Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree is an undergraduate academic credential awarded by colleges and universities upon successfully completing a specific course of study in a particular field or discipline. It represents a fundamental level of higher education and is typically pursued by students directly after completing their secondary education (high school or equivalent). Most bachelor's degree programs are designed to provide students with a well-rounded education. This is usually accomplished by offering comprehensive coursework in a chosen major, supplemented by general education requirements. 

There are a number of reasons for pursuing a bachelor's degree. For one, obtaining a bachelor's degree substantially improves an individual's career prospects by broadening the spectrum of job opportunities available to them. Many careers today mandate a bachelor's degree as a minimum job qualification, making it essential for access to certain industries and professions. 

Pursuing a bachelor's degree can also facilitate personal growth and intellectual development by refining an individual's critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, both of which are associated with a significantly higher lifetime earning potential.

Additionally, obtaining a bachelor's degree can also foster a sense of personal achievement and self-confidence. This, in turn, can greatly enhance one's determination to overcome future obstacles and achieve long-term goals throughout the course of their life.

The first path is geared toward individuals who plan to enroll directly into a bachelor's degree program after acquiring their high school diploma or fulfilling an educational equivalent (such as obtaining a GED). For this path, students typically apply to their desired degree program approximately one year before they actually intend to enroll. For example, a student planning to matriculate in the Fall of 2025 would typically submit their college application in the Fall of 2024.

Students on this path are generally required to submit a standardized test score (such as the ACT or SAT) with their application. Standardized test scores not only serve as a way to measure a student's underlying level of college readiness, but also provide admission teams with a way to draw comparisons between applicants that come from different backgrounds. 

While standardized test scores are a common component of the college application process, it is important to remember that they are just one piece of a holistic evaluation that also considers many other factors. Additional application materials for students on the high school applicant path often include a student's high school grades, essays, recommendation letters, and extracurricular activities. As an applicant, your ultimate goal is to put your best foot forward so remember not to overlook or neglect any of your application materials!

The second path is geared toward individuals who plan to initially enroll into an associate's degree program before transferring into a traditional bachelor's degree program. Most associate's degree programs consist of approximately 2 years of coursework, which, upon completion, can often be used to forgo the 2 years of general education coursework required by many traditional bachelor's degree programs. 

This means that when applying to transfer, you are typically applying directly to the specific course of study or "major" that you wish to pursue, given that you will have already likely completed a majority of the general education coursework required by your desired degree program. At the same time, since you will have already demonstrated that you are capable of handling college-level coursework, admission teams will likely put a greater emphasis on your performance in your associate's degree coursework rather than on your high school grades or standardized test scores when considering your application. (In fact, some programs may not even require high school grades or standardized test scores at all.) 

Although this may mean that less application materials are required to be submitted to your desired program, it doesn't mean that you should spend less time adequately preparing your application. If anything, this underscores the heightened significance of additional application components, such as essays, recommendation letters, and extracurricular activities, as they will likely have a greater impact on your final admission decision. So regardless of the application requirements, just make sure that you are putting in the appropriate amount of time to effectively communicate your own unique story to the admission team of your desired program. 

A liberal arts bachelor's degree is by far the most common type of bachelor's degree awarded. This type of degree generally puts a higher emphasis on course breadth and requires you to take a wide variety of classes across a number of different subject areas. Rather than focusing on career-specific skills, a liberal arts degree places a strong emphasis on developing general workplace skills that can be applied to many different career paths—such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, and problem solving. 

The two most common liberal arts bachelor's degrees awarded are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS). The specific degree you receive at graduation is typically determined by your chosen major which will likely fall into one of the four primary academic domains: the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, or fine arts. For example, humanities and fine arts majors are generally awarded a Bachelor of Arts, while natural sciences and social sciences majors are generally awarded a Bachelor of Science. However, some majors that are closely intertwined between two academic domains, such as economics or psychology, may offer you the option to pursue either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts. The option that you choose to pursue will ultimately determine the general education coursework required for your specific degree.

While a liberal arts education places a strong emphasis on developing skills that can be readily applied to a variety of different career paths, a professional bachelor's degree program predominately aims to educate students in a specific, targeted field that will directly prepare them for entry into their desired profession of choice. Some examples of commonly awarded professional bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Bachelor of Nursing (BN), and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). 

Although professional bachelor's degrees are less commonly awarded relative to liberal arts bachelor's degrees, pursuing a professional bachelor's degree can offer some advantages for certain types of students. For instance, for students with a clear career path in mind, a professional bachelor's degree program offers a direct and efficient route to becoming well-prepared for their intended profession. This is because many professional bachelor's degree programs have less stringent general education requirements, allowing students to skip unrelated subjects and channel their efforts toward mastering their desired discipline. 

The timeline for degree completion is ultimately dictated by the total number of credit hours required by your school. Generally, most schools require approximately 120 to 128 credit hours to obtain a bachelor's degree, with 1 credit hour being equivalent to roughly 60 minutes of lecture and 120 minutes of independent study per week. 

In the United States, full-time students have historically needed about 4 years to complete the total number of credit hours required for obtaining a bachelor's degree, however, it has become increasingly common for students to take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to finish their degree program. This range is largely dependent upon the total number of credits completed per term. In a semester term system, students generally enroll in 12 to 18 credit hours twice per year, whereas in a quarter term system, students typically undertake 8 to 12 credit hours thrice per year. 

Prior to choosing a school to attend, it may be useful to check whether the school abides by a quarter or semester term system. 

In a quarter term system, classes are usually taught at a much faster pace since the average duration of a quarter is only about 10 weeks in length. This can be advantageous for those who prefer a fast-paced learning environment. A quarter term system also offers increased flexibility since there are more term start dates throughout the year. 

On the other hand, in a semester term system, the average term duration is approximately 15 weeks in length. This enables students to engage in a more in-depth exploration of course content, potentially offering additional research or comprehensive learning opportunities. At the same time, the longer duration of a semester term may provide students with a more stable and predictable schedule for achieving their educational goals. 

Ultimately, the choice between attending a school that abides by a quarter or semester term system comes down to your own personal preferences. While some students prefer the fast-paced environment of a quarter term system, others appreciate the depth and stability of a semester term system.

A college major is a specific field of academic study or specialization that a student chooses to focus on during their undergraduate education. College majors vary widely and cover a diverse range of subject areas, including but not limited to the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences. 

Most colleges require students to complete general education coursework during their first two years of undergraduate study before pursuing specialized major coursework during their last two years. This gives students some time to explore different subject areas before deciding on the major that they truly want to pursue. When selecting your major, you should strive to choose the one that best aligns with your future career goals, interests, and academic strengths. Some students may also choose to double major or pursue a minor to gain proficiency in multiple fields. 

Ultimately, your college major will play a significant role in shaping your future, so it is highly recommended that you spend a considerable amount of time thoroughly evaluating which one will best enable you to achieve your professional aspirations.