What is a Bachelor's Degree?
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A bachelor's degree is an undergraduate academic degree. The name bachelor was given to the degree because of the English word bachelor, meaning “young apprentice.”
A bachelor's degree is the first degree a student can receive in his or her academic career, with the exception of the associate’s degree. The bachelor's degree is sometimes awarded after earning an associate’s degree, though it is often the first degree that is earned. Whether or not an associate’s degree can be earned first depends upon the area of study. A master’s is generally the degree that can be earned following a bachelor's degree, which can then be followed by a doctorate degree.
The bachelor's degree is also known as a baccalaureate degree in many countries. The word baccalaureate is a distorted version of the German word bakkalaureus. The bachelor's degree was first awarded in Germany, but was later abolished. The degree resurfaced in 1820, however, as part of a change in the higher education system.
Through the years, bachelor's degrees have been referred to by many names, particularly in Germany, where it was once called the magister degree, which was a five-year study course. It was then called the diplom, but the term bachelor's degree was reinstated officially in 1998.
Bachelor's degrees are also called by various names in different countries. In Japan, for instance, the bachelor's degree program is a six-year course of study referred to as gakushi. The Commonwealth of Independent States refers to the degree as the bakalavr. Regardless of the country, the bachelor's degree is usually awarded to a student after completing four or five years of schooling at a college or University.
There are several types of bachelor's degrees. To date, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees are the most commonly awarded. Each of these programs of study generally requires completion of approximately 180 credits in areas of specialized study. The Bachelor of Science degree is geared specifically towards those who want to branch out into the world of science, while the Bachelor of Arts degree is given to those who complete coursework in the area of humanities and the arts. Some other popular bachelor's degrees include the Bachelor of Applied Science degree, the Bachelor of Economics degree, the Bachelor of Business degree, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and the Bachelor of Medicine degree.
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20
To number 14, yes of course, that is the whole point. You complete your Bachelors degree in 4 years. First 2 years at a Community College and last 2 years at a regular college or university.
The first two years are general education courses. The last two years are generally courses that delve more into the depth of the subject matter, and courses that deal with the area of the major you have selected. Not all classes at a Community College are transferable, however, they do offer all the necessary general education classes. You do need to consult with an academic counselor who can help you make the right decision. There are 2 things that come to mind that the counselor can help you with: 1. Tell you to which universities you can transfer. Not all universities have agreements with Community Colleges and are willing to accept their transfers. 2. Help you in selecting your classes. He will be able to tell you, in general, how the system works, and guide you specifically in your decision making process and selection of classes.
- overreactor
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For all these questions about what you should do you should go to a community college and talk to a counselor. It doesn't even cost anything. They can give you a basic plan, even. God bless you. - anon60019
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Great article. The best summary of the BA degree I have found so far. - anon55394
17
Can you describe the lifestyle for the average individual that completes a bachelor’s degree?
- anon52310
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I'm asking the same question Ghenny. thanks for asking, but it doesn't look like the people reading this thread have any more clue than we do. I've designed an alternative form of higher education and I'd really like to know the history so I can compare the reasons or etymology. I've looked around and haven't been able to find anything. - anon48669
14
If one has an associates degree could they transfer their credits to their bachelors degree? instead of doing two years for Associates then another four years for bachelors? - anon47223
11
Guys, you are missing the point. The point is the academic world has no scientific or outcomes criteria basis for their whole BA system. It's a mish mash of historical precedent and whatever they want it to be. I think in the modern era of hight costs and performance expectations this is not good enough. - anon43048
10
Hello, I find this very interesting, but I would like to know if the bachelor degree is equivalent to the "Licenciatura" in the portuguese academic system. - anon42843
9
Am an LCCI level 3 holder and wish to continue through distant/online learning. What do I do? - anon37856
7
What is exactly the course length for a Bachelor's degree? I understand there is a traditional 4 year degree, but I have also come across universities like AIU which offers Bachelors degree as a 13 month program if one would be carrying previous college credits else if starting from 0 credits one needs to complete associates degree which is another 13 months.. so ideally 26 months for someone starting from 0 credits.So If one was to take up Bachelors degree program in a university like AIU will the credits earned be the same as a 4 year degree? and would an individual be able to go to another college with the bachelors degree earned at AIU which is a 13 month program or 26 month program (associates + bachelors) to enroll for a Master's degree?? - anon33754
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anon 15481 - I would check with the university you plan to attend to see if any of the online classes you want to take are transferable. The requirements vary from university to university about the requirements.
ghenny - My opinion on why four years of schooling is needed to get a college degree is simply that that was the consensus that the decision makers agreed upon. To produce a well-rounded individual capable of critical analysis, was in my opinion the primary reason for higher education. By the way, the length of time to get a bachelors degree varies in different countries, anywhere from three to five years. - somerset
4
Thanks for your comments but they still do not tell me what the basis is for deciding that someone should study two, three, four, five or six years of a particular program and what skills it is supposed to provide. What is the basis for these programs other than tradition and if tradition why do we persist in spending huge amounts of money to educate millions of people to achieve a qualification that has no outcomes or performance measurements, no unified content that can be linked to a developmental or skills objective and no source of validation? To be specific what are you supposed to be able to do after you have taken a bunch of liberal art and/or social studies courses with some science and technology thrown in. Are you still calling this the foundation needed to produce a thinking cultured person (who presumably is independently wealthy) and even if we are just doing that where is the scientific evidence that whatever program is offered does that. If not where are the outcome and performance measures that show it does something else. - ghenny
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somerset, is this also true for online education? - anon15481
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I would be interested in hearing comments from others about why most of our Bachelor's degrees take four years. Is there any scientific, cognitive or neurological basis that supports this time assignment or is it just based on tradition? Who decided or who decides it should be these courses rather than those and it should take this number and this amount of time? Is this a consensus thing among academics based on any objective criteria and what are these? What rationale is there for continuing to make this certification the gatekeeper for professional life in so many areas and how do institutions of higher learning justify the content in bachelor's programs? I have not seen much public discussion of these issues. Perhaps that reflects my limited reading range or maybe there needs to be more. Are there any reports issued by groups like Carnegie or Brooking's that explore the history, value and future of the Bachelor's degree? I would love to read them. Geoffrey Henny - ghenny
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You can first get an Associate Degree, say at a community college, than transfer to a 4 year college to get your Bachelors degree. You can save some money this way since the tuition is generally lower at a Community, or Junior college. You have to make sure that you take classes that are transferable to the college you are planning to attend. - somerset
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Shannon Kietzman
Last Modified: 06 February 2010
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