Bachelor's

A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years (depending on institution and academic discipline). The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS or BSc). In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations 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 or a doctorate.

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) and some qualifications with non-bachelor's titles may be classified as bachelor's degrees (e.g. the Scottish MA and Canadian MD).

The term '' bachelor'' in the 12th century referred to a knight bachelor, who was too young or poor to gather vassals under his own banner. By the end of the 13th century, it was also used by junior members of guilds or universities. By folk etymology or wordplay, the word ''baccalaureus'' came to be associated with ''bacca lauri'' ("laurel berry") in reference to laurels being awarded for academic success or honours.

Under the British system, and those influenced by it, undergraduate academic degrees are differentiated between ''honours degrees'' (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, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, have a postgraduate "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

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 Nigerian 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; 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 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 (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; 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 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 ''baccalaureatus cum honore'', French ''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 as well as the possible honours distinction ( Latin honours) on the diploma (e.g., "BACCALAUREATUS ARTIUM CUM HONORE ... CUM LAUDE").

In Quebec, students have to take a minimum of two years of college 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 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 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, 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 or International Baccalaureate 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), that offers more challenging courses or more individually directed seminars or research projects instead or in addition to the standard core curriculum. Those students are awarded the same bachelor's degree as students completing the standard curriculum but with the notation '' in cursu honorum'' on the transcript and the diploma. 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, usually (in ascending order) '' cum laude'' ("with honor/praise"), ''magna cum laude'' ("with great honor/praise"), ''summa cum laude'' ("with highest honor/praise"), and the occasionally seen '' maxima cum laude'' ("with maximal honor/praise"). Requirements for such notations of honours generally include minimum grade point averages (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, Carleton College, Colby College, Middlebury College, Guilford College, Franklin College Switzerland, and larger universities like the University of Virginia, Princeton University, North Carolina State University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, a senior thesis for degrees in the humanities or laboratory research for natural science (and sometimes social science) degrees is also required. Five notable exceptions are Reed College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Evergreen State College, Sarah Lawrence College, and Bennington College, 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 (BArch) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) are professional degrees 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, Economics, Laws, Education, Arts, History, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Management, Military Science, and Fine Arts.

Since the undergraduate education system in China 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.

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 ( zh, 高等教育自学考试).

Fiji

The colonial link and the establishment of the University of the South Pacific in 1968 allowed the education system to follow suit from the qualification system of the Commonwealth. University of the South Pacific is the only university in the Oceania 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, University of Sunshine Coast and New Zealand universities like Lincoln University and Waikato Institute of Technology.

India

Bachelor's degrees in India normally take 3 years of study to complete, although courses like BE/ BTech, MBBS, BVSc or BArch 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 degrees with electives chosen by the student. With the implementation of National Education Policy 2020, 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: BA
*Bachelor of Business Administration: BBA
* Bachelor of Management Studies: BMS
*Bachelor of Science: BSc
* Bachelor of Science in Information Technology: BSIT
*Bachelor of Commerce: Bcom
* Bachelor of Fine Arts: BFA
*Bachelor of Laws: LLB
* Bachelor of Engineering: BE
* Bachelor of Technology: BTech
* Bachelor of Education: BEd (BEd degrees are offered after completion of a 3-year undergraduate coursework.)
* Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery: MBBS
* Bachelor of Veterinary Science: BVSc
*Bachelor of Architecture: BArch

For the academic grading system in India, see academic grading in India.

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 system in Jordan 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 (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 (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 (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, Purbanchal University,