High School Diploma - Types of Diplomas

Types of Diplomas

Some types of high school diplomas include:

• International Baccalaureate, for students who completed the International Baccalaureate program.
• Honors diploma, for student with strong academic achievements. This may ape the Latin honors system used by some universities for undergraduate degrees.
• College preparation, for students whose coursework and grades meet the minimum entrance requirements for public universities in that area.
• Technical or vocational, for students who have completed a technical training program, such as an automobile repair program.

At most American schools, these are the same diplomas with different notations or endorsements. The recipients are all equally considered to be high school graduates with the same basic rights, such as the ability to attend any community college or university that chooses to accept them. However, in other countries, this is not the case. In some countries, high schools have specialized in certain areas and issue diplomas relevant to their specialty, and a particular type of diploma is normally required for certain purposes, such as attending university. For example, in Germany, three types of diplomas are common:

• Abitur, issued by German Gymnasium schools, which are equivalent to sixth form or college preparation schools. Students who earn an abitur are qualified to attend university.
• Mittlere Reife or Realschulabschluss, issued by Realschule schools, which are equivalent to regular high school diplomas in the US or General Certificate of Secondary Education in the UK.
• Hauptschulabschluss, issued by Hauptschule schools. Students with these usually start an apprenticeship, enroll in a vocational school, or transfer to another school to earn one of the higher level diplomas. Earning this type of diploma does not permit the graduate to attend university.

The names of diplomas vary by country and even from region to region within the same country.