A bachelor’s degree is usually interpreted as indicating that a person has completed studies in a specific field at a four-year university. This degree is typically earned with a specific major, such as literature, history, biology, business, or a variety of others. Bachelor’s degrees are most commonly either Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS), but there are a few other types of bachelor’s degrees that people can earn depending on their course of study and the university they attend.
BA degrees are more liberal arts oriented than other bachelor’s degrees. The BA is most commonly associated with liberal arts degrees, but this does not imply that the BA is only awarded in liberal arts or business fields. Some colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in science, technical studies, or mathematics.
In scientific and technical studies, on the other hand, a BS may be earned instead of a BA, and the distinction between the two isn’t always clear. Occasionally, schools will give students the option of pursuing either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in a given subject. In these cases, earning the BS will almost certainly entail taking a few more upper division technical classes, whereas the BA will likely be a broader and more generalized field of study.
Some experts believe that students who plan to double major should pursue a BA in science. However, there may be little difference between the two degrees when it comes to applying to graduate schools. Some students may need to take one or two upper division classes to meet all of the entrance requirements for graduate school. Others won’t have any issues.
There are a variety of other bachelor’s degrees that may indicate study in a specific field, and the names of these degrees can vary greatly from one school to the next. Bachelor’s degrees are available, such as a BRN or Bachelor of Registered Nursing, as opposed to a BSRN or Bachelor of Science in Registered Nursing. Some students earn a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work), while others earn a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts).
Bachelor’s degrees such as the BMus (Bachelor of Music), BASc (Bachelor of Applied Science), and BPharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy) may also be offered at some universities (Bachelor of Pharmacy). These just show a little more specialization than BS or BA degrees. When majoring in these fields, it isn’t always necessary to earn these specific degrees.
What should be noted about bachelor’s degrees is that they almost always indicate successful completion of a four-year program. Such degrees, whether in the arts, sciences, or some other field, are proof of college graduation. Asking academic advisors this question is the best way for students to find out if they need a specialized degree, especially if they want to get a job or go to graduate school. Because each school’s degrees are defined differently, it may be more fruitful to find out the minimum requirements for employment or graduate acceptance and use these to guide your decisions about which classes to take or which degree to pursue.