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 to help you make an informed choice.
Bachelor’s degree in a nutshell
A bachelor’s degree is an important qualification in academics. In this guide, we will expound on the different types of bachelor’s degrees, as well as the jobs they will allow you to access.
Definition: Bachelor’s degree
A bachelor’s degree is a four-year course which is offered by colleges or universities. The course is taken directly after finishing higher education and is classified as a level 6 qualification. Bachelor’s degrees will help with your personal development and will give you more knowledge in your field of interest. Even more, a bachelor’s degree will open up your opportunities in the job market. It is possible to enter the job market without a bachelor’s degree, but the certification will help you move faster in your career.
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Types
You can get a bachelor’s degree in many different fields, but the most common ones are:
Business
Health
Social Sciences
History
There are more than 80 bachelor’s degrees you can get at university, but Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts are the broad groups of bachelor’s degrees. 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 Art or 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 Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts 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.
Sciences under each bachelor’s degree
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Business
- Economics
- Nutrition
- English
- History
- Communication
- Human and Family Development
- Education
- Foreign Language
- Philosophy
- Creative writing
- Dance
- Ceramics
- Drawing and Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Graphic design
- Business Law
- Ethics
- Finance
- Project Management
- Marketing
- Operations Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Anaesthetics
- General Practice
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Pathology
- Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Architecture and Planning
- Architectural Technology
- Architectural Technology and Design
- Architecture
Abbreviations
Here are some common abbreviations you should note:
- B.A. – Bachelor of Arts
- B.A. Comm. – Bachelor of Arts in Communication
- B.Arch. – Bachelor of Architecture
- B.B.A. – Bachelor of Business Administration
- B.E. – Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Education
- B.F.A. – Bachelor of Fine Arts
- B.L.A. – Bachelor of Liberal Arts
- Ph.B. – Bachelor of Philosophy
- B.S.Ed. – Bachelor of Science Education
- Th.B. – Bachelor of Theology
- B.J. – Bachelor of Journalism
- B.M.Ed. – Bachelor of Music Education
- B.E.E. – Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
- B.D. – Bachelor of Divinity
Jobs to get with a bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degrees are the bare minimum requirements for many corporate jobs. The unemployment rate for bachelor degree holders is very low, meaning you should be able to find a job after school. If you secure a job soon enough, your university fees will be paid back pretty fast. You can get a high-paying job straight out of school, but many employers will need to first see your skills in action.
The jobs available to you will be determined by the specific course you took. Here are some common jobs you can get based on your major:
Health sciences:
Health and wellness coordinator, health educator, nutritional aide, and health worker.
Chemistry:
Chemical plant worker, chemist, energy engineer, and clinical trial manager.
Biology science:
Environmental corporate consultant, marine biologist, wildlife biologist, conservation agent, and forestry manager.
Advertising & marketing:
Promotions manager, sales representative, graphic designer, writer, photographer, and market research analyst.
Horticulture:
Plant propagator, organic farmer, pest management, botanical management, and irrigation specialist.
Human resource:
Employee resource manager, compensation or benefit analyst, HR information systems manager, and training and development manager.
FAQs
A bachelor’s degree is attained at the end of university, and it usually takes 3 to 4 years, depending on the country. To get a bachelor’s degree, a person will need to have a high school diploma or the equivalent qualification. After getting a bachelor’s degree certificate, an individual will be qualified to pursue their master’s degree, and they can continue until they have their PhD.
To get a bachelor’s degree, you will need to enroll in a university. You can attend a university on campus or enroll in an online-based school. It encompasses 120 semester credits or around 40 college courses in total, which culminates in the writing and defense of a bachelor thesis. All of this usually takes about four years of full-time study, or more in some cases.
In most fields, the highest degree you can attain is the doctorate (also called the PhD). You will usually need to spend more than 2 years in school to attain this qualification. To enroll in a doctorate course, you will need to have a master’s degree, but in some cases, a bachelor’s degree will be sufficient to apply for the doctorate, depending on the field of study.
These two degrees take four years to complete and are both highly valued in the job market. Bachelor of Arts courses usually focus on the humanities and human sciences. A few natural sciences are also included in this category. On the other hand, a course will be classified under Bachelor of Science if it requires more math and scientific courses. Some institutions will simply decide whether they will offer a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degrees. They both culminate with students writing a bachelor’s thesis or dissertation as it is sometimes known as. Depending on the country, a thesis defense may also be required.
Whether you’re required to defend or present your thesis in front of a board of professors, depends on your country, the institution, and your field of study. In the USA and Australia, a thesis defense is rarely required for a bachelor’s degree — only for postgraduate degrees. However, in Europe, a bachelor thesis defense is commonplace.
