Undergraduate degree
In the United Kingdom, a bachelor's degree is the most common type of "undergraduate degree". Some master's degrees can be undertaken immediately after finishing secondary education; however, these courses are usually extended versions of bachelor's degree programs, taking an additional year to complete. Most bachelor's degrees take three years to complete, with some notable exceptions, such as Medicine taking five years. Often students can initially enroll in a 4-year program then leave after three years and be awarded a bachelor's degree.
Propaedeutics
In the US, the equivalent of the propaedeutic diploma lies somewhere between an undergraduate certificate and an associate degree. Undergraduate certificates can be completed in as little as one semester (one-half of one academic year or about four months) and do not necessarily lead or contribute to any degree. Associate degrees (e.g. AA, AS) are typically earned after the first two years of the four- to five-year (in the US) course of study culminating in a baccalaureate degree; however, students matriculated in a bachelor's degree program are not usually awarded the associate degree en route (as is often the case when a doctoral student is awarded a master's degree en route). Additionally, there are first professional associate degrees (e.g. AAS, AGS) that do not necessarily lead or contribute to a bachelor's.