What Is A Bachelor's Degree?

By Author: William Hauselberg
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There are several different types of certificates, diplomas or degrees a student can obtain with post-secondary education. The Bachelor’s degree is what most people think of when contemplating a college degree.

A bachelor's degree usually requires four years of study at a college or university, and completion of anywhere from 120 to 160 credit hours. Some newer programs may take less time, some may take more. Many students are able to complete accelerated programs thanks to the advent of online degrees.

A Major Field of Study

Of the total number of credits a bachelor's candidate takes, most universities require 30 or more credits to be within a single subject area, such as history, chemistry, music, education or whatever. This subject is called a student's major field, and upon graduation the student is said to have a degree in that subject. Some universities offer students the option to choose either a minor field, in which they will complete 18 to 24 credits, or a second major field. Often the minor field is related to the major; science students might have a major in biology and a minor in chemistry, ...
... or an aspiring writer might have a major in English and a minor in journalism. Students who wish to become, for example, high school teachers, might have their major in education and their minor in the subject they wish to teach.

General Education and Core Curriculum

Most colleges and universities also have general requirements or a core curriculum which all students must complete in addition to their major and minor fields. For example, many colleges require all of their students to complete a set number of credits in writing, math, history and social sciences, and/or other "general education" requirements. The general or core requirements usually add up to about half of the total number of credits required for the college degree. Additionally, some majors have requirements beyond courses in the major field. A biology major may be required to take four semesters of chemistry and one of calculus in addition to biology courses. Business majors are often required to take math and statistics.

Completing a college degree is an accomplishment of which to be proud. It is evidence that the student has done a lot of hard work and has acquired thorough knowledge of a particular field of study.

This article was written by South University for the advertising benefit of South University. Eyeflow LLC has been compensated to produce this article.

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