Masonic Degrees are alternatively known as titles or ranks. There are 3
degrees within Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice,
Fellowcraft and Master Mason.
These degrees have nothing to do with academic education;
in common with all Masonic symbolism, the names are drawn
from the history of ancient stonemasons where a new
recruit was first apprenticed
to a Fellow of the Craft,
ultimately becoming a Fellow himself on completion of his
apprenticeship, and finally, after showing sufficient
proficiency and skill, becoming a Master
Mason.
In Freemasonry, the new recruit or initiate, is given the
degree of Entered Apprentice. Once he has learned by
heart, and performed, some of the ritual work (the script
if you like) to be done in the lodge, he can then be
passed to the next degree, that of a Fellowcraft.
Similarly, by further "floor work" he is
finally raised to the degree of Master Mason. The process
from initiation to becoming a Master Mason can take from
as little as 3 months to several years, depending on the
amount of work the lodge has to do, the number of times a
particular lodge meets every year, and ultimately on the
amount of effort the individual Mason is prepared to put
in.