An Associates degree requires you to go to school for 2-3 years. A Bachelors requires you to go to school for 4 years. A Masters degree requires you to go to school for 6 years and you will have to write a thesis. A Doctoral/PHD is about 7-8 years of college and that includes your bachelor and masters degrees. Bachelor's degree is a four-year degree. A Master's degree is a degree that shows you have mastered a certain subject. It typically takes two years beyond a Bachelor's degree to achieve. A Doctorate degree is a degree that typically qualifies a person to teach in a particular field.