General education programs generally have the goal of providing students with a solid grounding in life skills and global knowledge. Students who complete this program often look for entry-level work or continue their education in a specific subject.

The United States of America commonly called the United States, is a federal republic consisting of fifty states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, D.C. are in first North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in northwestern North America, west of Canada and east of Russia across the Bering Strait, and the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-North Pacific. The country also has five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

A certificate is a short scholastic program that helps provide students with the education and training they need to qualify for promotions at work or to supplement their existing academic record. These programs are usually completed in less than a year.