A bachelor's degree (from
Middle Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying deg ...
''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from
Modern Latin
New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...
''baccalaureatus'') is an
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years (depending on institution and
academic discipline
An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...
). The two most common bachelor's degrees are the
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
(BA) and the
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
(BS or BSc). In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as
graduate or
postgraduate education
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...
s after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a
master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. or a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
.
In countries with qualifications frameworks, bachelor's degrees are normally one of the major levels in the framework (sometimes two levels where non-honours and honours bachelor's degrees are considered separately). However, some qualifications titled bachelor's degree may be at other levels (e.g.,
MBBS
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
) and some qualifications with non-bachelor's titles may be classified as bachelor's degrees (e.g. the
Scottish MA
The degree of Master of Arts (MA; , ) in Scotland is an undergraduate degree. The degree can be either a three-year general or four-year ''Honours degree'' in humanities or social sciences, awarded by one of several institutions.
Chiefly, the ...
and Canadian
MD).
The term ''
bachelor
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
'' in the 12th century referred to a
knight bachelor
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...
, who was too young or poor to gather
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
s
under his own banner. By the end of the 13th century, it was also used by junior members of
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s or universities. By
folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
or wordplay, the word ''baccalaureus'' came to be associated with ''bacca lauri'' ("laurel berry") in reference to
laurels
''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, Glossary of botanical terms#glabrous, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as ...
being awarded for academic success or honours.
Under the
British system, and those influenced by it, undergraduate academic degrees are differentiated between ''
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s'' (sometimes denoted by the addition of "(Hons)" after the degree abbreviation) and non-honours degrees (known variously as ''pass degrees'', ''ordinary degrees'' or ''general degrees''). An honours degree generally requires a higher academic standard than a pass degree, and in some systems an additional year of study beyond the non-honours bachelor's. Some countries, such as
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, have a
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
"bachelor with honours" degree. This may be taken as a consecutive academic degree, continuing on from the completion of a bachelor's degree program in the same field, or as part of an integrated honours program. Programs like these typically require completion of a full-year long research thesis project.
Scheme of completion periods in each country
![BS time](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/BS_time.png)
The map shows how long it takes for students in different countries to get a bachelor's degree. It generally takes between 3 and 6 years.
Variations
Africa
In most African countries, the university systems follow the model of their former colonizing power. For example, the
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n university system is similar to the British system, while the
Ivorian system is akin to the French.
Algeria
Bachelor's degrees in Algerian universities are called "الليسانس" in Arabic or ''la licence'' in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
; the degree normally takes three years to complete and is a part of the LMD ("licence", "master", "doctorat") reform, students can enroll in a bachelor's degree program in different fields of study after having obtained their ''baccalauréat'' (the national secondary education test). The degree is typically identical to the program of France's universities, as specified in the LMD reform. Bachelor's degree programs cover most of the fields in Algerian universities, except some fields, such as Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science.
Botswana
Bachelor's degrees at the
University of Botswana
The University of Botswana, popularly known as UB, was established in 1982 as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. T ...
normally take four years. The system draws on both British and American models. Degrees are classified as First Class, Second Class Division One (2:1), Second Class Division Two (2:2) and Third as in English degrees, but without being described as honours. The main degrees are named by British tradition (Arts, Science, Law, etc.), but in recent years, there have been a number of degrees named after specific subjects, such as Bachelor of Library and Information.
Kenya
In Kenya, university education is supported by the government,. A bachelor's degree is awarded to students who successfully complete a three to seven-year course depending on the area of study. For most degree programs, a research project and an internship period after which a report is written by the student is a must before the student is allowed to graduate. In 2012, a number of select colleges were upgraded to university status in a bid to increase the intake of students into degree programs.
Morocco
In Morocco, a bachelor's degree is referred to as ''al-ʾijāzah'' (Arabic, French: ''licence''). The course of study takes three years, which are further divided into two cycles. The first cycle comprises the first, or propaedeutic, year. After successfully completing their first two years, students can pursue either theoretical specialization (''études fondamentales'') or professional specialization (''études professionnelles''). The second cycle is one year after whose completion students receive the ''licence d'études fondamentales'' or the ''licence professionnelle''.
This academic degree system was introduced in September 2003.
Nigeria
University admission is extremely competitive, with attendant advantages and disadvantages. Nonetheless, it takes four to five years to complete a bachelor's degree. In cases of poor performance, the time limit is double the standard amount of time. For example, one may not study for more than 10 years for a five-year course. Students are normally asked to leave if they must take longer. Nigerian universities offer BSc, BTech (usually from Universities of Technology), BArch (six years), and other specialized undergraduate degrees, such as BEng. Science undergraduate degrees may require six months or a semester dedicated to SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) but it is usually mandatory for all engineering degrees. A semester for project work/thesis is required, not excluding course work, during the bachelor thesis in the final year. The classifications of degrees: first-class, second-class (upper and lower), third-class (with honours; i.e., BSc (Hons)) and a pass (no honours). First- and second-class graduates are immediately eligible for advanced postgraduate degrees (i.e., MSc and PhD), but other classes may be required for an additional postgraduate diploma before such eligibility.
Furthermore, all graduating students are obliged to do the
National Youth Service Corps
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. There is no military conscription in Nigeria, ...
(NYSC) requirement, which usually takes one year, after which they are eligible to pursue higher degrees. The NYSC is a paramilitary service that involves students' being posted to different parts of the country to serve in various capacities. Principal objectives of the NYSC are to forge national cohesion, encourage students to apply their obtained knowledge to solving problems of rural Nigeria, and others. The NYSC was established by law after the Nigerian Civil War.
Polytechnical schools (polytechnics) in Nigeria are not considered universities. They are mandated to educate technicians of high calibre; they offer the OND (ordinary national diploma) and the HND (higher national diploma). The polytechnics focus very strongly on practical technical training. The BSc and HND are compared in engineering circles, but there are significant differences in training philosophies.
Honours degrees in Nigeria are differentiated only on the basis of performance. Honours degrees include the first-class degree, second-class degrees (upper and lower) and the third-class degree, but not the pass. All university students must do an independent research project which applies the knowledge obtained during the previous years of study.
The project work must be submitted in the semester before graduation and usually takes a significant number of points. Further course work is not precluded during the project work, but the courses are fewer and are at an advanced level. Project work is orally defended before the faculty and before peers. In the sciences and engineering a demonstration of the project is usually required. The exceptions are theoretical work.
South Africa
In South Africa, an honours degree is an additional
postgraduate qualification in the same area as the undergraduate major, and requires at least one further year of study as well as a research report.
Tunisia
In Tunisia, a bachelor's degree is referred to as ''al-ʾijāzah'' in Arabic, or ''la license'' in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
; the degree takes three years to complete and is a part of the LMD (''license'', ''master'', ''doctorat'') reform, students can enroll in a bachelor's degree program in different fields of study after having obtained their ''baccalauréat'' (the national secondary education test). The degree is typically identical to the program of France's universities, as specified in the LMD reform. Most universities in Tunisia offer the 3-year bachelor's degree, except some fields, which are Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, solely offered by
Tunis Business School
Tunis Business School is the first public English-language business school in Tunisia. It is based in El Mourouj in the Ben Arous Governorate. It follows the Anglo-Saxon business curriculum and it is open to the holders of the baccalaureate in ...
and lasts 4 years.
The Americas
Usually the region presents associates, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral degrees.
Brazil
In Brazil, a bachelor's degree takes from three years to six years to complete depending on the course load and the program. A bachelor's degree is the title sought by Brazilians in order to be a professional in a certain area of human knowledge. Master's and doctoral degrees are additional degrees for those seeking an academic career or a specific understanding of a field.
Even without a formal adhesion to the
Bologna system, a Brazilian "bachelor's" would correspond to a European "first cycle." A Brazilian "bachelor's" takes three to six years for completion, as well as usually a written monograph or concluding project, in the same way that a European bachelor's can be finished in three to four years, after which time Europeans may embark on a one- to two-year 2nd cycle program usually called a "master's", according to the Bologna Process.
Depending on programs and personal choices, Europeans can achieve a master's degree in as little as four years (a three-year bachelor's and a one-year master's) and as long as six years (a four-year bachelor's, a two-year master's) of higher education. In Brazil it would be possible to have a specialization "lato-sensu" degree—which differs from a Brazilian "stricto-sensu" master's degree—in as little as three years (two years for a "tecnólogo" degree and an additional year for a specialization) or as long as eight years (six years for professional degrees, plus two years for a master's "stricto-sensu" degree—typical in medicine or engineering).
Canada
Education in Canada is governed independently by each province and territory; however, a common framework for degrees was agreed to by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, in 2007. This adopted descriptors for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees that were deliberately similar to those defined by the
Bologna Process.
Under the framework, four general forms of bachelor's degree are defined: general programs that provide a broad education and prepare graduates for graduate-entry professional programs or employment generally; in-depth academic programs in a specific subject that prepare graduates for postgraduate study in the field or employment generally; applied programs that concentrate on a mastery of practice rather than knowledge; and professional programs, often (but not exclusively) graduate-entry, that prepare graduates to practice as professionals in a specific field. This last category includes graduate-entry degrees titled as if they were doctorates, such as MD, JD and DDS degrees—despite their names, these are considered bachelor's degrees.
Bachelor's degrees may take either three or four years to complete and are awarded by colleges and universities. In many universities and colleges, bachelor's degrees are differentiated either as (ordinary) bachelor's or as honours bachelor's degrees. The term "honours" is an academic distinction, which indicates that students must achieve their bachelor's degree with a sufficiently high overall grade point average; in addition, some programs may require more education than non-honours programs. The honours degrees are sometimes designated with the abbreviation in brackets of "(Hon(s))".
Going back in history, the ''Bachelor with Honours'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''baccalaureatus cum honore'',
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''baccalauréat spécialisé'') was traditionally taken as the highest undergraduate degree. The program requires at least 4 years of studies, with strong emphasis on the research-based ''Honours Seminar Thesis'' which is considered approximately equivalent to a formal master's thesis. Universities show the
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
as well as the possible honours distinction (
Latin honours
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
) on the diploma (e.g., "BACCALAUREATUS ARTIUM CUM HONORE ... CUM LAUDE").
In Quebec, students have to take a minimum of two years of
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
before entering, for example, a three-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) or a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) program. As a consequence, there is no ''de jure'' "honours degree" (although some universities market some of their programs as being ''de facto'' honours degrees in their English-language materials) but there are some specializations called "concentrations" in French, which are mostly taken as optional courses.
In the province of Ontario, the most bachelor's degrees offered by
Ontario universities are academic in nature. In contrast, Ontario legislation requires bachelor's degrees offered by
Ontario colleges to be applied and vocationally focused.
Colombia
In Colombia, secondary school has two milestones, in 9th and 11th grades. After completing the first 4 years of secondary school (6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades), a student is considered to have completed the basic secondary school while after completed the last two years (10th and 11th grades) is considered to have completed "bachillerato" or high school diploma.
This degree can be either academic (the most common) or:
* military, given by military specialised schools. It provides the opportunity for male students not to go to otherwise compulsory military service.
* commercial, which grants students focused skills on accountancy.
* technical, which grants students focused skills on technical abilities such as electricity, mechanics and related matters.
* academic, which grants students focused skills on elementary education.
After graduating from high-school, hopeful students must take a nationwide exam that determines their eligibility to apply for their desired program, depending on the score the student achieves on the exam. In Colombia, the system of academic degrees is similar to the US model. After completing their "bachillerato" (high school), students can take one of three options. The first one is called a "profesional" (professional career), which is similar to a bachelor's degree requiring from four to six years of study according to the chosen program. However, strictly-career-related subjects are taken from the very beginning unlike US where focused career-related subjects usually are part of the curriculum from the third year. The other option is called a "técnico" (technician); this degree consists of only two and a half years of study and prepares the student for technical or mechanical labors. Finally, the third option is called a "tecnólogo" (equivalent to an associate degree), and consist of 3 years of study. A technical school gives to the student, after a program of two years, an
undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
in areas like software development, networks and IT, accountancy, nursing and other areas of health services, mechanics, electricity and technic-like areas.
Universities offer graduate degrees in
ICFES
ICFES is an acronym for ''Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior'' ("Colombian Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education"). It is a Colombian organization that manages and evaluates the education and Institutes (School ...
endorsed programs like medicine, engineering, laws, accountancy, business management and other professional areas. A typical undergraduate program usually takes 10 or 11 semesters and some (i.e. medicine) require an additional period of service or practice to apply for the degree. A student who has obtained an undergraduate degree can opt to continue studying a career after completing their undergraduate degree by continuing onto master's and doctorate degrees. They can also choose to do a specialization in certain fields of study by doing an extra year.
Costa Rica, El Salvador and Venezuela
In these countries, there are two titles that should not be confused:
# High school students who pass their ''bachillerato'' or high school exams obtain a certificate of ''Bachiller deEducación Secundaria (not the same as a 'Bachelor' for higher education degrees)'', which is needed in order to enter a university and is usually requested by companies in their profiles.
# University students obtain an American equivalent bachelor's degree in their respective fields after completing four years of education, and a ''licenciatura'' licentiate degree completing one more year of studies (and meeting other requisites unique to each institution, it is common to write a dissertation on the professional field), this enables them to work as professionals in their chosen areas; for example, a ''Profesor en Enseñanza Secundaria'' ("Licentiate degree in secondary education") enables a person to work as a high school teacher. Currently, the trend is for universities not to offer a bachelor's degree and to offer instead a
licentiate's or "ingeniero" degree after five years of education.
Guyana
In Guyana, the universities offer bachelor programs in different streams like Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science in nursing, design and arts, liberal arts, psychology, Doctor of Medicine (MD) and other health science programs. These programs are delivered by University of Guyana,
Texila American University
Texila American University (TAU) is an offshore private medical school, owned by the Texila American University Ltd – Hong Kong (TAU-HK). TAU-HK is a project of the ALLTERE Education Management Company. Texila's U.S. offices are in New Jersey. ...
, Green Heart Medical University, Lesley university and many more offers these bachelor programs.
Mexico
Bachelor's degrees may take an average of five years (from four to five years) to complete depending on the course load and the program and they are awarded by colleges and universities. Medicine is from 6 to 7 years. Each college has its own curriculum and requirements with an emphasis of their choice, governed independently by each state of the republic. After finishing all the subjects the student require a final work, which means the completion of particular honours seminars, research and development or a written thesis in a particular field. Mexico's regulations established as an obligation in order to receive their license and title the fulfillment of a "social service" to the nation (usually for those who finished their studies in a public institution) as a remuneration to society in the form of social actions, the benefits, as students, were received during training. This requirement takes about six months to one year depending on the type of degree. Bachelor's degree should not be falsely related with its Spanish cognate "bachiller", which designate a prerequisite for matriculate in a career or bachelor studies. The official name for a bachelor's degree in Mexico is "licenciado" and such studies are referred as "licenciatura".
Bachelor's degrees should not be confused with
Engineering Degrees, where an ''Ingeniería'' is prefixed to the name and requires additional courses for certification as an Engineer.
United States
Bachelor's degrees in the United States are typically designed to be completed in four years of full-time study (that is, an average of 15 hours of weekly instruction per four-month semester, two semesters per year, for a total of eight semesters and 120 instructional/credit hours), although some programs (such as engineering or architecture) may take five years, and some universities and colleges allow students (usually with the help of summer school, who are taking many classes each semester or who have existing credit from high school
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
or
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
course exams) to complete them more rapidly. Some US colleges and universities have a separate academic track known as an "honours" or "scholars" program, generally offered to the top percentile of students (based on
GPA
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
), that offers more challenging courses or more individually directed seminars or research projects instead or in addition to the standard
core curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
. Those students are awarded the same bachelor's degree as students completing the standard curriculum but with the notation ''
in cursu honorum
''In cursu honorum'' is a Latin phrase that translates to "in a course of honors." It refers to specialized study at the undergraduate level. Generally, a small percentage of a student body will be invited to pursue a more rigorous course of st ...
'' on the
transcript and the
diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
. Usually, the above Latin honours are separate from the notation for this honours course, but a student in the honours course generally must maintain grades worthy of at least the ''cum laude'' notation anyway. Hence, a graduate might receive a diploma ''Artium Baccalaureatum rite'' or ''Artium Baccalaureatum summa cum laude'' in the regular course or ''Artium Baccalaureatum summa cum laude in cursu honorum'' in the honours course.
If the student has completed the requirements for an honours degree only in a particular discipline (e.g., English language and literature), the degree is designated accordingly (e.g., "BA with Honours in English"). In this case, the degree candidate will complete the normal curriculum for all subjects except the selected discipline ("English," in the preceding example). The requirements in either case usually require completion of particular honours seminars, independent research at a level higher than usually required (often with greater personal supervision by faculty than usual), and a written honours thesis in the major subject.
Many universities and colleges in the United States award bachelor's degrees with
Latin honours
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
, usually (in ascending order) ''
cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' ("with honor/praise"), ''
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
'' ("with great honor/praise"), ''
summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' ("with highest honor/praise"), and the occasionally seen ''
maxima cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' ("with maximal honor/praise"). Requirements for such notations of honours generally include minimum
grade point average
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
s (GPA), with the highest average required for the ''summa'' distinction (or ''maxima'', when that distinction is present). In the case of some schools, such as
Bates College
Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...
,
Carleton College
Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...
,
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...
,
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
,
Guilford College
Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of ...
,
Franklin College Switzerland
Franklin University Switzerland is a private university in Lugano, Switzerland. Founded in 1969, Franklin is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe and the first to be established in Switzerland. Franklin offers Ba ...
, and larger universities like the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
,
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
,
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...
, a senior
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
for degrees in the
humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
or
laboratory
A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...
research
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
for
natural science
Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...
(and sometimes
social science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...
) degrees is also required. Five notable exceptions are
Reed College
Reed College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland neighborhood, with Tudor-Gothic style architecture, and a forested canyon nature preserve at ...
,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
,
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 1967, it offers a non-traditional undergraduate curriculum in which students have the option to design their own study towards a degree or follow a p ...
,
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...
, and
Bennington College
Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...
, which do not have deans' lists, Latin honours recognitions, or undergraduate honours programs or subjects.
Asia
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, universities and colleges award three- and four-year degrees (three-year degrees courses are called pass courses and four-year degree courses are called
honours courses) in science and business BSc, BBS, BBA, , etc. and three- and four-year degrees in arts (BA, BSS, etc.). Engineering universities provide four-year degree programs for bachelor's degree courses of study (BSc in Eng and BSc). Medical colleges have five-year degree programmes (MBBS, BDS). In law education there is a two-year LLB degree after completing three years in a BA program for a total of five years of study. There is also a four-year LLB honours degree. The
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world.
Australia
Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...
(BArch) and
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated B Pharm or PharmB or BS Pharm) is a graduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, this degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist. Since both PharmB and Phar ...
(BPharm) are
professional degree
A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...
s awarded to students who complete a five-year course of study in the field at some universities. All of these programs begin after achieving the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC – in total 12 years of school education).
China
There are 13 kinds of statutory bachelor's degrees in China:
Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; la, Baccalaureus Philosophiae or ) is the title of an academic degree that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's ...
,
Economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
,
Laws
Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...
,
Education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
,
Arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...
, History,
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
,
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
,
Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
,
Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, Military Science, and
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
.
Since the
undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
system in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
is modeled after its American counterpart, all of the degrees are adapted from those of the United States except for the issuing of the degree certificate. Once a student has fulfilled their course requirements, a "graduate certificate" will be given. In order to get the degree, a student must finish and pass the
dissertation stage; only then will they be awarded a degree certified by the
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China is a cabinet-level department under the State Council responsible for basic education, vocational education, higher education, and other educational affairs across the country. The Min ...
.
Most bachelor's degree in China needs four years to complete, with the exception that the Bachelor of Medicine degree requires five years.
Although some colleges ( zh, 专科学校), vocational colleges ( zh, 职业学院) and colleges in some universities offer two or three year programs for students,
they can not graduate with any degree, except for those who pass the upgrade exam during college and then study an extra two-year undergraduate course at another university and pass a dissertation.
Any Chinese citizen can also get a bachelor's degree via the undergraduate majors of the
Self-Taught Higher Education Examinations
Self-Taught Higher Education Examinations (STHEE) is a test for graduation of higher education and bachelor's degree in China. STHEE allows students to finish studies through self-study without going to school. It is practiced by National Education ...
( zh, 高等教育自学考试).
Fiji
The colonial link and the establishment of the
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public university, public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and ...
in 1968 allowed the education system to follow suit from the qualification system of the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
.
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public university, public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and ...
is the only university in the
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...
region to be internationally recognized outside Australia and New Zealand with its bachelor's and other awards program. It is also the highest ranked in the university ranking in the island region and also ranked above some Australian universities like the
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...
,
University of Sunshine Coast
The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. After opening with 524 students in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College, it was later renamed the University of the ...
and New Zealand universities like
Lincoln University and
Waikato Institute of Technology
The Waikato Institute of Technology, also known as Wintec, is an institute of technology based in New Zealand's Waikato region. Wintec offers over 130 degrees, diplomas and certificates. Wintec specialises in applied tertiary training for nurses ...
.
India
Bachelor's degrees in India normally take 3 years of study to complete, although courses like
BE/
BTech
A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...
,
MBBS
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
,
BVSc
The Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc or BVSC; Latin Baccalaureus Veterinariae Scientiae), "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine" (BVetMed), or "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery" ("BVM&S" or "BVMS") is a degree for studies in veterinary me ...
or
BArch BArch may refer to:
* Bundesarchiv (BArch), the German Federal Archives
* Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the wor ...
take longer. A BE/BTech usually takes 4 years, while an MBBS or BArch usually takes 5 years to complete. Most of the Science, Commerce, and Arts degrees are
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s with electives chosen by the student. With the implementation of
National Education Policy 2020
The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which was started by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of new education system of India. The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1 ...
, undergraduate degree programs will take 4 years with an option to leave the program in 3 years.
Common bachelor's degrees and abbreviations:
*
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
: BA
*
Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...
: BBA
*
Bachelor of Management Studies
A Bachelor of Management or a Bachelor of Management Studies (BMgt, BMgmt) is an undergraduate degree for management studies offered by many universities throughout the world. The course allows you to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to as ...
: BMS
*
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
: BSc
*
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
A Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, (abbreviated BSIT or B.Sc. IT), is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the information technology. The degree is normally required in order to work in the Information tec ...
: BSIT
*
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...
: Bcom
*
Bachelor of Fine Arts
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases.
Background
The Bachelor ...
: BFA
*
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
: LLB
*
Bachelor of Engineering
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.
In the UK, a Bache ...
: BE
*
Bachelor of Technology
A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...
: BTech
*
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...
: BEd (BEd degrees are offered after completion of a 3-year undergraduate coursework.)
*
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
: MBBS
*
Bachelor of Veterinary Science
The Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc or BVSC; Latin Baccalaureus Veterinariae Scientiae), "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine" (BVetMed), or "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery" ("BVM&S" or "BVMS") is a degree for studies in veterinary me ...
: BVSc
*
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world.
Australia
Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...
: BArch
For the academic grading system in India, see
academic grading in India
Academic grading in India is based on a percentage system and they are called GPA or CGPA.
Overview
In India, grading is different for different boards.
The national board Central Board of Secondary Education uses a percentage system coupled ...
.
Students usually start their bachelor's after completing their
Class XII from either a National or State Board.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, most of the current bachelor's degrees are domain-specific degrees. Therefore, there are more than 20 bachelor's degrees.
[(in Indonesian]
Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 154 Tahun 2014
(PDF) Archived fro
the original
(PDF) on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020. For instance, S.Psi. for ''Sarjana Psikologi'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Psychology/BPsy, BA"), S.T. for ''Sarjana Teknik'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Engineering"), S.Si. for ''Sarjana Sains'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Science"), S.Farm. for ''Sarjana Farmasi'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Pharmacy"), S.E. for ''Sarjana Ekonomi'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Economy"), S.Kom. for ''Sarjana Ilmu computer'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Computer Science"), S.S. for ''Sarjana Sastra'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Literature") or S.Sos. for ''Sarjana Ilmu Sosial'' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Social Sciences"). In the past, the Indonesian academic system adopted the old European/western degrees, such as the Ir (''insinyur'' from Dutch ''ingenieur'') for an engineering degree and the common academic degree (''doktorandus'' from Dutch and ultimately Latin ''doctorandus'') for a degree in either social or natural sciences.
Iran
In Iran, students can study different undergraduate or postgraduate courses leading to a BS, a MS or a PhD that is recognised and equivalent to similar qualifications given in other countries. Students can also provide three to six (often four) years of education leading to a BS.
Jordan
Since the
undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
system in
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
is modeled after its American counterpart, all the degrees are adapted from those of the United States excepting the release of the degree certificate. Once a student has fulfilled their course requirements, a graduate certificate will be given. In order to get the degree in some majors of study, a student must finish and pass the
dissertation stage; only then will they be awarded a degree credentialed by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Four years of education is the standard length.
Malaysia
Institutes of higher learning in Malaysia provide three or four years of education leading to a BSc Hons Degree ( ms, Ijazah sarjana). The standards of categorization is almost consistent among Malaysian Universities. Candidates who excel in their academic results will be awarded a First Class Bachelor Hons Degree (usually 3.67 CGPA and above), followed by Class Second Upper (usually between 3.00 and 3.66 CGPA), Class Second Lower (usually 2.50–2.99 CGPA), Class Three (usually 2.00–2.49 CGPA) and General Degree (Without Honours), for usually 1.99 and below CGPA candidates.
Nepal
In Nepal, the bachelor's degree was initially a three-year program for courses like
Bachelor of Business Studies
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...
(BBS), Bachelor of Sciences (BSc), Bachelor of Education (BEd), Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Tribhuvan University, Pokhara University, Purbanchal University and Kathmandu University but now it is mostly a four-year program for new courses like Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA),
Bachelor of Business Information Systems Bachelor of Business Information Systems (BBIS) is an IT focused undergraduate program designed to better understand the needs of business and industry and be well equipped to meet those needs. It blends core concepts from a traditional business adm ...
(BBIS), Bachelor of Information Management (BIM), Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies and Information Technology (BScCSIT). Some bachelor's programs are still three years long, such as the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Education (BEd). It is completed after 10+2 level (high school) or diploma or any other equivalent level of studies. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Information Management (BIM),
Bachelor of Business Information Systems Bachelor of Business Information Systems (BBIS) is an IT focused undergraduate program designed to better understand the needs of business and industry and be well equipped to meet those needs. It blends core concepts from a traditional business adm ...
(BBIS), Bachelor of Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Information Technology (BScCSIT) are a few popular bachelor's degree programs. BSc and BBSc have recently turned into four-year programs from three-year programs. In Nepal, Tribhuvan University as an oldest and biggest University based on number of student and academic department,
Kathmandu University
Kathmandu University (KU) ( ne, काठमाण्डौ विश्वविद्यालय) is a public autonomous university in Nepal. It is the third oldest university in Nepal, located in Dhulikhel of Kavrepalanchok District, about ...
,
Purbanchal University
Purbanchal University (PU) is a public university in Gothgaun, Morang District, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक ...
,
Pokhara University
Pokhara University (PU or PoU) ( ne, पोखरा विश्वविद्यालय) was established in 1997 (2054 B.S.) and is Nepal's fifth university. Its central office is located in Pokhara, Kaski District, Gandaki Province. Alon ...
,
Nepal Sanskrit University
Nepal Sanskrit University (formerly Mahendra Sanskrit University) was established in December 1986 and has its central office at Beljhundi in Dang district of Lumbini Province, Nepal. It is 13 km away from the city of Ghorahi.
Academics
The u ...
and other new regional universities are operating currently. MBA and BBA from all universities are examined under the system of percentage and GPA, and traditional university courses are accessed on division base like pass division, second division, first division and distinction. In Nepal, there is no top up, honours and exchange or related tie up degree courses authorized and practiced by Nepalese Government and other educational institutions, but today, affiliation with foreign universities, online and distance learning are popular with the young modern working population. MBA, BBA, BPharmacy, BSc Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing (BN), BE are in high professional demand in Nepalese market. For admission in a university, a compulsory admission test given by the respective university is to be passed by a student in order to get placement in an affiliated college of that university for the specific subject category. In the test, a separate quota is also awarded for females and disadvantaged groups to create diversity and equality.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, arts, commerce, and science colleges provide four-year bachelor's degrees (BA, BSc, BBA, BCom, etc.). Generally these programs are of four years duration as elsewhere in the world and begin after completing higher secondary school education by receiving a Higher Secondary School Certificate (acknowledging one's twelve years of study by the respective board. After successful completion of these programs, a bachelor's degree is awarded by the respective university. Engineering and medical colleges provide four- and five-year degree programs, respectively, for bachelor's degrees (BE/BS/BSc Engg and MBBS) that also begin after higher secondary school year 12. The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree program is of five years' duration.
Philippines
In the Philippines, where the term "course" is commonly used to refer to a bachelor's degree major, course of study or program, several undergraduate categories exist—the two most common degrees awarded being Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Arts (BA or AB). Specializations ("majors") in economics, business administration, social work, agriculture, nursing, accountancy, architecture and engineering are offered as BS degrees in most colleges and universities. Other common degrees are Bachelor in Education (BEd) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB, a professional degree). Being patterned after the United States, all universities and colleges offer graduation with honours – ''cum laude'', ''magna cum laude'', and ''summa cum laude''.
South Korea
Universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
,
colleges
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
, and institutions of higher learning provide the bachelor's degree, called 'haksa' ( ko, 학사). For example, a university student who majored in literature and graduates obtains a BA, called 'munhaksa' ( ko, 문학사). Even if they do not go to an institution of higher learning, a person can get a bachelor's degree through the
Bachelor's Degree Examination for Self-Education
The Bachelor's Degree Examination for Self-Education (BDES, ko, 독학학위제) makes it possible to obtain a bachelor's degree without attending a regular college or university by passing the examination administered by the South Korean govern ...
.
Sri Lanka
Recognized institutes of higher learning only are authorized to award degrees in Sri Lanka. Three years full-time bachelor's degree without an area of specialization is known as a general degree. A degree with a specialization (in accounting, chemistry, plant biotechnology, zoology, physics, engineering, IT, law, etc.) is known as an honors degree and requires four years (120 credits or more) of study and more entrance qualifications. A degree in medicine, an MBBS, requires a minimum of six years.
Europe
Bachelor's degrees exist in almost every country in Europe. However, these degrees were only recently introduced in some
Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
an countries, where bachelor's degrees were unknown before the
Bologna process. Some countries like France call it ''Licence''. Undergraduate programs in Europe overall lead to the following most widely accepted degrees:
* Bachelor of Science degree (BSc), 35%–40% of undergraduate programs;
* Bachelor of Arts degree (BA), 30%–35% of undergraduate programs;
* Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB), 1% of total programs, widely accepted in the law discipline.
The rest of the programs typically lead to a Bachelor of Engineering degree (BEng), Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA), or other variants. Also,
associate degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The fi ...
s are rising in popularity on the undergraduate level in Europe.
On a per-country, per-discipline and sometimes even per-institute basis, the duration of an undergraduate degree program is typically three or four years, but can range anywhere from three to six years. This is an important factor in the student's decision-making process.
Austria
The historical situation in Austria was very similar to that in Germany, with the traditional first degrees being the ''magister'' and the ''diplom'', which are master's-level qualifications. From 2004, bachelor's degrees have been reintroduced as part of the
Bologna Process reforms. These can be studied at universities, leading to a bachelor's degree (BA or BSc) after three or four years, and at
Fachhochschule
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
n (universities of applied science), leading to a ''bachelor (FH)'' after three years.
Belgium
Education in Belgium
Education in Belgium is regulated and for the most part financed by one of the three communities: Flemish, French and German-speaking. Each community has its own school system, with small differences among them. The federal government plays a ve ...
is run by the language communities, with separate higher education systems being administered by the
Flemish Community
The Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilitie ...
and the
French Community
The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...
. Both systems have been reformed to align with the
Bologna Process, the Flemish Community from 2003 and the French Community from 2004. In the Flemish Community, bachelor's degrees may be either academic or professional. These degrees last three years, and may be followed in both cases by an advanced bachelor diploma (french: Bachelier de spécialisation, lit=Specialized Bachelor; nl, Bachelor-na-bachelor, lit=Bachelor-after-bachelor), lasting one year (c.f. the Australian bachelor honours degree). All of these qualifications are at level 6 on the
EQF, to which the Flemish Qualification Framework was referenced in June 2011. In the French Community, universities award ''grade de bachelier'' (3 years) as the equivalent of bachelor's degrees. Outside of universities, professional programs may be ''type long'' (long type) or ''type court'' (short type), both of which are offered at ''hautes ecoles'' and ''ecoles supérieures des arts''. The long type takes in a ''grade de bachelier (type long)'' (3 years), which is followed by a ''master'' degree (1 or 2 years), while the short type has a ''grade de bachelier professionnalisant (type court)'' (3 years), which may be followed by a ''bachelier de spécialisation'' (1 year). All ''bachelier'' degrees (including the ''bachelier de spécialisation'') are equivalent to level 6 of the EQF, but have not been formally referenced.
Croatia
Most public universities and community colleges in Croatia today offer a three-year bachelor program, which can be followed up typically with a two-year master's (graduate) program.
All bachelor's degrees in Croatia are
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
. For distinction, in universities the title is "univ. bacc." (university bachelor) and in community colleges is just "bacc.".
Zagreb School of Economics and Management
The Zagreb School of Economics and Management ( hr, Zagrebačka škola ekonomije i managementa, abbreviated as ZŠEM) is a private business school located in Zagreb, Croatia. Founded in 2002, ZŠEM provides undergraduate and graduate education in ...
has a four-year bachelor's program.
Academies that specialize in
the arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
, e.g. the
Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute o ...
in Zagreb, have four-year bachelor's programs followed by a one-year master's.
Czech Republic
Historically, the baccalaureus was the undergraduate degree awarded to students who graduated from the course of
trivium
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
The trivium is implicit in ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the ...
(
grammar
In linguistics, the grammar of a natural language is its set of structure, structural constraints on speakers' or writers' composition of clause (linguistics), clauses, phrases, and words. The term can also refer to the study of such constraint ...
,
dialectic
Dialectic ( grc-gre, διαλεκτική, ''dialektikḗ''; related to dialogue; german: Dialektik), also known as the dialectical method, is a discourse between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing ...
and
rhetoric
Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...
) at a faculty of liberal arts (either at the
Charles University
)
, image_name = Carolinum_Logo.svg
, image_size = 200px
, established =
, type = Public, Ancient
, budget = 8.9 billion CZK
, rector = Milena Králíčková
, faculty = 4,057
, administrative_staff = 4,026
, students = 51,438
, undergr ...
or at the
University of Olomouc
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
). It was a necessary prerequisite to continue either with the faculty of liberal arts (
quadrivium
From the time of Plato through the Middle Ages, the ''quadrivium'' (plural: quadrivia) was a grouping of four subjects or arts—arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy—that formed a second curricular stage following preparatory work in the ...
leading to a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. and further to a doctoral degree) or to study at one of the other three historical faculties—law, medicine or theology.
A bachelor's degree, abbreviated BcA, in the field of fine arts, and Bc (''Bakalář'' in Czech) in other fields is awarded for accredited undergraduate programs at universities and colleges.
The vast majority of undergraduate programmes offered in the Czech Republic have a standard duration of three years.
In the Czech tertiary education system, most universities and colleges today offer a three-year bachelor program, which can be followed up typically with a two-year master's (graduate) program. Some specializations, such as doctors of medicine and veterinary doctors, hold exceptions from the general system in that the only option is a six-year master's program with no bachelor stage (graduate with title doctor). This is due mainly to the difficulty of meaningfully splitting up the education for these specialisations.
Denmark
The bachelor's degree was re-introduced at universities in Denmark in 1993, after the original degree (baccalaureus) was abandoned in 1775. The bachelor's degree is awarded after three or four years of study at a university and follows a scheme quite similar to the British one. Two bachelor's degrees are given at the university level today:
* Bachelor of Science (BSc), awarded to students with main focus on scientific, medical, or technical areas;
* Bachelor of Arts (BA), awarded to students whose main focus is on humanistic, theological, or jurisprudence areas.
However, both in the business and the academic world in Denmark, the bachelor's degree is still considered to be "the first half" of a master's (
candidatus
In prokaryote nomenclature, ''Candidatus'' (Latin for candidate of Roman office) is used to name prokaryotic phyla that are well characterized but yet-uncultured. Contemporary sequencing approaches, such as 16S sequencing or metagenomics, provide m ...
). It is often not considered a degree in its own right, despite the politicians' best attempts to make it more accepted.
The bachelor's degree has also been used since the late 1990s in a number of areas like nursing and teaching. Usually referred to as a "professional bachelor" (Danish: ''professionsbachelor''), these degrees usually require 3 to years of combined theoretical and practical study at a
"professional university college" (Danish: ''professionshøjskole'') or "business academy" (Danish: "erhvervsakademier"). These professional bachelor's degrees do grant access to some university master's program. These professional bachelor's degrees are considered to be a full education.
France
The traditional bachelor's degree is the equivalent of the French ''Licence'' three-year degree. Since the new European system of 2004
LMD Bologna process was founded, it has become standard to recognize a bachelor's degree over three years with a ''
licence
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
'' degree, a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. over five years, and a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
over eight years.
Some private institutions are however literally naming their degrees ''bachelor.'' Some of these ''bachelor'' are "''
Diplômes visés''" (often delivered by specialized private schools, such as business, design, film or journalism schools), others are "''
Diplômes certifiés''" by the
French State
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
. The others are not accredited by the French State.
Germany
Historically, the bachelor's degree, called "''Bakkalaureus''", existed in Germany since the late Middle Ages. But it was abolished by the educational reforms undertaken in 1820. The
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
degree – the final degree received in school after a specialized 'college phase' of two years – replaced it, and universities only awarded graduate degrees.
The
magister degree, a graduate degree, was awarded after five years of study. In 1899, a second graduate degree, the
diplom
A ''Diplom'' (, from grc, δίπλωμα ''diploma'') is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus ...
, was introduced when the ''
Technische Hochschule
A ''Technische Hochschule'' (, plural: ''Technische Hochschulen'', abbreviated ''TH'') is a type of university focusing on engineering sciences in Germany. Previously, it also existed in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands (), and Finland (, ). ...
n'' (TH) received university status. With the introduction of the
universities of applied sciences
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
, a shortened version of the latter, referred to as ''Diplom (FH)'' and designed to take three to four years, was phased in between 1969 and 1972.
However, in 1998, in order to comply with the European ''Bologna process'', a new educational law reintroduced the bachelor's degree (first degree after three years of study) in Germany. Today, these degrees can be called either "''Bakkalaureus''" or "bachelor" (in accordance with federal law), but the English term is more common. According to the Bologna model, the bachelor is followed by the post-graduate master's degree of another two years. The traditional degrees of diplom and magister were mostly abolished in 2010, although the diplom still persists in a few subjects and universities and has been reintroduced as alternative degree in some places.
The traditional degrees have been re-mapped to the new
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the E ...
(ECTS) point system to make them comparable to the new bachelor's degree. Traditional and Bologna process degrees are ranked as follows in Germany:
* Bachelor: 180, 210, or 240 ECTS points required;
* Diplom FH: 240 ECTS;
* Diplom Uni or TH: 300 ECTS;
* Master: 300 ECTS (including bachelor).
Greece
The
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
bachelor's degree is called πτυχίο (
transliterated
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...
to "ptychio"; Greek: πτυχίο; ptychio in
dhimotiki
Demotic Greek or Dimotiki ( el, Δημοτική Γλώσσα, , , ) is the standard spoken language of Greece in modern times and, since the resolution of the Greek language question in 1976, the official language of Greece.
"Demotic Greek" (w ...
from 1976–present; or defunct ; ptychion in
polytonic
Greek orthography has used a variety of diacritics starting in the Hellenistic period. The more complex polytonic orthography ( el, πολυτονικό σύστημα γραφής, translit=polytonikó sýstīma grafī́s), which includes fiv ...
,
katharevousa
Katharevousa ( el, Καθαρεύουσα, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contempor ...
up until 1976). It is earned after four to six years of undergraduate studies, depending on the field, and is a first cycle qualification in the
Bologna Process with 240 or more
ECTS credits. It is placed at level 6 of the
national qualifications framework
A national qualifications framework is a formal system describing qualifications. 47 countries participating in the Bologna Process are committed to producing a national qualifications framework. Other countries not part of this process also hav ...
of Greece which is officially named Hellenic Qualification Framework (HQF),
[ ] which is referenced to level 6 of the
European Qualifications Framework
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe, promoting workers' and learners' mobility between countries and facilitating their lifelong learning. The EQF a ...
. It is classified as a level 6 qualification in the
ISCED
The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is a statistical framework for organizing information on education maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is a member of the in ...
.
The bachelor's degree is provided by all
Higher Education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...
Institutions (HEIs), including
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
,
specialist HEIs, formerly
technological educational institutes (TEIs) (1983-2019).
In 1995, it changed TEI six-semester-mode of undergraduate degree programme of studies legally equivalent to an ordinary bachelor's degree (Ord) (-year; 210 ECTS, 1983–1995) into nine-semester-mode (4-year; 240 ECTS, 1995–2019).
[''Structure of Higher Education and provisions of the TEIs. Qualifications for the TEIs.'' ] Technical universities
An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...
and some universities offer a 5-year (300 ECTS) undergraduate programme leading to a Δίπλωμα (Greek) Diploma (
integrated-master-level-granting, Master's degree equivalent) at Level 7 of the HQF.
Hungary
In the classic, pre-Bologna educational system, Hungarian academic programs were not divided into bachelor's and master's degrees. However, while an average university ( hu, egyetem) degree lasted 5 years, there were undergraduate college ( hu, főiskola) degrees obtainable, in either 3 or 4 years of length. These diplomas are today considered to be equivalents of a BA/BSc (undergraduate college) or an MA/MSc (university) degree.
The Bologna System was introduced in 2005, and with the last classes graduating in 2009, it is the sole form of higher education in the country. Bachelor's degrees ( hu, alapképzés, "basic degree") usually last 3 years, but there are degrees in certain areas of education - most notably engineering, economics, and some natural sciences - where an additional semester is required, lengthening the program to 3,5 years. While regular master's degrees ( hu, mesterképzés, "master degree") are only obtainable with a pre-existing bachelor's degree, the Hungarian system makes notable exceptions with law degrees, teacher's degrees, medical degrees, and some unique fields of study (i.e. forestry engineering at the
University of Sopron
The main campus of the University of Sopron ( Soproni Egyetem, abbreviated SOE) is located in Sopron, Hungary.
The school traces its roots to 1735. ): these degrees are called non-divisional degrees ( hu, osztatlan képzés), and while technically being MA/MSc degrees, they have the same entering criteria as BA/BSc degrees, and have a span of 5 or 6 years.
Italy
Italian students graduate from high school at age 19, and the current higher education system includes:
* "
laurea triennale" (''three-year degree'') or simply "laurea", corresponds to bachelor's degree. The course takes three years to complete and grants access to graduate degrees.
* "
laurea magistrale
In Italy, the ''laurea'' is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremon ...
", corresponds to master's degree and takes two years to complete.
* "laurea magistrale a ciclo unico", (''one cycle degree'') is a title provided by particular faculties like law school and medical school. It takes 5 to 6 year to complete and grants the access to a profession.
A bachelor's degree holder has the title of "dottore" (''doctor'')
A master's degree holder has the title of "dottore magistrale" (''master doctor'')
In order to graduate, students must earn credits (
ECTS) and write a thesis for which students have to elaborate on an argument under the supervision of a professor (generally from three to eight ECTS). Graduation marks go from 66 to 110. According to each faculty internal ruling, a ''lode'' may be awarded to candidates with a 110/110 mark for recognition of the excellence of the final project.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the bachelor's degree was introduced in 2002 with the change of the Dutch degree system due to the European
Bologna process. Until that time, the Dutch universities did not have a Bachelor level degree (although the
Candidate's diploma existed until 1982, which was more-or-less of the same level). Prior to the Dutch degree system change a single program at the university comprised the same course load as the bachelor's and master's programs together which led to the
doctorandus
Doctorandus (drs., ; ) is a Dutch academic title according to the pre-Bachelor–Master system. The female form is doctoranda (dra., though this abbreviation is no longer used). The title is acquired by passing the ''doctoraalexamen'', the exam wh ...
degree (or for legal studies to the "Meester in de rechten" and engineering to "
Ingenieur
An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering which is conferred in Europe, some countries of Latin America, North Africa and a few institutions in the United States. The degree may require a thesis but always requires a non- ...
"). In 2002, with the introduction of the
Bachelor's master's doctorate system The bachelor's master's doctorate system (in France ''réforme licence-master-doctorat'' or ''réforme LMD'') is a European educational system designed by the Bologna Process. Its purpose is to standardize the educational system at European univers ...
, the single (4- or 5-year) program at Dutch universities has been changed and split into a 3-year program leading to the bachelor's degree and a subsequent a 1- or 2-year program leading to the
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. .
Those who had already started the doctorandus program could, upon completing it, opt for the doctorandus degree (before their name, abbreviated to 'drs.'), or simply use the master's degree (behind their name) in accordance with the new standard. Since these graduates do not have a separate bachelor's degree (which is in fact – in retrospect – incorporated into the program), the master's degree is their first academic degree.
In 2003/2004, the Dutch degree system was changed because of the Bologna process. Former degrees included:
* ''baccalaureus'' (bc. for bachelor, corresponding to a BASc or BAA degree, it may be formally rendered as "B", followed by the specialization field, instead of "bc.")
* ''doctorandus'' (prefix abbreviated to drs.; it corresponds to MA or MSc, but it may be formally rendered as M instead of drs.),
* ''ingenieur'' (ing.) for graduates of the four-year courses offered by Dutch higher vocational colleges (HBO, that is; ''hoger beroepsonderwijs'') see:
university of applied science
A university of applied sciences (UAS), nowadays much less commonly called a polytechnic university or vocational university, is an institution of higher education and sometimes research that provides vocational education and grants academic de ...
. It is similar to a BASc, BEng, BBE, BAS or BICT (BIT., and it may be formally rendered as B followed by the specialization field, instead of ing.
* ir. for those having graduated from technical university after a minimum of five years, corresponding to a MSc, but it may be formally rendered as M, instead of ir.),
* ''meester in de rechten'' (mr.; it corresponds to LLM, but it may be formally rendered as M instead of mr.) and
* ''doctor'' (dr.; it corresponds to PhD, but it may formally be rendered as D instead of dr.) are still granted along with their international equivalents.
While the titles ing., bc., ir., mr., drs. and dr. are used before one's own name, the degrees B, M or D are mentioned after one's name. It is still allowed to use the traditional titles.
Whether a bachelor's degree is granted by a ''hogeschool'' or university is highly relevant since these parallel systems of higher education have traditionally served somewhat different purposes, with the vocational colleges mainly concentrating on skills and practical training. A BA or BSc from a university grants "immediate" entry into a master's program. Moreover, this is usually considered a formality to allow students to switch to foreign universities master's programs. Meanwhile, those having completed a HBO from a vocational college, which represented the highest possible level of vocational education available, can only continue to a "master's" on completion of a challenging year of additional study, which in itself can serve as a type of selection process, with the prospective MSc students being required to cover a great deal of ground in a single year.
Recently, HBO (vocational) master's degrees have been introduced in the Netherlands. Graduates thereof may use neither the extension "of Arts" (MA) nor "of Science" (MSc). They may use an M followed by the field of specialization (e.g., MDes).
This year of study to "convert" from the vocational to academic (WO – ''wetenschappelijk onderwijs'', literally "scientific education") is also known as a "bridge" or "premasters" year. Note that despite the use of the terminology "university of applied science" the higher vocational colleges are not considered to be "universities" within the Netherlands.
Important aspects of Dutch bachelor's degree courses (and others) relative to some of those offered abroad include:
* Duration. While in many countries courses are completed in a given time under normal circumstances, degree courses offered at some (though by no means all) Dutch institutions, including the most prestigious, can only be completed in three years by the best performing students.
* Academic year. The Dutch academic year has a formal duration of 42 weeks. In practice students are often expected and required to spend a great deal of the "free" time revising for examinations. This is not always true elsewhere, as in many countries a very long summer break is taken or examinations are before the winter break rather than after.
* Learning curve. Some education systems, notably the British one, involve a gentle introduction during the first year. This is generally not the case in the Netherlands, with the difficulty level in the first year serving as a type of "self-selection" with less committed and less able students routinely finding it difficult to keep up.
In February 2011, the Dutch State Secretary of Education decided to adhere to the recommendations written in a report by the Veerman Commission. In the near future, the distinction between academic and higher vocational degrees will disappear.
North Macedonia
In 2003, the German-style education system was changed to conform to the ECTS because of the Bologna process. The existing academic degree granted with a diploma was transformed into a baccalaureus (bachelor's degree). The universities usually award a bachelor's degree after three years (following which, a master's degree will be two years long) or four years (following which, a master's degree will be one year long).
Norway
A bachelor's degree in Norway requires three years of full-time studies, that is, 180 ECTS. There are some exceptions, for example physiotherapy. Norwegian bachelor's degrees are either programme bachelor's degrees or
elective bachelor's degree The elective bachelor’s degree ( no, selvvalgt bachelorgrad) is an educational innovation of the 2001 Quality Reform in Norway. Designed to increase degree completion, allow students to pursue individual research interests, and facilitate adult le ...
s.
Poland
In Poland, the
licentiate degree
A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels.
It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin Am ...
corresponds to the bachelor's degree in Anglophone countries. In Polish, it is called ''licencjat''. To obtain the licencjat degree, one must complete three years of study. There is also a similar degree called engineer (''inżynier'') which differs from the ''licencjat'' in that it is awarded by technical universities and the program usually lasts for 3.5 years. After that, the student can continue education for 2 or 1.5 years, respectively, to obtain a ''magister'' degree, which corresponds to a master's degree.
Portugal
Presently, the bachelor's degree in Portugal does not exist.
Before the Bologna process (2006/2007), the ''bacharelato'' (bachelor's degree) existed in the Portuguese higher education system. It required three years of study, being roughly equivalent to the present ''licenciatura''. At that time, the ''licenciatura'' referred to a
licentiate's degree (equivalent to the present master's degree), which required usually five years of study. A ''licenciatura'' could also be obtained by performing two years of study after obtaining a ''bacharelato''.
Today, the former and current ''licenciatura'' degrees are referred in Portugal, respectively, as pre-Bologna and post-Bologna ''licenciaturas''.
Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia
The
specialist's degree (russian: специалист), was the first academic distinction in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, awarded to students upon completion of five-year studies at the university level. The degree can be compared both to the bachelor's and master's degree. In the early 1990s, ''Bakalavr'' (Бакалавр, "bachelor") degrees were introduced in all the countries of the
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...
except Turkmenistan. After the bakalavr degree (usually four years), one can earn a master's degree (another one or two years) while preserving the old five-year specialist scheme.
Spain
In Spain, due to the ongoing transition to a model compliant with the
Bologna agreement, exact equivalents to the typical
Anglosphere
The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking world, English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in d ...
bachelor's degree and master's degree are being implemented progressively. Currently, there is an undergraduate bachelor's degree called "título de grado" or simply "grado" (its duration generally being four years), a postgraduate master's degree called "título de máster" or "máster" (between one and two years), and a doctor's degree called "título de doctor" or "doctorado". The "título de grado" is now the prerequisite to access a master's degree. The "título de máster" is now the prerequisite to access doctoral studies, and its duration and the kind of institutions that can teach these programs are regulated in the framework of the
European Higher Education Area
The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was launched in March 2010, during the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bologna Process.
As the main objective of the Bologna Process since its ince ...
.
Spanish university qualifications are now defined by law (currently RD 1509 of 12 September 2008), included the 2008 reform was the replacement of the Catalog of titles by the Registry of Universities, Centers and Titles (RUCT)
Up until 2009/2010, the system was split into three categories of degrees. There were the so-called first-cycle degrees: "diplomado" or "ingeniero técnico", with nominal durations varying between three and four years; there were also second-cycle degrees: "licenciado" or "ingeniero" with nominal durations varying between four and six years; and finally the third-cycle degrees: "doctor". The official first-cycle degrees are comparable in terms of duration, scope, and educational outcomes to an Anglo-Saxon bachelor's degree. Meanwhile, the second-cycle degrees are comparable in terms of duration, scope, and educational outcomes to an Anglo-Saxon bachelor's + master's degrees combination if compared with the Anglo-Saxon system. In this traditional system the access to doctoral studies was granted only to the holders of "licenciado", "ingeniero" or "arquitecto" (second-cycle) degrees, and the "master" or "magister" titles were unregulated (so, there coexisted so-called "master" programs with different durations, from some months to two years, backed by universities or centers without any official recognition) and only the reputation of the program/institution could back them.
Specialisation now includes about 800 specific recognised study programmes and qualification titles although he former general qualification nomenclature has been retained so that ''grade/licencado'' is approximately BA or BSc while ''maestro'' generally indicates a practice licence similar to MA and ''doctorado'' a PhD published original research thesis.
''Note:'' The
Anglophone
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...
Bachelor's degree should not be confused with the official university entrance precursor, the
Spanish Baccalaureate
The Spanish Baccalaureate ( es, Bachillerato) is the post-16 stage of education in Spain, comparable to the A Levels/Higher (Scottish) in the UK, the French Baccalaureate in France or the International Baccalaureate. It follows the Education in Spa ...
qualification available to ''
Year Twelve
Year 12 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-compulsory educa ...
'' students. That qualification is distinct from the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
for young adults with similar aspirations.
Sweden
The Swedish equivalent of a bachelor's degree is called ''kandidatexamen.'' It is earned after three years of studies, of which at least a year and a half in the major subject. A thesis of at least 15 ECTS credits must be included in the degree.
As part of the
Bologna process, Sweden aligned the length of its undergraduate and graduate programmes. Previously, there was a Bachelor of Law degree (''juris kandidat'') which required 4.5 years of study, but this degree now has a new name, ''juristexamen'' (and is now a master's degree called "Master of Laws").
Similarly, the graduate engineering degree previously known as Civilingenjör was 4.5 years long, but was split into an undergraduate bachelor's degree of 3 years (180
ECTS credits) and a
Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. of 2 years (120 credits).
Switzerland
Like Austria and Germany, Switzerland did not have a tradition of bachelor's and master's degrees. In 2003, after the application of the Bologna process, bachelor's and graduate master's degrees replaced the old degrees. the
Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities granted holders of a lizentiat or diploma the right to use the corresponding ''master'' title. , certificates of equivalence are issued by the university that issued the original degree. Currently three to four years of study are required to be awarded a bachelor's degree. A master's degree will require another two to three years of coursework and a thesis.
Turkey
There are institutions which award bachelor's degrees in almost every city in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. Examples are
Ankara University
Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
The university has 40 vocat ...
,
Bilkent University
Bilkent University ( tr, Bilkent Üniversitesi) is a private university located in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded by Prof. İhsan Doğramacı in 1984, with the aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research. It is constan ...
,
Boğaziçi University
Boğaziçi University ( tr, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi), also known as Bosphorus University, is a major research university in Istanbul, Turkey. Its main campus is located on the European side of the Bosphorus, Bosphorus strait. It has six facult ...
,
Marmara University
Marmara University ( Turkish: ''Marmara Üniversitesi'') is a public university in Istanbul, Turkey.
The university is named after the Sea of Marmara and was founded as a university in 1982. However, it was created in 1883 under the name of ''H ...
,
Hacettepe University
Hacettepe University is a leading state university in Ankara, Turkey. It was established on 8 July 1967. It is ranked first among the Turkish universities by URAP in 2021.
The university has two main campuses. The first campus is in the old to ...
,
Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul Bilgi University ( tr, İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi), officially established in 1996, is a private university located in Istanbul, Turkey.
The university has 4 campuses centrally-located in Istanbul namely SantralIstanbul, Kuştepe, Do ...
,
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University ( tr, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, commonly referred to as ITU or The Technical University) is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest technical university ...
,
Istanbul University
, image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg
, image_size = 200px
, latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis
, motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü
, mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future
, established = 1453 1846 1933
...
,
Koç University
Koç University ( tr, Koç Üniversitesi) is a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Turkey. It started education in temporary buildings in İstinye in 1993, and moved to its current Rumelifeneri campus near Sarıyer in 2000. Koç Universit ...
,
Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University (commonly referred to as METU; in Turkish language, Turkish, ''Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi'', ODTÜ) is a public university, public Institute of technology, technical university located in Ankara, Turkey. The ...
,
Sabancı University
Sabancı University ( tr, Sabancı Üniversitesi), established in 1994, is a young foundation university located on a 1.26 million squaremeter campus which is about 40 km from Istanbul's city center. Its first students matriculated in 1999. ...
,
Yeditepe University
Yeditepe University is a private foundation university situated in Istanbul, Turkey. Established by the Istanbul Education and Culture Foundation ( tr, İstanbul Eğitim ve Kültür Vakfı, İSTEK Vakfı) in 1996, Yeditepe University now claims t ...
,
Gaziantep University
Gaziantep University ( tr, Gaziantep Üniversitesi) is a public university in Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep University has 10 faculties, containing a total of 22 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological resear ...
,
Istanbul Gelisim University
Istanbul Gelisim University ( tr, İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi) is a private non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transc ...
and
Yıldız Technical University
Yıldız Technical University ( Tr. ''Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi'', often simply referred to as YTU or Yıldız) is a prominent technical university dedicated to engineering and natural sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one ...
. They all grant bachelor of arts or science degrees upon completion of an eight-semester course. There are opportunities to undertake a
double major
A double degree program, sometimes called a dual degree, combined degree, conjoint degree, joint degree or double graduation program, involves a student's working for two university degrees in parallel—either at the same institution or at diffe ...
. Turkey is participating in the
Bologna Process.
United Kingdom
The bachelor's degree is the standard undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom, with the most common degrees being the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc). Most bachelor's degree courses (apart from the very rare postgraduate awards, and those in
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
,
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
and
veterinary science
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...
) lead to
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s, with ordinary degrees generally only being awarded to those who do not meet the required pass mark for an honours degree. With the exception of the postgraduate bachelor's degrees and bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, UK bachelor's degrees (whether honours or non-honours) are first cycle (end of cycle) qualifications under the
Bologna Process. Postgraduate bachelor's degrees and bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are second cycle (end of cycle) qualifications. Some bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science offer intercalated degrees en route to the final qualification.
Bachelor's degrees should not be confused with baccalaureate qualifications, which derive their name from the same root. In the UK, baccalaureate qualifications, e.g.
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
,
Welsh Baccalaureate
The Welsh Baccalaureate ( cy, Bagloriaeth Cymru), or Welsh Bacc, is an educational qualification delivered in secondary schools and colleges across Wales. The Welsh Government says that it gives broader experiences than traditional learning pr ...
,
English Baccalaureate
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance indicator in England linked to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results. It measures students' attainment by calculating an average score from specified subject grades. ...
, are gained at secondary schools rather than being degree-level qualifications.
Until the 19th century, a bachelor's degree represented the first degree in a particular faculty, with Arts representing undergraduate study, thus the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at Oxford and the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Cambridge, for example, were postgraduate degrees. Vestiges of this system still remain in the ancient universities, with Oxford and Cambridge awarding BAs for undergraduate degrees in both arts and sciences (although both award undergraduate BTh degrees through associated
theological college
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
s, and Oxford awards BFA degrees in addition to the BA) and defining other bachelor's degrees (e.g., BPhil, BCL) as postgraduate awards equivalent to
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s, although many postgraduate bachelor's degrees have now been replaced by equivalent master's degrees (e.g., LLM for the LLB at Cambridge and MSc for the BSc at Oxford). The same historical usage of indicating an undergraduate degree by it being in the faculty of arts rather than being a bachelor's degree gives rise to the
Oxbridge MA
In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an un ...
and the
Scottish MA
The degree of Master of Arts (MA; , ) in Scotland is an undergraduate degree. The degree can be either a three-year general or four-year ''Honours degree'' in humanities or social sciences, awarded by one of several institutions.
Chiefly, the ...
).
Common bachelor's degrees and abbreviations:
*
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
: BA
*
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
: BSc
*
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
: LLB
*
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law (abbreviated BCL, or B.C.L.; la, Baccalaureus Civilis Legis) is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. The BCL originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Camb ...
: BCL
*
Bachelor of Engineering
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.
In the UK, a Bache ...
: BEng
*
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...
: BEd
*
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
: MBBS, MBBCh, BMBS, BMBCh
*
Bachelor of Dental Surgery: BDS
=England, Wales and Northern Ireland
=
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bachelor's degrees usually take three years of study to complete, although courses may take four years where they include a year abroad or a placement year. Degrees may have titles related to their broad subject area or faculty, such as BA or BSc, or may be more subject specific (e.g. BEng or LLB). The majority of bachelor's degrees are now
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s, although this has not always been the case historically.
Although first degree courses are usually three years (360
credits
Credit refers to any form of deferred payment, the granting of a loan and the creation of debt.
Credit may also refer to:
Places
* Credit, Arkansas, a ghost town
* Credit River, a river in Ontario, Canada
* Credit River (Minnesota), a river in ...
), direct second year entry is sometimes possible for students transferring from other courses or those who have completed
foundation degree
A foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification in higher education in the United Kingdom, equivalent to two-thirds of an honours bachelor's degree, introduced by the Department for Education and Employment in 2000. Founda ...
s, via
accreditation of prior learning or more formal credit transfer arrangements. Some universities compress the three-year course into two years by teaching for a full calendar year (180 credits) rather than a standard academic year (120 credits), thus maintaining the full 360-credit extent of the course.
In addition to bachelor's degrees, some institutions offer integrated
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s as first degrees in some subjects (particularly in STEM fields). These integrate teaching at bachelor's and master's level in a four-year (five-year if with industrial experience) course, which often shares the first two years with the equivalent bachelor's course.
The normal academic standard for bachelor's degrees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the ''
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
''. These are normally
classified into one of four classes of honours, depending upon the marks gained in examinations and other assessments:
* First class honours (1st)
* Second class honours, divided into:
** Upper division, or upper second (2:1)
** Lower division, or lower second (2:2)
* Third class honours (3rd)
Some institutions have announced that they intend to replace this system of classifying honours degrees with an American-style
Grade Point Average
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
. An ''ordinary'' (or ''unclassified'') degree, which only requires passes worth 300 credits rather than the 360 of the honours degree, may be awarded if a student has completed the full honours degree course but has not obtained sufficient passes to earn a degree. Completion of just the first two years of the course can lead to a
Diploma of Higher Education
A Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. It is awarded after two years of full-time study at a university or other higher education institution. Rated as a Level 5 qualification on both the ...
and completion of only the first year to a
Certificate of Higher Education
A Certificate of Higher Education (Cert.H.E./CertHE) is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.
Overview
The Certificate is awarded after one year of full-time study (or equivalent) at a university or other higher education institu ...
.
On the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, standard undergraduate bachelor's degrees with and without honours are at level 6, although the courses include learning across levels 4 to 6. Honours degrees normally require 360 credits with a minimum of 90 at level 6, while ordinary degrees need 300 credits with a minimum of 60 at level 6. Bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are at level 7, with learning spanning levels 4 to 7, and are not normally credit rated. The Diploma of Higher Education is a level 5 (second year of bachelor's degree) qualification and requires 240 credits, a minimum of 90 at level 5; The Certificate of Higher Education is a level 4 (first year of bachelor's degree) qualification and requires 120 credits, a minimum of 90 at level 4.
Other qualifications at level 6 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications or the Regulated Qualifications Framework, such as
graduate diplomas and
certificates, some
BTEC Advanced Professional awards, diplomas and certificates, and the graduateship of the
City & Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies – to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has ...
are at the same level as bachelor's degrees, although not necessarily representing the same credit volume.
=Scotland
=
At Scottish universities, bachelor's degrees (and the equivalent
Scottish MA
The degree of Master of Arts (MA; , ) in Scotland is an undergraduate degree. The degree can be either a three-year general or four-year ''Honours degree'' in humanities or social sciences, awarded by one of several institutions.
Chiefly, the ...
awarded by some institutions) are normally ''
honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s'', taking four years of study (or five with a year abroad or in industry), but may also be ''ordinary degrees'' (also known as ''pass'', ''general'' or ''designated'' degrees) requiring three years of study. Honours degrees may be awarded as BA (Hons) or MA (Hons) in the arts and social sciences, or BSc (Hons) for sciences, or have more specific titles such as BEng. As in the rest of the UK, integrated
master's degrees
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. , taking five years in Scotland, are also offered as first degrees alongside bachelor's degrees.
An honours degree may be directly linked to professional or vocational qualifications, particularly in fields such as engineering, surveying and architecture. These courses tend to have highly specified curricula, leaving students without many options for broader study. Others, following a more traditional route, start off with a broad range of studies across the faculty that has admitted the student or, via modular study, across the whole university. Students on these courses specialise later in their degree programmes.
[ Typically degree grades are based only on the final two years of study, after a specialisation has been chosen, so broader study courses taken in the first two years do not affect the final degree grade.
Honours degrees are subdivided into classes in the same way as the rest of the UK, depending on the overall grade achieved. These are, from highest to lowest; first class, upper second class (2:1), lower second class (2:2), and third class.
Ordinary degrees are awarded to students who have completed three years at university studying a variety of related subjects. These may be taken over a broad range of subjects or (as with honours degrees) with a specialisation in a particular subject (in the latter case, they are sometimes known s ''designated degrees''). As ordinary degrees in Scotland constitute a distinct course of study, rather than a grade below honours degrees, they can be graded (from lowest to highest) as "pass", "merit" or "distinction". As in the rest of the UK, Certificates and Diplomas of Higher Education may be earned by those completing one and two years of a bachelor's degree course respectively.][
The first two years, sometimes three, of both an ordinary degree and an honours degree are identical, but candidates for the ordinary degree study in less depth in their final year and often over a wider variety of subjects, and do not usually complete a dissertation. A Scottish ordinary degree is thus different from ordinary degrees in the rest of the UK in comprising a distinct course of study from the honours degree. In keeping with the Scottish "broad education" philosophy, ordinary degrees (and more rarely honours ones) may mix different disciplines such as sciences and humanities taught in different faculties and in some cases even different universities.
Bachelor's degrees with honours are at level 10 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and require 480 ]credits
Credit refers to any form of deferred payment, the granting of a loan and the creation of debt.
Credit may also refer to:
Places
* Credit, Arkansas, a ghost town
* Credit River, a river in Ontario, Canada
* Credit River (Minnesota), a river in ...
with a minimum of 90 at level 10 and 90 at level 9. Ordinary degrees are at level 9 and require 360 credits with a minimum of 90 at level 9. Both honours degrees and ordinary degrees qualify as first cycle (end of cycle) qualifications in the Bologna Process. Bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are at level 11 of the SCQF and are second cycle (end of cycle) qualifications in the Bologna Process.
Oceania
Australia
In Australia, a "bachelor degree" is normally a three to four-year program, leading to a qualification at level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) specifies the standards for educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government's Department of Industry, with oversight from the States and Territo ...
. Entry to a number of professions, such as law practice and teaching, require a bachelor's degree (a 'professional' degree). Other degrees, such as Bachelor of Arts don't necessarily elicit entry into a profession, though many organisations require a bachelor's degree for employment.
A one-year postgraduate bachelor honours degree can be achieved as a consecutive stand-alone course following a bachelor's degree in the same field, or as an additional year as part of a bachelor's degree program.[ The honours course is normally only open to those who do well in their bachelor's degree program and involves study at a more advanced level than that bachelor's degree. Both the bachelor and bachelor honours degrees are aligned with level 6 of the EQF, the same as British and Irish bachelor's degrees with and without honours, and other Bologna Process first cycle qualifications.
Some bachelor's degrees (e.g. engineering and environmental science) include an integrated honours degree as part of a four-year program. Honours is generally for students who want to take up a research track for ]postgraduate studies
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
, and increasingly for those who want an extra edge in the job market. Marking scales for Honours differ; generally, First Class Honours (85–100%) denotes an excellent standard of achievement; Second Class Division 1 (75–84%) a high standard; Second Class Division 2 (65–74%) a good standard; Third Class (50–64%) satisfactory standard; a final mark below 50% is a fail of the course.
Bachelor honours degrees include a major Independent research component, allowing students to develop skills that will enable them to proceed to further study or to work in research roles in industry. First-class or second-class (upper division) honours are generally required for entry into doctoral programs (e.g. PhDs, etc.); an alternative route to doctoral study is via a "masters degree".
New Zealand
In New Zealand, only recognised institutions – usually universities and polytechnics – have degree-awarding powers.
Most bachelor's degrees are three years full-time, but certain degrees, such as the Bachelor of Laws and the Bachelor of Engineering degrees, require four years of study. A bachelor with honours is a program of four years duration (e.g., Bachelor of Arts with Honours). A Bachelor of Medicine degree requires a minimum of six years.
Where students opt to study two bachelor's degrees simultaneously – referred to as a "conjoint degree" or "double degree
A double degree program, sometimes called a dual degree, combined degree, conjoint degree, joint degree or double graduation program, involves a student's working for two university degrees in parallel—either at the same institution or at diffe ...
" – an extra year of study is added. The number of years of study required is determined based on the degree with the greatest number of years. For example, a BCom degree requires three years of full-time study, but a double BCom–LLB degree will require five years of full-time study because the LLB degree is four years long. Exceptional students may choose to complete a degree in a shorter amount of time by taking on extra courses, usually with the help of summer school. Students who complete a double degree program will have two separate bachelor's degrees at the end of their studies.
Consistently high-performing students may also be invited to complete the 'honours' program. The bachelor with honours usually requires an extra year of study with an extra honours thesis/dissertation. This degree is considered to fall between the bachelor's and master's levels on the European Qualifications Framework
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe, promoting workers' and learners' mobility between countries and facilitating their lifelong learning. The EQF a ...
. An honours award is indicated by the addition of "Hons" to the degree name or abbreviation (for example, "Bachelor of Laws (Hons)"). Some honours degree courses also offer a postgraduate diploma
A postgraduate diploma (PgD, PgDip, PGDip, PG Dip., PGD, Dipl. PG, PDE) is a postgraduate qualification awarded after a university degree, which supplements the original degree and awards them with a graduate diploma. Countries that award postg ...
(PGDip) as an exit qualification, which often consists of the same workload but with added flexibility. A PGDip does not usually require a dissertation. However, the student may complete one if desired. A diploma award is indicated by "PGDip" and the degree field (for example, "PGDipArts" or "PGDipScience".
Subjects
Many other specialized bachelor's degrees are offered as well. Some are in very specialized areas, like the five-year BIDes or BScIDes degree in industrial design
Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advan ...
. Others are offered only at a limited number of universities, such as the Walsh School of Foreign Service
The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is the school of international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It is considered to be one of the world's leading international affairs schools, granting degrees at both ...
at Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
's Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS). The University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's ...
offers a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science (BAASc) degree, a degree which often indicates an interdisciplinary course of study for many majors within its School of Arts and Science. Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
's Bachelor of Arts and Science Bachelor of Arts and Science(s) (BA&Sc, BASc, BAS, B.A.&Sc., B.A.Sc., or B.A.S.), sometimes also named Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA), is an undergraduate bachelor's degree conferred by a small number of universities from countries including the ...
degree is for students who are receiving one degree but who have completed two arts and sciences majors, one of which would ordinarily lead to the BA and one of which would ordinarily lead to the BSc.
At many institutions one can only complete a two-degree program if the bachelor's degrees to be earned are of different types (e.g., one could earn a BA in philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and a BScCEng in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
simultaneously, but a person studying philosophy and English would receive only a single BA with the two majors). Rules on this vary considerably, however.
Agriculture
The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Sc (Ag) or BSc (Hons) Agricultureoffers a broad training in the sciences. The focus of this four-year applied degree is on the development of analytical, quantitative, computing and communication skills. Students learn how to apply the knowledge and principles of science to the understanding and management of the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products, and to the management and conservation of our natural resources. All students undertake rural field trips and approved professional experience within agricultural or horticultural enterprises, natural resource management, agribusiness industries, or commercial or government organisations active in the field.
Architecture and design
The Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world.
Australia
Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...
(BArch) degree is a professional degree awarded to students who complete the five-year course of study in the field at some universities. Many universities offer a BSc or BA (majoring in architecture) after the first three or four years, and then a post-graduate diploma, BArch or MArch for the following two to four years.
The Bachelor of Design
A Bachelor of Design (B.Des. or B.Design) degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree in the field of design awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. It is the undergraduate equivalent of the Master of Design, ...
(BDes, or S.Ds. in Indonesia) is awarded to those who complete the four- or four-and-a-half-year course of study in design, usually majoring in a specific field of design, such as interior design or graphic design.
Arts
The Bachelor of Arts degrees (BA, AB; also known as ''Artium Baccalaureus'') along with the Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degrees are the most common undergraduate degrees given. Originally, in the universities of Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
and Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, all undergraduate degrees were in the faculty of arts, hence the name of the degree. The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, often abbreviated as BAAS or BAASc, is an undergraduate degree.
Usage
In the United States, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) degree is considered a completion degree. The degree can be ...
(BAASc) is an undergraduate degree that bridges academic and work-life experiences.
Engineering
* The Bachelor of Engineering
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.
In the UK, a Bache ...
degree or Bachelor of Applied Science
The Bachelor of Applied Science, often abbreviated as B.AS., BAS, BSAS, BASc, B.A.Sc., or BAppSc, is an undergraduate degree. There are also ''Bachelor of Arts and Science'' and ''Bachelor of Administration Science'' undergraduate degrees, also a ...
degree or Bachelor of Science in Engineering
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.
In the UK, a Bache ...
degree is a professional degree awarded to students who have completed the three or four-year course of study in engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
. Common abbreviations include BEng, BASc, AMIE and BScEng. The BAI (baccalaureus in arte ingeniaria
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university.
In the UK, a Bache ...
) degree is awarded by the University of Dublin
The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...
(Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
). Some South African universities refer to their engineering degrees as BIng (Baccalaureus Ingeniaria).
*Bachelor of Engineering degrees available to study include: aerospace, automotive, chemical, civil, computer, electrical & electronic (E&E), industrial, mechatronic, and mechanical engineering.
Business and management
Computer science and information systems
There are various undergraduate degrees in information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
incorporating programming, database design, software engineering, networks and information systems. These programs prepare graduates for further postgraduate research
Postgraduate research represents a formal area of study that is recognized by a university or institute of higher learning. By definition, the notion of “postgraduate” (United States) carries the implication that the candidate undertaking such ...
degrees or for employment in a variety of roles in the information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
industry. The program focus may be on the technical or theoretical aspects of the subject matter, depending on which course is taken.
* Theoretically oriented degrees focus on computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
and are correspondingly titled. These include the Bachelor of Computing
A Bachelor of Computing (B.Comp.) is a bachelor's degree in computing. This degree is offered in a small number of universities, and varies slightly from a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Computer Science or Information Technology, a Bachelor of S ...
(BComp) and Bachelor of Computer Science
The Bachelor of Computer Science (abbreviated BCompSc or BCS) is a bachelor's degree awarded by some universities for completion of an undergraduate program in computer science. In general, computer science degree programs emphasize the mathemati ...
(BCompSc) degrees. Computer science is also offered as a major within most Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
programs.
* The practically oriented degrees cover many disciplines from within the IT industry
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system ( ...
including software engineering, information systems, and data communications. Examples here include the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
A Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, (abbreviated BSIT or B.Sc. IT), is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the information technology. The degree is normally required in order to work in the Information tec ...
(BScIT), the Bachelor of Computer Applications
A Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, (abbreviated BSIT or B.Sc. IT), is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the information technology. The degree is normally required in order to work in the Information tec ...
(BCA), the Bachelor of Information Technology
A Bachelor of Information Technology (abbreviations BIT or BInfTech) is an undergraduate academic degree that generally requires three to five years of study. While the degree has a major focus on computers and technology, it differs from a Compu ...
, and the Bachelor of Applied Science (Information Technology) (BAScIT)) degrees. Many of the disciplines taught as part of these degrees are covered under other degrees, such as engineering, as well.
* Degrees combining IT with business study are also offered at many universities. Specialized programs in information systems
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, information storage, store, and information distribution, distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems a ...
—such as the Bachelor of Business Information Systems Bachelor of Business Information Systems (BBIS) is an IT focused undergraduate program designed to better understand the needs of business and industry and be well equipped to meet those needs. It blends core concepts from a traditional business adm ...
(BBIS) program—are often positioned as professionally oriented degrees. More general degrees here would include business degrees, such as the BBA or BCom
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanma ...
, with information systems as a concentration.
Economics
A Bachelor of Economics
The Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon),
or the "Bachelor of Applied Economics", is a bachelor's degree awarded by many universities and colleges for completion of an undergraduate program in economics, econometrics, or applied economics;
the ...
(BEcon, BSc(Econ) and BEc) is awarded in British and Commonwealth institutions after following a rigorous programme of theoretical quantitative economic learning. Programmes usually include study of both microeconomics and macroeconomics, alongside empirical work in the form of econometrics. Economics can also be offered as a Bachelor of Science (with a more general focus on the quantitative methods) or a Bachelor of Arts (with a qualitative focus on the concepts). The Bachelor of Economics is substantially more theoretical and mathematical then the more commonly offered brethren.
Health care
Medicine
In countries following British tradition (the University of Malta
The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...
is an exception), medical students pursue an undergraduate medical education and receive bachelor's degrees in medicine and surgery (MBBChir, MBBS, BMBS, BM, MBChB, etc.).
This was historically taken at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin after the initial BA degree, and in Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin the BA is still awarded for the initial three years of medical study, with the BMBCh, MBBChir, or MBBChBAO, respectively, being awarded for the subsequent clinical stage of training. Some British universities give a bachelor's degree in science, or medical science, midway through the medical course, and most allow students to intercalate a year of more specialized study for an intercalated Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc), or Bachelor of Medical Biology (BMedBiol) degree with honors.
Although notionally MB and BS are two degrees, they must be taken together. In some Irish universities, a third degree, Bachelor of Arts in Obstetrics (BAO), is added. However, this third degree is an anachronism from the 19th century and is not registerable with the Irish Medical Council. In the UK, these qualifications, while retaining the title of bachelor's degrees, are master's degree level qualifications.
Use of the courtesy title of ''doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
'' is attached to the profession of doctor or physician and is granted by registration, not by earning the qualifying degree. Trainee doctors in the UK are allowed to use the title once they begin their training and receive provisional registration.
The Canadian MD degree is, despite its name, classified as a bachelor's degree.
Dentistry
Dentistry is offered both as an undergraduate and a postgraduate course. In countries following the British model, the first degree in dentistry is the Bachelor of Dental Surgery, which is a master's degree level qualification in the UK.[ In some parts of the world, the doctorate of dental surgery (DDS) is the usual undergraduate program. Postgraduate courses such as the Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent) – awarded exclusively by the ]University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
in Australia – require a previous bachelor's degree.
Midwifery
The Bachelor of Midwifery degree is a professional degree awarded to students who have complete a three- to five-year (depending on the country) course of study in midwifery
Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...
. Common abbreviations include BScMid, BM, BMid and BHScMid.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
is offered both as an undergraduate and a graduate course of study. Studies leading to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy
Physical therapy education varies greatly from country to country. Worldwide, physical therapy training ranges from basic work site education in hospitals and outpatient clinics to professional doctoral degree and masters programs.
Africa N ...
(BPT) degree usually constitute the undergraduate program. In the graduate program, courses leading to a degree such as the Master of Physiotherapy
The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT or MSPT) is a post baccalaureate degree conferred upon successful completion of an accredited physical therapy professional education program.
United States
Successful candidates are then qualified to apply fo ...
degree are offered.
In the Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, French universities offer both undergraduate and graduate courses leading to the procurement of a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in physiotherapy and a Master of Science degree specialized in physiotherapy. McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, the Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-de ...
, and the Université de Sherbrooke
The University of Sherbrooke ( French: Université de Sherbrooke) (UdS) is a large public French-language university in Quebec, Canada with campuses located in Sherbrooke and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It ...
are among the post-secondary institutions that offer such programs.
Optometry
Optometry is a four-year or five-year course. Although students graduate with a BSc after three years of study, passing a further supervised preregistration year is required to become a fully qualified optometrist. The National Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences
The National Institute of Ophthalmic Sciences is an educational institution affiliated with ''Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital'' (THONEH) in Selangor, Malaysia.
History
The institute was established in 1997 by ''Tun Hussein Onn National Ey ...
is among the post-secondary institutions that offer such programs. It is the academic arm of The Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital and the only eye hospital based institution in Malaysia.
Nursing
The Bachelor of Nursing degree is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for a career in nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
. Often the degree is required to gain "registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to o ...
", or equivalent, status—subject to completion of exams in the area of residence. Sometimes, though, the degree is offered only to nurses who are already registered. Alternative titles include Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN, BScN) also known in some countries as a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) or Bachelor of Science (BS) with a Major in Nursing is an academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by an accredited ...
and Bachelor of Nursing Science, with abbreviations BScN, BN and BNSc.
Paramedicine
Paramedicine In the US, paramedicine is the physician-directed practice of medicine, often viewed as the intersection of health care, public health, and public safety. While discussed for many years, the concept of paramedicine was first formally described in th ...
is offered both as an undergraduate and a postgraduate course in some countries. The Bachelor of Paramedicine (BScP, BP, BHScP) is a three- to a five-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for a career in paramedicine, paramedic
A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research.
Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
services or emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
. Countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have established paramedicine degree programs. The United States does not require a degree for paramedicine practice.
Veterinary science
The Bachelor of Veterinary Science
The Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc or BVSC; Latin Baccalaureus Veterinariae Scientiae), "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine" (BVetMed), or "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery" ("BVM&S" or "BVMS") is a degree for studies in veterinary me ...
program is generally a five-year course of study that is required for becoming a veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
. It is also known as the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at some universities (BVMS). In the UK, this is a master's degree level qualification that retains the title of bachelor's for historical reasons.[ In the United States, no bachelor's degree of veterinary science is given, only the ]Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
(DVM) degree is.
Pharmacy
The Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated B Pharm or PharmB or BS Pharm) is a graduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, this degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist. Since both PharmB and Phar ...
(BPharm) degree is a common undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
for the practice of pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
. In the United States, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, however, all colleges of pharmacy have now phased out the degree in favor of the PharmD
A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD; New Latin: ''Pharmaciae Doctor'') is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a doctoral degree to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a clinical pharmacist. In many countries the ...
, or doctor of pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD; New Latin: ''Pharmaciae Doctor'') is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a doctoral degree to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a clinical pharmacist. In many countries the ...
, degree or the PhD, doctor of philosophy, degree in pharmacy. Some universities, such as the University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment.
...
, award a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BScPSc) degree as a part of the seven-year PharmD program after the completion of the first four years. However, the BScPSc degree does not qualify the recipient for the practice of pharmacy, for which students must earn a PharmD degree.
Public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
is usually studied at the master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. level. Australia is one of the few countries where studies in Public Health are available at undergraduate level. Indeed, Australian undergraduate students may major in specific areas of Public Health such as Health Promotion/Education, Epidemiology, Healthcare Administration and Public Health Nutrition. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) (or Bachelor of Public Health) is an undergraduate degree that prepares students to pursue careers in the public, private, or non-profit sector in areas such as public health, environmental health, h ...
(BScPH) degree is a four-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for careers in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors in areas such as public health, environmental health, health administration, epidemiology, or health policy and planning.
Medical and health sciences
* The Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc/BSHS) is a specialized degree awarded to students whose studies have focused on health care, health sciences, or health professions. Specific areas of study can include nursing, radiography, health care management, and health education among the other broad areas of health sciences
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences:
Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple acad ...
. Some BHSc/BSHS programs are intended for prerequisite study to professional graduate programs, including physical therapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
, physician assistant
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of Mid-level practitioner, mid-level health care provider. In North America PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a pri ...
studies, and medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
. The degree is typically awarded following four to five years of collegiate study.
* The title BMedSc, BBioMedSc, BMedSc or BVMedSc is granted to students who have qualified in the field of biomedical science
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbio ...
and medical science
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practice ...
or veterinary medical science respectively. Universities that offer this course include the University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
in Canada, University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
in the UK and the University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
, the University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...
, the University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
, the University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, RMIT University
RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...
, Flinders University
Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...
, Griffith University
Griffith University is a public research university in South East Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Formally founded in 1971, Griffith opened its doors in 1975, introducing Australia's first degrees in environmental science and Asian s ...
, Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...
, Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
and the University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
in Australia.
* The degree of BMedSc can be awarded for students completing an intercalated degree whilst studying medicine as an intermediate award. The degree of BMedSc may also be awarded to an individual who, having followed the prescribed course of study for the degrees of MBChB
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
, does not complete the undergraduate clinical training. In brief, this is normally awarded after the candidate has completed successfully the first three years of an undergraduate medical degree at certain UK (and Commonwealth) medical institutions.
* The Bachelor of Science in human biology degree is awarded by several universities around the world and focuses on biomedical research, health care, biotech business, pharmaceutical sciences, or a combination thereof.
Kinesiology
The Bachelor of Kinesiology
Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...
degree (BK or BScK)is a specialized degree in the field of human movement and kinetics. Some schools still offer it under the aegis of a School of Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...
(BPEd or BHPEd), although "kinesiology" or "human kinetics" is currently the more popularly accepted term for the discipline.
Nutrition and dietetics
Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (BSND), Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition (BFSN)
Specific areas of study include clinical nutrition, food technology, hospitality and services management, research, community worker, health care management, educator, sports science, agricultural sciences, private practice and other allied health fields.
The degree is awarded following four to six years of collegiate study in America (average five years), from three to four in Europe and Australia. In America (especially Latin America), Nutrition per se is separated from Dietetics, where the latter is equivalent to a technical degree.
Aviation
The Bachelor of Aviation The Bachelor of Aviation is a bachelor's degree for studies within the aviation industry. In the United States, it takes an average of four to six years to complete this degree. There are multiple areas of concentrations that a student can specify ...
(BAv) is awarded to students who complete a four-year course of study in the field of aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
.
Divinity and theology
The Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...
, Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...
, Bachelor of Religious Studies, Bachelor of Biblical Studies
The Bachelor of Biblical Studies (BBS) is an undergraduate academic degree offering a comprehensive curriculum in the different aspects of the Bible including the Old Testament, New Testament and Gospels. Students of biblical studies will learn how ...
, and Bachelor of Religious Education
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
(BD, BTh, BRS, BBS, and BRE) degrees are awarded on completion of a program of study of divinity
Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.[divine ...](_blank)
or related disciplines, such as theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, religious studies, or religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion (although in the United Kingdom the term ''religious instruction'' would refer to the teaching of a particular religion, with ''religious education'' referring to te ...
.
Traditionally, the BD was a graduate degree rather than a first degree and typically emphasised academic theology, biblical languages, etc. However, this has become a less common arrangement.
While the theological bachelor's degree is generally conferred upon completion of a four-year program, it is also conferred in some specialized three-year programs. From there, the next level of advancement is generally the Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
(MDiv), Master of Theology
Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...
(ThM), Master of Religious Studies
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
, or Master of Religious Education
The Master of Religious Education (MRE) is a terminal academic degree in preparation for professional teaching ministry, usually offered by Christian institutions. The curriculum includes two years of theological study and sometimes a thesis. Alt ...
(MRE) degree. In the United States, the "mainline" Protestant clergy typically take a four-year bachelor's degree in whatever field they choose, then earn the MDiv (Master of Divinity) degree in an additional three years as part of preparation for ordination.
Fine arts
The Bachelor of Fine Arts
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases.
Background
The Bachelor ...
(BFA) degree is a specialized degree awarded for courses of study in the fine arts, frequently by an arts school or conservatory, although it is equally available at a significant number of traditional colleges and universities. In contrast to the BA or BS, which are generally considered to be academic degrees, the BFA is usually referred to as a professional degree, whose recipients have generally received four years of study and training in their major field as compared to the two years of study in the major field usually found in most traditional non-Commonwealth Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science programs.
In the United States, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree differs from a Bachelor of Arts degree in that the majority of the program consists of a practical studio component, as contrasted with lecture and discussion classes. A typical BFA program in the United States consists of two-thirds study in the arts, with one-third in more general liberal arts studies. For a BA in art, the ratio might be reversed.
Film and television
The Bachelor of Film and Television
Bachelor of Film and Television (usually BF&TV or BFTV) is an undergraduate bachelor's degree awarded to students who have studied elements of Filmmaking and Television production accredited university or accredited college.
This degree is a relat ...
(BFTV) degree is an undergraduate degree for the study of film and television production including areas of cinematography, directing, film production, script writing, sound, screenwriting, animation, and typography.
Integrated studies
The Bachelor of Integrated Studies
Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS) is an Interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary bachelor's degree offered by several universities in the United States and Canada. It allows students to design a customized and specific course of study to best suit ...
(BIS) is an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree offered by several universities in the United States and Canada. It allows students to design a customized and specific course of study to best suit their educational and professional objectives. Generally, this degree is sponsored by two or more departments within the university. Schools which confer the BIS degree include the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.[Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents.
History
P ...](_blank)
, University of South Carolina Upstate
The University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) is a public university in Valley Falls, South Carolina, near Spartanburg and with a Spartanburg postal address.Compare to: (shows the university is not in the Spartanburg city limits) , Weber State University
Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
History
Weber State University was founded ...
, Ferris State University
Ferris State University (FSU or Ferris) is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 and became a public institution in 1950. Ferris is the ninth-largest institutions of higher education by enroll ...
, Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
, Miami University (Ohio), the University of Virginia, the University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...
, George Mason University
George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...
, and Tallinn University of Technology
Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech; et, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool) is the only technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administratio ...
amongst others.
Journalism
The Bachelor of Journalism
The Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) degree is a degree awarded at some universities to students who have studied journalism in a three or four year undergraduate program. In the United States, some schools that do not award the B.J. degree instead c ...
(BAJ or BScJ) degree is a professional degree awarded to students who have studied journalism at a four-year accredited university. Not all universities, however, grant this degree. In the United States, schools tend to offer the BA or BS with a major in journalism instead. The world's oldest school of journalism at the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
offers a BJ degree, not to be confused with the bachelor's degree in jurisprudence at Oxford University. In South Africa, Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...
has the oldest school of journalism in Africa and allows students to take a fourth-year specialisation to raise their BA to BAJ status, equivalent to a BA (Hons).
Landscape architecture
The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
(B.L.Arch.) degree is awarded to students who complete the five- (in some countries four-) year course of study in the field.
Liberal arts
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLA or ALB) is the title of an undergraduate bachelor's degree. Generally, it is awarded to students who major in liberal arts, pursue interdisciplinary studies, or design their own concentrations.
Often a ''Bachelor ...
, Bachelor of General Studies A Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) is a highly interdisciplinary undergraduate academic degree offered by colleges and universities that "allows students to combine and explore multiple subjects."
The concept of general studies derives from the ...
, Bachelor of Liberal Studies The purpose of the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree is to provide students with a solid multidisciplinary preparation in the Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and the Arts, subsequently allowing them to pursue careers in educatio ...
, Bachelor of Science in general studies, or Bachelor of Applied Studies (BLA, BGS, BLS, BScGS, BAS) degree is sometimes awarded to students who major in the liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
, in general, or in interdisciplinary studies. The Bachelor of Professional Studies
"Professional studies" is a term used to classify academic programs which are applied or interdisciplinary in focus. The term can also be used for non-academic training for a specific profession. Research on professionals can be seen as a multidisc ...
is awarded to students who major in professional career studies.
Library science
The Bachelor of Library Science
The bachelor of library science (or “bachelor of library and information science”) is a degree sometimes awarded to students majoring in library science. It is commonly abbreviated as “B.L.S.”, “B.Lib.”, or “B.L.I.S.”, often with t ...
or Bachelor of Library and Information Science
The bachelor of library science (or “bachelor of library and information science”) is a degree sometimes awarded to students majoring in library science. It is commonly abbreviated as “B.L.S.”, “B.Lib.”, or “B.L.I.S.”, often with t ...
(BLSc, BLISc) degree is sometimes awarded to students who major in library science
Library science (often termed library studies, bibliothecography, and library economy) is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and ...
, although Master of Library Science degrees are more common.
Music
The Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...
(BMus) degree is a professional or academic undergraduate degree in music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
at most conservatories in the US and the UK. It is also commonly awarded at schools of music in large private or public universities. Areas of study typically include music performance, music education, music therapy, music composition, academic fields (music history/musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology), and may include jazz, commercial music, recording technology, sacred music/music ministry, or music business. Small liberal arts colleges and universities without schools of music often award only BA in music, with different sets of requirements. (see also: '' BFA'')
Nonprofit studies
A Bachelor of Nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
and Nongovernmental Organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
Studies is a multidisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...
field that focuses on practices of the nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
sector. This area of inquiry examines the management and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector, and has sub-areas of research including administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
, marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...
, communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
, economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
, human resources
Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...
, philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
, ethics
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...
, law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
, information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
, social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of o ...
, grant writing
Grant writing is the practice of completing an application process for a financial grant provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation, foundation, or trust. Such application processes are often referred to as either a ...
, policy
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...
, fundraising
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
, advocacy
Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...
, volunteerism
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
and civic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
.
A variety of higher education institutions and research organizations are dedicated to the teaching and research of issues related to the nonprofit sector. Additionally, individual courses within related disciplines (e.g. Business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...
, Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
, Public Policy
Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...
) examine nonprofit studies in a variety of contexts.
Nonprofit studies may also refer to studies of the voluntary sector
The voluntary sector, independent sector, or civic sector is the realm of social activity undertaken by organizations that are non-governmental nonprofit organizations. This sector is also called the third sector, community sector, and nonprofit s ...
, third sector, nongovernmental organizations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
, or civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.[Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (CCMS) is a private mortuary science college in Springfield, Ohio. CCMS is the oldest school of its kind in the United States, tracing its history back to the Clarke School, which organized its first class ...]
of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It was introduced in 1986 and it is awarded to students that complete 120 semester hours of course work and receive passing scores on the National Board Exam administered by .
Philosophy
The Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; la, Baccalaureus Philosophiae or ) is the title of an academic degree that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's ...
(BPhil. or PhB) degree is either an undergraduate or graduate degree (MPhil). Generally, it entails independent research or a thesis/capstone project.
Psychology
The Bachelor of Psychology degree (BPsych, or PsyB; also Bachelor of Arts or Science in Psychology, BAPsy, BScPsy) is a degree awarded to students who have completed a specialized course of study in the field of psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
- i.e. as opposed to a broad major in the subject within a general BA or BSc degree.
Variants include the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology A Bachelor of Forensic Psychology (also referred to as Industrial Psychology) is a type of postgraduate academic Bachelor's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree is typically studied for in Forensic psychology.
Curriculum s ...
, Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Psychology.
Courses typically last four years, but may be as long as six. See Psychologist#Licensing and regulation and #Education and training
Public affairs and policy management
The Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (BPAPM) is a four-year undergraduate degree in policy studies offered by the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs
The Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, colloquially known as Arthur Kroeger College or AKC, is a specialized institute within the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. The College offers undergraduate and grad ...
at Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
in Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Canada. First introduced in 1999, the degree was created in response to an evolving needs within the public sector, and the need to prepare students for different public policy related challenges.
Education
The Bachelor of Education degree (BEd) is a four-year undergraduate professional degree offered by many American colleges and universities for those preparing to be licensed as teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
. Variants include the BEd, BAEd, BAT (Bachelor of Arts for Teaching), and BST degrees. Preparation for the MS in education, this degree is most often received by those interested in early childhood, elementary level, and special education, or by those planning to be school administrators. Secondary level teachers often major in their subject area instead (i.e., history, chemistry, or mathematics), with a minor in education. Some states require elementary teachers to choose a subject major as well, and minor in education.
In Canada, the bachelor of education is a two-year professional degree in which students will specialise in either elementary or secondary education, and that is taken after the completion of a three or four-year bachelor's degree with a major in a teachable subject, such as English, French, mathematics, biology, chemistry, or a social science. Some universities also offer concurrent, five-year programs with student completing both a bachelor's degree in arts or science as well as their BEd. The possession of a BEd and a second bachelor's degree is required to teach in most public anglophone and francophone schools in Canada. The BEd prepares teachers for completion of either MA (Master of Arts) programs in education, MEd (Master of Education) programs, or postgraduate certificates in education.
Science with education
The Bachelor of Science and/with Education degree (BScEd) is a degree awarded to students who complete the four- to five-year course of study in the field of science (major and minor in general biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) and education. Although notionally BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
and BEd are two degrees, they must be taken together. The graduates will work as science (physics, chemistry, biology) teachers in high schools, as lecturers in pre university colleges and matriculation centers and can progress to postgraduate programs (MSc
MSC may refer to:
Computers
* Message Sequence Chart
* Microelectronics Support Centre of UK Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
* MIDI Show Control
* MSC Malaysia (formerly known as Multimedia Super Corridor)
* USB mass storage device class (USB MSC ...
and PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
) in various areas in science or education.
Forestry
The Bachelor of Science in forestry (BScF) is a degree awarded to students who complete a three-year course of study in the field of forestry.
Science
The Bachelor of Science degrees (BSc, ScB) along with the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degrees are the most common undergraduate degrees given. The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, often abbreviated as BAAS or BAASc, is an undergraduate degree.
Usage
In the United States, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) degree is considered a completion degree. The degree can be ...
(BAASc) is an undergraduate degree that bridges academic and work-life experiences.
Science in law
The Bachelor of Science in Law
The Bachelor of Science in Law (BSL) is a somewhat special-purpose undergraduate degree that is typically intended for students who have completed some undergraduate education, but not received a baccalaureate degree, and are intending to resume th ...
degree (BScL) is a special-purpose degree that allows someone who has had some prior studies but has not achieved a bachelor's degree to resume his or her education and take up the study of law with the goal of eventually receiving the juris doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
degree.
Social sciences
The Bachelor of Social Science
The academic undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Social Science (BSS, B.Soc.Sc., or B.Soc.Sci.) requires three to four years of study in the social sciences at an institution of higher education, primarily found in the Commonwealth of Nations.
I ...
(BSSc) is a three- or four-year undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
British degree that enables students to specialize in the area of social science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...
. Compared to the Bachelor of Arts, which allows students to study a vast range of disciplines, the Bachelor of Social Science
The academic undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Social Science (BSS, B.Soc.Sc., or B.Soc.Sci.) requires three to four years of study in the social sciences at an institution of higher education, primarily found in the Commonwealth of Nations.
I ...
enables students to develop more central and specialized knowledge of the social sciences. Many universities place the Bachelor of Social Science
The academic undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Social Science (BSS, B.Soc.Sc., or B.Soc.Sci.) requires three to four years of study in the social sciences at an institution of higher education, primarily found in the Commonwealth of Nations.
I ...
between the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
undergraduate degrees.
Social work
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is a four-year undergraduate degree. Usually the first two years consist of liberal arts courses and the last two years focus on social work classes in human development, policy/law, research, and practice. Programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...
require BSW students to complete a minimum of 400 field education or internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
hours. Accredited BSW programs often allow students who are interested in obtaining a Master of Social Work
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social wor ...
degree to complete the degree in a shorter amount of time or waive courses.
In Latin America, this is a four to five-year degree that can replace liberal arts subjects into health sciences, resulting in social work as a type of community psychology and socioeconomic studies, focused in hospitals, prisons, or pedagogy, among others.
Technology
The Bachelor of Technology
A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...
degree (BTech) is a three- or four-year undergraduate degree. Generally, the program is comparable to a Bachelor of Science degree program, which is additionally supplemented by either occupational placements (supervised practical or internships) or practice-based classroom courses.
Law
The Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
(LLB) is the principal academic degree in law in most common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
countries other than the United States, and anglophone Canada, where it has been superseded by the juris doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
(JD) degree.
Talmudic law
The Bachelor of Talmudic Law The Bachelor of Talmudic Law (BTL), Bachelor of Talmudic Studies (BTS) and First Talmudic Degree (FTD) are law degrees, comprising the study, analysis and application of ancient Talmudical, Biblical, and other historical sources. The laws derived fr ...
degree (BTL) or a First Talmudic Degree (FTD) is the degree awarded in most Yeshivas
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are stu ...
around the United States.
Tourism studies
The Bachelor of Tourism Studies (BTS) degree is awarded to those who complete the four- or five-year course of study in tourism, laws regarding tourism, planning and development, marketing, economics, sociology, anthropology, arts and world history (dependent on the country in which one takes the course), ticketing, hospitality, computer applications, and much more. The course would have an interdisciplinary approach with a vast range of units so the tourismologist professional would be able to identify necessary actions toward a sustainable touristic environment focus on local community uniqueness, values and traditions.
As tourism is a growing industry, in India there is a lot of opportunity for those who complete this course of study. It is available in select universities of India.
Mathematics
The Bachelor of Mathematics
A Bachelor of Mathematics (abbreviated B.Math or BMath) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for successfully completing a program of study in mathematics or related disciplines, such as applied mathematics, actuarial science, computational ...
or Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences degree (BMath and BMathSc) is given at the conclusion of a four-year honours program or a three-year general program. Several universities, mostly in Canada and Australia, award such degrees. The usual degree for mathematics in all other countries is the BSc.
Urban and regional planning
The Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning or Bachelor of Urban Planning or just Bachelor of Planning degree (BURP, BUP, or BPlan) is a degree offered at some institutions as a four or five-year professional undergraduate degree in urban planning
Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
. Programs vary in their focus on studio work and may or may not involve professional practice.
Innovation
The Bachelor of Innovation is a four-year degree in a range of different fields. The major fields, in engineering, business, arts, science or education, are similar to their associated BA or BSc degrees. The general education elements are restructured to provide a common core of innovation, entrepreneurship and team skills. The degree was created as a direct response to the increasing pace of innovation in today's society and the need for graduates that understanding effective teaming, as well as the innovation process.
See also
* Elective bachelor's degree The elective bachelor’s degree ( no, selvvalgt bachelorgrad) is an educational innovation of the 2001 Quality Reform in Norway. Designed to increase degree completion, allow students to pursue individual research interests, and facilitate adult le ...
* Graduate school
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...
* Honours degree
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
* Licensure
Licensure means a restricted practice or a restriction on the use of an occupational title, requiring a license. A license created under a "practice act" requires a license before performing a certain activity, such as driving a car on public roa ...
* List of admission tests to colleges and universities
This is a list of standardized tests that students may need to take for admissions to various colleges or universities. Tests of language proficiency are excluded here.
Only tests not included within a certain secondary schooling curriculum are l ...
* Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
* Validation of foreign studies and degrees
The Validation or recognition of foreign studies and degrees is the process whereby a competent authority in one country formally recognises the value of a qualification from a foreign country. This can entail total or partial validation of foreign ...
References
External links
College.gov, US Department of Education
"Education and Learning: Bachelor's Degrees: Qualifications Explained"
UK Government site listing qualifications for bachelor's degrees in the UK
"Meaning of the Baccalaureate"
National Forum on College Level Learning (US) Statistical Pilot Study of the Baccalaureate (2004)
{{authority control
Academic degrees of the United States