses a certain property; relative intensity, extent.
To what degree do the two accounts of the accident concur?
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
The inscription in the beginning of a book, usually containing the subject of the work, the author's and publisher's names, the date, etc.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
One of a series of progressive steps upward or downward, in quality, rank, acquirement, and the like; a stage in progression; grade; gradation; as, degrees of vice and virtue; to advance by slow degrees; degree of comparison.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A section or division of a subject, as of a law, a book, specif. (Roman & Canon Laws), a chapter or division of a law book.
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Degree
The point or step of progression to which a person has arrived; rank or station in life; position.
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Title
An appellation of dignity, distinction, or preëminence (hereditary or acquired), given to persons, as duke marquis, honorable, esquire, etc.
With his former title greet Macbeth.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
Measure of advancement; quality; extent; as, tastes differ in kind as well as in degree.
The degree of excellence which proclaims genius, is different in different times and different places.
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Degree
Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; also, (informal) the diploma provided by an educational institution attesting to the achievement of that rank; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.; to hang one's degrees on the office wall.
The youth attained his bachelor's degree, and left the university.
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 25, 2023
Title
That which constitutes a just cause of exclusive possession; that which is the foundation of ownership of property, real or personal; a right; as, a good title to an estate, or an imperfect title.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A certain distance or remove in the line of descent, determining the proximity of blood; one remove in the chain of relationship; as, a relation in the third or fourth degree.
In the 11th century an opinion began to gain ground in Italy, that third cousins might marry, being in the seventh degree according to the civil law.
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
Three figures taken together in numeration; thus, 140 is one degree, 222,140 two degrees.
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Title
To call by a title; to name; to entitle.
Hadrian, having quieted the island, took it for honor to be titled on his coin, "The Restorer of Britain."
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Degree
State as indicated by sum of exponents; more particularly, the degree of a term is indicated by the sum of the exponents of its literal factors; thus, a2b3c is a term of the sixth degree. The degree of a power, or radical, is denoted by its index, that of an equation by the greatest sum of the exponents of the unknown quantities in any term; thus, ax4 + bx2 = c, and mx2y2 + nyx = p, are both equations of the fourth degree.
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Title
A heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with;
Title 8 provided federal help for schools
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Degree
A 360th part of the circumference of a circle, which part is taken as the principal unit of measure for arcs and angles. The degree is divided into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds.
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Title
The name of a work of art or literary composition etc.;
He looked for books with the word `jazz' in the title
He refused to give titles to his paintings
I can never remember movie titles
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A division, space, or interval, marked on a mathematical or other instrument, as on a thermometer.
It has been said that Scotsmen . . . are . . . grave to a degree on occasions when races more favored by nature are gladsome to excess.
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A general or descriptive heading for a section of a written work;
The novel had chapter titles
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality;
A moderate degree of intelligence
A high level of care is required
It is all a matter of degree
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process;
A remarkable degree of frankness
At what stage are the social sciences?
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
A legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it;
He signed the deed
He kept the title to his car in the glove compartment
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
An award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a course of study;
He earned his degree at Princeton summa cum laude
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An identifying appellation signifying status or function: e.g. Mr. or General;
The professor didn't like his friends to use his formal title
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A unit of temperature on a specified scale;
The game was played in spite of the 40-degree temperature
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An established or recognized right;
A strong legal claim to the property
He had no documents confirming his title to his father's estate
He staked his claim
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
(usually plural) written material introduced into a movie or TV show to give credits or represent dialogue or explain an action;
The titles go by faster than I can read
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An appellation signifying nobility;
`your majesty' is the appropriate title to use in addressing a king
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
The seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime);
Murder in the second degree
A second degree burn
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Apr 25, 2023
Title
An informal right to something;
His claim on her attentions
His title to fame
Sawaira Riaz
Apr 25, 2023
Degree
An educational certification granted after completing a specific course of study.
She earned her degree in Computer Science.
Harlon Moss
Sep 19, 2023
Title
Designate by an identifying term;
They styled their nation `The Confederate States'
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Apr 25, 2023
Degree
A level of proficiency or skill in a particular field.
His degree of expertise in coding is high.
Janet White
Sep 19, 2023
Title
His title is Chief Executive Officer.
A competitive honor earned in sports or other contests.
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Sep 19, 2023
Title
The title of the movie is "Inception."
A prefix or suffix attached to a person's name to signify academic or professional qualifications.
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Sep 19, 2023
Title
A formal document proving ownership.
She has the title deed to her house.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 19, 2023
FAQs
Are all degrees academic?
While most degrees are academic, some relate to vocational training.
Samantha Walker
Sep 19, 2023
Can a degree give you a title?
Yes, some degrees confer titles, such as Doctor for a PhD holder.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
What is a degree?
A degree is an academic qualification earned through a course of study.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
What is a title?
A title is a name that describes someone's role, status, or social standing.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
Do all professions require a degree?
No, some professions don't require formal educational qualifications.
Samantha Walker
Sep 19, 2023
Do all professions have a title?
Most professions have titles, but they may not always be formally recognized.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
Can a title expire?
Some titles, like temporary job titles, can expire or change over time.
Janet White
Sep 19, 2023
Is a degree internationally recognized?
Recognition of degrees varies by country and institution.
Harlon Moss
Sep 19, 2023
Can you have a title without a degree?
Yes, titles can be acquired through means other than education, like work experience.
Samantha Walker
Sep 19, 2023
Can a degree expire?
Academic degrees don't expire, but professional certifications may need renewal.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 19, 2023
Are all titles occupational?
No, titles can represent social status or honors, not just occupation.
Samantha Walker
Sep 19, 2023
Can you lose a title?
Yes, titles can be lost due to various circumstances like demotion or legal issues.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 19, 2023
Can you lose a degree?
Generally, you can't lose an academic degree, but unethical behavior can result in revocation.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 19, 2023
Is a title internationally recognized?
Some titles like "Doctor" are widely recognized, but others may be country-specific.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
Which is more important: degree or title?
Importance is context-dependent; degrees are crucial for academic progress, while titles may matter more in social or occupational settings.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 19, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma SaeedHuma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.
