User:Cymru.lass/Bachelor's

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Types of Bachelor's degree[edit]

Undergraduate degrees[edit]

Bachelor of Arts[edit]

The Bachelor of Arts degrees (BA, AB, BS, BSc, SB, ScB, BAAS; also known as Artium Baccalaureus) are the most common undergraduate degrees given. Originally, in the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, all undergraduate degrees were in the faculty of arts, hence the name of the degree. The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences(BAAS) is an undergraduate degree that bridges academic and work-life experiences.

Design[edit]

The Bachelor of Design (BDes, or SDes 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.

Engineering[edit]

The Bachelor of Engineering (Baccalaureus in Arte Ingeniaria) degree or Bachelor of Applied Science[1] degree is a professional degree awarded to students who have completed the three- or four-year course of study in engineering. Common abbreviations include BEng, BE, BSE, BESc, BSEng, BASc, BTech, BSc(Eng), AMIE, GradIETE. The BAI (baccalaureus in arte ingeniaria) is awarded by the University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin); some South African universities refer to their engineering degrees as BIng (Baccalaureus Ingeniaria).

There are more specific variants of the Bachelor of Engineering degree, such as the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) degree. The Bachelor of Software Engineering is awarded by the University of Waterloo, where it is known as the BSE, and University of Victoria, where it is known as the BSEng. In India the Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Technology and AMIE (Association of Membership of Institution of Engineers) are professional degrees awarded in specific engineering disciplines such as computers, electrical, electronics, mechanical, communication, civil, plastics, chemical, etc. Specialization is noted in parentheses (e.g., "BE (computers)").

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree (BSET) is a professional degree awarded to students who have completed a four-year course of study in engineering technology. There are variants including general engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, and civil engineering technology. Some of these variants even have optional areas of concentration within them. For instance mechanical engineering technology could include mechanical systems design, manufacturing systems, marine engineering technology, and others. Engineering technology degrees usually lead to licensing as engineering technologists requiring further studies for licensing as professional engineers.

Business and management[edit]

  • The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree is awarded to students who complete three to four years of full-time study in business administration. The degree often, though not always, requires a major in a specific field such as accounting, finance, human resource management /personnel, marketing, management, management information systems, real estate, strategic management, and others. Similar programs include the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Business, Bachelor of Management Studies and Bachelor of Administrative Studies degrees.
  • The Bachelor of International Business Economics (BIBE) degree is awarded to students who complete four years of full-time study in business administration. In the last 2 years of study, students must choose a specific field of concentration, such as the one of the ones mentioned in the BBA. This degree is taught only in English and its aim is to enforce students to work abroad and be prepared to manage big, multinational firms. It is compulsory that students seeking this degree study abroad for at least 6 months. This degree appeared with the Bologna Process in Europe and is taught in universities like the Pompeu Fabra University.
  • The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom, or BComm in Canada) is likewise an undergraduate degree in general business management, although it is more theory-based, and usually incorporates an academic major. The distinction between the BComm and the BBA, then, is often that the latter allows students to apply theories to real-life business situations, while the former concentrates on ideas and concepts.[2] It is often offered as a three-year program.
  • The Bachelor of Business (BBus or BBus(Major)) degree is an undergraduate degree in general business management offered by universities in Australia and New Zealand. Similar in nature to the Bachelor Of Commerce degree, Bachelor Of Business degrees are often awarded at technology-focused universities in accordance with the 1986 Dawkins review of the Australian higher education sector. At many Australian universities a Bachelor of Business degree enables graduates to undertake greater specialty in their chosen academic major as compared to a general BBA degree.
  • The Bachelor in Management and Organizational Studies degree (BMOS in Canada) is a four-year undergraduate degree in business management. This degree teaches knowledge-based business and is as much theoretical as it is case-based. A distinctive feature of the BMOS degree is that it offers a social science component, in that it mixes business with social science courses, such as psychology, sociology, economics, etc.; with this kind of degree students become well-rounded thinkers.
  • The Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) degree is similar to the BCom, however it is a four-year honours-level course of study with an increased focus on the major and covers management theory in further depth. Additionally, students taking this approach are able to major in various quantitative disciplines not typically available in the BComm or BBA. BBusSc students are required to take a full first-year mathematics course as well as courses in statistics.
  • The Bachelor of Accountancy (B.Acy. or B.Acc. or B. Accty) degree is a specialized degree in accountancy; it is often the principal (or only) undergraduate degree recognized for later professional practice in accountancy. It is distinct from a BBA or BComm with a major in accountancy in that the entire program is focused on accountancy, while other topics are supplementary. It is also known as: Bachelor of Accounting or Bachelor of Accounting Science or Bachelor of Comptrolling (B.Acc.Sci. or B.Compt.).
  • The Bachelor of Economics (BEc, BEconSc; sometimes BA(Econ) or BSc(Econ)) degree is similarly a specialized degree in the field of economics. Its course of study may last anywhere from three years to six years and is typically more theoretical and mathematical than the BBA or BComm with a major in economics, often substantially so. Economics is not a business discipline, as such, but a social science, and economics degrees are therefore often offered through liberal arts colleges.
  • There are various other specialised business degrees. An example is the Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management (BAOM) degree which is awarded to students who complete a four-year course of study in the field. The core functions of this program are the teaching of organizational functions, communication, group behavior, decision-making, human resources management, ethics, and to develop and deploy in the students effective skills in management and leadership.

Computer science and information systems[edit]

There are various undergraduate degrees in information technology incorporating programming, database design, software engineering, networks and information systems. These programs prepare graduates for further postgraduate research degrees or for employment in any variety ofroles in the information technology industry. The program focus may be on the technical or theoretical aspects ofthe subject matter, depending on which course is taken. Theory-oriented degrees focus on computer science and are correspondingly titled. These include the Bachelor of Computing (BComp) and Bachelor of Computer Science (BCompSc) degrees. Computer science is also offered as a major within most Bachelor of Science programs. Practically-oriented degrees cover many disciplines from within the IT industry including software engineering, information systems, and data communications. Examples here include the Bachelor of Science In Information Technology (BSc IT), the Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), the Bachelor of Information Technology, and the Bachelor of Applied Science (Information Technology) (BAppSc(IT)) degrees. Many ofthe disciplines taught as part ofthese degrees are also covered under other degrees, such as engineering.

Degrees combining IT with business study are also offered at many universities. Specialised programs in information systems—such as the Bachelor of Business Information Systems (BBIS) program—are often positioned as professionally oriented degrees. More general degrees here would include business degrees, such as the BBA or BComm, with information systems as a major.

Healthcare[edit]

Medicine[edit]

In countries following British tradition, (the University of Maltais an exception) medical students pursue an undergraduate medical education and receive bachelor's degrees in medicine and surgery degrees (MB BChir, MBBS, BMBS, BM, MB ChB, etc.) upon graduation. 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 BM BCh, MB BChi, or MB BCh BAO, respectively, being awarded for the subsequent clinical stage of training. Some British universities give a bachelor's degree in science, or medical science, mid-way through the medical course, and most allow students tointercalate a year of more specialised study for an intercalated Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) or Bachelor of Medical Biology (BMedBiol) degree with honours. Although notionally MB and BS are two degrees, they must be taken together, and by convention entitle the bearer to use the title of doctor. In some Irish universities a third degree, Bachelor of Obstetrics (BAO), is added. However, this third degree is an anachronism from the 19th century and is not registerable with the Irish Medical Council.

The non-university (licentiate) qualifications allowing registration as a medical practitioner in the UK, a registration that has not been granted by the United Examining Board since 1999, also conferred the courtesy title of "doctor".

Dentistry[edit]

Dentistry is offered both as an undergraduate and a postgraduate course. In India, undergraduate training in dentistry is through a five-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course, which includes 4 years of study followed by one year of internship. South African undergraduate dental programs also follow a five-year course of study. Two of the four South African universities that offer bachelor's degrees in the field of dentistry grant Baccalaureus Chirurgiae Dental (B.Ch.D) degrees; the other two offer BDS degrees. Most universities in the United Kingdom that offer a BDS degree offer the degree at an undergraduate level; however, the University of Liverpool offers both a five-year undergraduate BDS program and a four-year graduate-entry BDS program that integrates with the undergraduate program after the first year. The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Dentistry began phasing out its five-year Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) program in 2010. The program will be replaced by a four-year graduate-entry dental program, much like that of the University of Sydney.

Physical therapy[edit]

Physical therapy is offered both as an undergraduate and a graduate course of study. Studies leading to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy(BPT) degree usually constitute the undergraduate program.

Optometry[edit]

Optometry is a three-year course of study everywhere except Scotland, where it is a four-year degree. Although students graduate with a BSc after three years of study, passing a further supervised pre-registration year is required to become a fully qualified optometrist.

Nursing[edit]

The Bachelor of Nursing degree is a three- to four-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for a career innursing. Often the degree is required to gain "registered nurse", 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. Alternate titles include Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor Of Nursing Science, with abbreviations, BN, BNSc, BScN, BSN, BNurs, BSN, BHSc.

Veterinary Science[edit]

The Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc, BVMS, BVM&S, BVMedSci) program is generally a five-year course of study that is required for becoming a veterinarian. It is also known as the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at some universities.

In the United States a degree in veterinary medicine is completed after a bachelor's has been earned (usually in four years). The recipient is called "doctor", as is a medical doctor who treats humans, and the training generally lasts four years, the same as the training of a physician. No bachelor's degree of veterinary science is given in the United States, only a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree.

Pharmacy[edit]

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree is the principalundergraduate degree for the practice of pharmacy. In the United States, however, all colleges of pharmacy have now phased out the degree in favor of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree or the doctor of philosophy, degree in pharmacy (Ph.D.). Some universities, such as the University of Mississippi, award a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree as a part of the seven-year PharmD program after the completion of the first four years. However, the BSPS degree does not qualify the recipient for the practice of pharmacy, for which it is required that students continue on to pursue and earn a PharmD degree.

Public health[edit]

Public health is usually studied at the master’s level. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree is a four-year undergraduate degree that prepares students for careers in the public, private, or non-profit sector in areas such as public health, environmental health, health administration, epidemiology, or health policy and planning.

Medical and health sciences[edit]
Kinesiology[edit]

The Bachelor of Kinesiology degree (BKin, BSc(Kin), BHK)is a specialized degree in the field of human movement and kinetics. Some schools still offer the degree under the aegis of a School of Physical Education (BPE or BHPE), although "kinesiology" or "human kinetics" is currently the more popular accepted term for the discipline.

Graduate degrees[edit]

Dentistry[edit]

Dentistry is offered both as an undergraduate and a postgraduate course. Most universities in the United Kingdom that offer a BDS degree offer the degree at an undergraduate level; however, the University of Liverpool offers both a five-year undergraduate BDS program and a four-year graduate-entry BDS program that integrates with the undergraduate program after the first year. Postgraduate courses such as the Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent)—awarded exclusively by the University of Sydney's Faculty of Dentistry in Australia—require a previous bachelor's degree.

Tourism studies[edit]

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 degree takes an interdisciplinary approach and requires a large amount of units so degree recipients are 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.

Architecture[edit]

The Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree is a professional degree awarded to students who complete the five-year course of study in the field.

Aviation[edit]

The Bachelor of Aviation (BAvn) is awarded to students who complete a three- to four-year course of study in the field. Those receiving a BAvn generally also receive a pilot's license.

Divinity and theology[edit]

The Bachelor of Divinity, Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Religious Studies, Bachelor of Biblical Studies and Bachelor of Religious Education (BD, BTh, BRS, BBS, BRE) degrees are awarded on completion of a program of study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology, religious studies, or religious education. While it 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, Master of Theology, Master of Religious Studies, or Master of Religious Education degree. In the United States the main-line Protestant clergy typically earn a four-year bachelor's degree in whatever field they choose, then earn the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in an additional three years as part of preparation for ordination.

Fine arts[edit]

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree is a specialized degree awarded for courses of study in the fine and/or performing 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.

Film and television[edit]

The Bachelor of Film and Television (BF&TV) degree is an undergraduate degree for the study of film and/or television production including areas of cinematography, directing, scriptwriting, sound, animation and typography.

Integrated studies[edit]

The Bachelor of Integrated Studies (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.

Journalism[edit]

The Bachelor of Journalism (BJ, BAJ, BSJ or BJourn) 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. However, there is at least one school, University of Missouri, that awards a BJ degree through its School of Journalism. Rhodes University in South Africa allows students to take a fourth-year specialization to raise their BAs to BJourn status, equivalent to a B.A. Hons.

Landscape architecture[edit]

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLArch) degree is awarded to students who complete the five- (in some countries four-) year course of study in the field.

Liberal arts[edit]

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Bachelor of General Studies, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Science in General Studies or Bachelor of Applied Studies (BLA, ABL, BGS, BSGS, BAS, BPS) degree is sometimes awarded to students who major in the liberal arts, or in general, or interdisciplinary studies. The Bachelor of Professional Studies is awarded to students who major in professional career studies.

Library science[edit]

The Bachelor of Library Science or Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLS, BLib, BLIS) degree is sometimes awarded to students who major in library science.

Music[edit]

The Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) degree is a professional or academic undergraduate degree in music 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 BAs in music, with different sets of requirements.

Music education[edit]

The Bachelor of Music Education degree (BME) is an academic undergraduate degree in music. Oberlin Conservatory first offered the Bachelor of Music Educationdegree.

Mortuary Science[edit]

The Bachelor of Mortuary Science (BMS) is a professional undergraduate degree, only awarded by the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was introduced in 1986 and is currently awarded to students that complete 120 semester hours of course work and receive passing scores on the National Board Exam administered by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards.[3]

Philosophy[edit]

The Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, PhB) degree is either an undergraduate or graduate degree. Generally, it entails independent research or a thesis/capstone project.

Psychology[edit]

The bachelor of arts or science in psychology (BAPSY, BSc(Psych) degree is a degree awarded to students who have completed a course of study in the field of psychology. Courses typically last three years, but may last as long as six. In Nepal there are three- and four-year courses available for higher-level students.

Education[edit]

The bachelor of science in education degree (BSE, BS in Ed) is a four-year undergraduate degree offered by many US colleges and universities for those preparing to be licensed as teachers. Variants include the BEd, BA Ed, BAT (bachelor of arts for teaching), and BST degrees. Preparatory to 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. "BSE" is also used to designate a bachelor of science and engineering degree, similar to the BEng (above).

Science with education[edit]

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 biology, chemistry, physics, math) and education. Although notionally BSc 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 centres and can progress to postgraduate programs (M. Sc. and Ph.D.) in various areas in science or education.

Forestry[edit]

The bachelor of science in forestry degree (B.S.F. or B.Sc.F.) is a degree awarded to students who complete the four-year course of study in the field of forestry.

Science in Law[edit]

The bachelor of science in law degree (BSL) 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 degree.

Social Sciences[edit]

The Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) is a three or four year undergraduate British degree that enables students to specialize in the area of social science. Compared to the Bachelor of Arts, which allows students to study a vast range of disciplines, the Bachelor of Social Science enables students to develop more central and specialized knowledge of the social sciences. Many universities place the Bachelor of Social Science between the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science undergraduate degrees.

Social work[edit]

The bachelor of arts in social work (BSW or BASW) 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 require BSW students to complete a minimum of 400 field education or internship hours. Accredited BSW programs often allow students who are interested in obtaining a master of social work degree to complete the degree in a shorter amount of time or waive courses.

Technology[edit]

The bachelor of technology degree (B.Tech) 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[edit]

The bachelor of laws (LLB, LL.B., LL. B., Ll.B) is the principal academic degree in law in most common law countries other than the United States and Canada, where it has been superseded by the juris doctor degree.

Talmudic law[edit]

The bachelor of talmudic law degree (BTL) is the degree awarded in most Yeshivas around the United States.

Mathematics[edit]

The bachelor of mathematics or bachelor of mathematical sciences degree (BMath and BMathSc) is given at the conclusion of a four-year honors program or a three-year general program. Several universities, mostly in Canada and Australia, award such degrees.

Urban and regional planning[edit]

The bachelor of urban and regional planning (or just bachelor of planning) degree (BURP and BPlan) is a degree offered at some institutions as a four-year professional undergraduate degree in urban planning.

Public affairs and policy management[edit]

The bachelor of public affairs and [policy management degree (BPAPM) is a specialized four-year honours degree dedicated to the study of public policy within an interdisciplinary framework. The degree was created as a direct response to the changing nature of civic society and the growing need for university graduates who can work effectively in the new policy environment.

Other[edit]

Many other specialized bachelor's degrees are offered. Some are in very specialized areas, like the five-year BID or BSID degree in industrial design. Others are offered only at a limited number of universities, such as the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University's bachelor of science in foreign service (BSFS). The University of Delaware offers a bachelor of applied arts and science (BAAS) degree, a degree which often indicates an interdisciplinary course of study, for many majors within its School of Arts and Science.[4] Stanford University's bachelor of arts and science 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 BS.

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 and a BS ChE in chemical engineering simultaneously, but a person studying philosophy and English would receive only a single BA with the two majors). Rules on this vary considerably, however.

  1. ^ "Electrical and Computer Engineering | University of Waterloo". Ece.uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  2. ^ BBA amd BCom: What's the difference? (10 June 2008). "University of Toronto – News@UofT". News.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Bachelor". Ccms.edu. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  4. ^ "List of Majors: Office of the University Registrar: University of Delaware". Udel.edu. Retrieved 8 July 2010. [dead link]