An Overview of A Bachelor's Degree

Bachelor's degrees are typically earned in four years. These degrees are offered primarily by universities and state schools, but also by some community colleges as well. These undergraduate degrees can be very specific or very broad, dependent on the study focus. Bachelor's degrees offer a deeper education than an Associate's but less demand than higher level degrees, and because of this medium ground, are a popular choice among college students.



Students that earn a Bachelor's with honors are rightly credited on their diploma. These decorations are typically in Latin and the literal translations are as follows: cum laude, meaning "with honor," magna cum laude, meaning "with great honor," and summa cum laude for "with highest honor."



If students receive an honors distinction in a particular field of study, it is often designated as such on their degrees in recognition of the specialized merit. For example, a history student might receive a B.A. with Honors in History. The requirements for honors distinction vary amongst institutions, and can include GPA minimums and class rank.



Bachelor's degrees are the middle of the road as far as time investment. Most full time students can earn a Bachelor's in about four years. Architecture and some engineering degrees take five, but these are by and large the exception. The Bachelor's can be a terminal degree, or a preliminary one, should the student eventually plan to pursue a Master's or Doctorate degree.



Though there are many Bachelor's degree programs, the most popular are the B.A. and B.S., Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science respectively. These degrees provide students a wide knowledge base, and the option of a specific focus (I refer again to our history student example with his B.A. with Honors in History).



Bachelor of Arts, or B.A., as it's commonly written, is usually awarded upon successful completion of a liberal arts program. Areas of study can include literature, history, humanities, communication, and political science. Occasionally though, a B.A. is granted upon completion of another kind of program, like business administration or other science, with the mindset that much of the coursework is liberal arts oriented. The Bachelor of Science, or B.S., is a degree for mathematics, natural sciences, technology, and computer science. Although, like the B.A., it too can have other occasional focuses, namely in law or business professions.



Many schools around the U.S. keep their B.A. and B.S. programs separated by a line of intention. For students interested in studying subjects (our third and final B.A. with Honors in History example), they provide the Bachelor of Arts. Those studying for professions (accounting, nursing) receive a Bachelor of Science. These distinctions vary from college to college.

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