Degree vs. Title: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Academic qualification earned through study.
Designation that indicates role, status, or honor.
Acquired Through
Education, usually at academic institutions.
Various means including education, work, or honor.
Indicates
Level of educational achievement.
Social or occupational standing.
Hierarchical Structure
Yes (e.g., Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate)
Yes (e.g., Clerk, Manager, CEO)
Required for
Specific professions and advanced studies.
Varies; sometimes needed for specific roles.
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Degree and Title Definitions
Degree
A step in a scale or series, usually expressing relative intensity or value.
The first-degree burn was mild.
Title
A designation that indicates a person’s role, status, or honor.
She won the title of World Chess Champion.
Degree
A social or familial connection or similarity.
They are related by a degree of consanguinity.
Title
The name of a book, movie, or other artistic work.
Dr. Smith has a PhD.
Degree
One of a series of steps in a process, course, or progression; a stage
Proceeded to the next degree of difficulty.
Title
An identifying name given to a book, play, film, musical composition, or other work.
Degree
A step in a direct hereditary line of descent or ascent
First cousins are two degrees from their common ancestor.
Title
A general or descriptive heading, as of a book chapter.
Degree
Relative social or official rank, dignity, or position.
Title
A written work that is published or about to be published
The titles in the publisher's fall catalog.
Degree
Relative intensity or amount, as of a quality or attribute
A high degree of accuracy.
Title
A division of a legal code, generally consisting of multiple related statutes.
Degree
The extent or measure of a state of being, an action, or a relation
Modernized their facilities to a large degree.
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.
Degree
A unit division of a temperature scale.
Title
A written piece of translated dialogue superimposed at the bottom of the frame during a film; a subtitle.
Degree
(Mathematics) A planar unit of angular measure equal in magnitude to 1/360 of a complete revolution.
Title
A formal appellation attached to the name of a person as a sign of office, rank, profession, or hereditary privilege.
Degree
A unit of latitude or longitude, equal to 1/360 of a great circle.
Title
A descriptive name; an epithet
The dubious title of the worst bowler in the league.
Degree
The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation.
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).
Degree
The exponent of the derivative of highest order in a differential equation in standard form.
Title
A form of ownership free of valid claims by other parties.
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.
Title
The aggregate evidence that gives rise to a legal right of possession or control.
Degree
A similar title conferred as an honorary distinction.
Title
The instrument, such as a deed, that constitutes this evidence.
Degree
(Law) A division or classification of a specific crime according to its seriousness
Murder in the second degree.
Title
Sports & Games A championship
Which boxer won the heavyweight title?.
Degree
A classification of the severity of an injury, especially a burn
A third-degree burn.
Title
A source of income or area of work required of a candidate for ordination in the Church of England.
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.
Title
A Roman Catholic church in or near Rome having a cardinal for its nominal head.
Degree
One of the seven notes of a diatonic scale.
Title
To give a name or title to.
Degree
A space or line of the staff.
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
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.
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
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.
Title
In canon law, that by which a beneficiary holds a benefice.
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.
Title
A church to which a priest was ordained, and where he was to reside.
Degree
(algebra) The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial.
A quadratic polynomial is a polynomial of degree 2.
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.
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
Title
A publication.
The retailer carries thousands of titles.
Buyers of the new video game console can choose from three bundled titles.
Degree
(graph theory) The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.
Title
A section or division of a subject, as of a law or a book.
Degree
(logic) The number of logical connectives in a formula.
Title
A written title, credit, or caption shown with a film, video, or performance.
The titles scrolled by too quickly to read.
Degree
(surveying) The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.
Title
(bookbinding) The panel for the name, between the bands of the back of a book.
Degree
(geography) A unit of measurement of latitude and longitude which together identify a location on the Earth's surface.
Title
The subject of a writing; a short phrase that summarizes the entire topic.
Degree
(grammar) Any of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb.
Title
A division of an act of law
Title II of the USA PATRIOT Act
Degree
A step on a set of stairs; the rung of a ladder.
Title
(sports) The recognition given to the winner of a championship in sports.
Degree
An individual step, or stage, in any process or scale of values.
Title
A long title.
Degree
A stage of rank or privilege; social standing.
Title
A short title.
Degree
(genealogy) A ‘step’ in genealogical descent.
Title
(transitive) To assign a title to; to entitle.
Degree
One's relative state or experience; way, manner.
Title
An inscription put over or upon anything as a name by which it is known.
Degree
The amount that an entity possesses a certain property; relative intensity, extent.
To what degree do the two accounts of the accident concur?
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.
Degree
A step, stair, or staircase.
By ladders, or else by degree.
Title
The panel for the name, between the bands of the back of a book.
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.
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.
Degree
The point or step of progression to which a person has arrived; rank or station in life; position.
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.
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.
Title
A name; an appellation; a designation.
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.
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.
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.
Title
A church to which a priest was ordained, and where he was to reside.
Degree
Three figures taken together in numeration; thus, 140 is one degree, 222,140 two degrees.
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."
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Title
A general or descriptive heading for a section of a written work;
The novel had chapter titles
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
Title
The status of being a champion;
He held the title for two years
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?
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
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
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
Degree
A unit of temperature on a specified scale;
The game was played in spite of the 40-degree temperature
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
Degree
A measure for arcs and angles;
There are 360 degrees in a circle
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
Degree
The highest power of a term or variable
Title
An appellation signifying nobility;
`your majesty' is the appropriate title to use in addressing a king
Degree
The seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime);
Murder in the second degree
A second degree burn
Title
An informal right to something;
His claim on her attentions
His title to fame
Degree
An educational certification granted after completing a specific course of study.
She earned her degree in Computer Science.
Title
Give a title to
Degree
A unit of measurement for angles.
The angle measures 90 degrees.
Title
Designate by an identifying term;
They styled their nation `The Confederate States'
Degree
A level of proficiency or skill in a particular field.
His degree of expertise in coding is high.
Title
His title is Chief Executive Officer.
A competitive honor earned in sports or other contests.
Title
The title of the movie is "Inception."
A prefix or suffix attached to a person's name to signify academic or professional qualifications.
Title
A formal document proving ownership.
She has the title deed to her house.
FAQs
Are all degrees academic?
While most degrees are academic, some relate to vocational training.
Can a degree give you a title?
Yes, some degrees confer titles, such as Doctor for a PhD holder.
What is a degree?
A degree is an academic qualification earned through a course of study.
What is a title?
A title is a name that describes someone's role, status, or social standing.
Do all professions require a degree?
No, some professions don't require formal educational qualifications.
Do all professions have a title?
Most professions have titles, but they may not always be formally recognized.
Can a title expire?
Some titles, like temporary job titles, can expire or change over time.
Is a degree internationally recognized?
Recognition of degrees varies by country and institution.
Can you have a title without a degree?
Yes, titles can be acquired through means other than education, like work experience.
Can a degree expire?
Academic degrees don't expire, but professional certifications may need renewal.
Are all titles occupational?
No, titles can represent social status or honors, not just occupation.
Can you lose a title?
Yes, titles can be lost due to various circumstances like demotion or legal issues.
Can you lose a degree?
Generally, you can't lose an academic degree, but unethical behavior can result in revocation.
Is a title internationally recognized?
Some titles like "Doctor" are widely recognized, but others may be country-specific.
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.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
