Bachelor’s Degree – Explanation, Abbreviations & Jobs

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have been in the workforce for years, choosing to pursue a bachelor’s degree is a major decision. It requires dedication, time, and often a substantial financial investment. In this article, we’ll explore what earning a bachelor’s degree involves, the different types of programs available, and other key details and tips to help you make an informed choice.

Definition: Bachelor’s degree

A bachelor’s degree — or baccalaureate — is a three-to-four-year long program of a study that students pursue after completing secondary education (high school) and before moving on to more advanced levels of education like a doctoral or master’s degree. Minimum requirements are a minimum grade point average (GPA), such as a 2.5 or 3.0. Also, you need to have a high school diploma, standardized test scores (an SAT or ACT), and a letter of recommendation from your high school teachers. You can obtain this degree by earning at least 120 credits through approximately 40 courses. This degree shows that the holder has gained a certain level of knowledge and skill in a specific subject area.

Spelling

A baccalaureate degree is only capitalized when the full name of the degree is used, e.g., “I have a Bachelor of Nursing” or “He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree.” The standard form for general reference uses an apostrophe as it is a possessive form of “bachelor.” So, you can say “She has a bachelor’s degree” or “She has a bachelor’s in engineering.” In the latter example, you do not need to capitalize the major since it is not a proper noun, e.g., “He has a bachelor’s in English.” More examples can be found below.

Types

There are many different types of bachelor’s degrees, which is why we have listed the three common ones. More can be found in the abbreviations section below.

There are more than 80 bachelor’s degrees you can get, but BA, BS, and BFA are the most common ones. The courses under these undergraduate programs will often overlap, usually based on the number of courses and the specific types of courses taken. For example, if you are taking education, you can either get a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. Some schools choose to offer the course under Bachelor of Education.

Bachelor of Science courses may require some lab hours. If you are taking the course online, these lab hours can be completed in other virtual ways. Courses may fall in either the BS or BA category based on the number of courses you have to take. Bachelor’s degrees in fine arts are also fairly popular. You can consider these courses if you intend to pursue a career in fine arts. A degree in fine arts will require some natural skill as the courses are hands-on.

Bachelor vs. master

Choosing between a bachelor’s and a master’s degree depends on where you are in your educational or professional journey. Below is a quick breakdown of what each level offers, how long it takes, and what kind of opportunities it can unlock.

Degree abbreviations

When it comes to abbreviating degrees, you capitalize the main component words. Degrees with more than two letters do not require periods; however, it’s become commonplace to drop the periods in degrees, so, refer to your specific style guide. Also, spell out the full name of your degree on your resume, not the abbreviation. Below are some common abbreviations.

Jobs & careers

Bachelor’s degrees are the bare minimum requirements for many corporate jobs and they are becoming increasingly important when you want to start or change careers. In the end, a bachelor’s degree makes you more marketable, which in turn can earn you a higher salary than a simple high school diploma. Below, you can find numerous bachelor’s degrees and what you can do with each of them.