Understanding University Degrees: A Comprehensive Guide

Choosing the right educational path is essential for shaping your future career and achieving your professional goals. An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. Academic degrees are commonly structured in levels, most often categorized as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. This article provides a detailed overview of university degrees, their types, and considerations for choosing the right path.

Levels of Academic Degrees

Academic degrees are commonly structured in levels, most often categorized as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The hierarchy of degrees dates back to the universities of 13th-century Europe, which had faculties organized into guilds. Members of the faculties were licensed to teach, and degrees were in effect the professional certifications that they had attained the guild status of a “master.” There was originally only one degree in European higher education, that of master or doctor. The baccalaureate, or bachelor’s degree, was originally simply a stage toward mastership and was awarded to a candidate who had studied the prescribed texts in the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) for three or four years and had successfully passed examinations held by his masters. The holder of the bachelor’s degree had thus completed the first stage of academic life and was enabled to proceed with a course of study for the degree of master or doctor. After completing those studies, he was examined by the chancellor’s board and by the faculty and, if successful, received a master’s or doctor’s degree, which admitted him into the teachers’ guild and was a certificate of fitness to teach at any university. The terms master, doctor, and professor were all equivalent.

In the United States and Great Britain, the modern gradation of academic degrees is usually bachelor (or baccalaureate), master, and doctor. The bachelor’s degree marks the completion of undergraduate study, usually amounting to four years. The master’s degree involves one to two years’ additional study, while the doctorate usually involves a lengthier period of work.

Undergraduate Degrees

An undergraduate degree (also called a first degree or simply a degree) is an academic degree awarded to a student who has completed an undergraduate program of study. In the United States, undergraduate degrees are typically offered at institutions of higher education such as colleges and universities. In other higher education systems, the scope of undergraduate education may extend up to the level of a master's degree. This structure is found, for example, in certain science courses in the United Kingdom and in some long-cycle medicine programs in continental Europe.

In the United Kingdom, a bachelor's degree is the most common type of undergraduate degree. Some master's degrees, known as integrated master's degrees, can be undertaken immediately after finishing secondary education; these courses are usually extended versions of bachelor's degree programs, taking an additional year to complete.

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Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree is considered an undergraduate degree, typically awarded upon completion of a four-year course of study. Bachelor’s degrees serve as a solid foundation for either completing postgraduate study (grad school) or gaining professional employment, opening doors to various career opportunities.

A bachelor's degree provides a well-rounded education and a solid foundation of knowledge in your chosen major. Bachelor’s degrees are often the starting point for many career paths. They equip you with the essential skills and knowledge you need to enter the workforce at entry level. Having this degree also provides you with more opportunities for growth and advancement than if you only had a high school diploma.

Earning a bachelor’s degree can open the door to many job opportunities and increase your potential income. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, over 60% more a year compared to individuals with a high school diploma.

Types of Bachelor's Degrees

There are several types of bachelor’s degrees, each with differences regarding focus and curriculum structure. The two most common types of bachelor’s degrees are Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS). Other types of bachelor’s degrees include the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Architecture (BArch).

Bachelor of Arts (BA): The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts & Sciences is focused more within the liberal arts. For example, a BA in economics will equip you with a broad understanding of global economics, politics, and cultures, making you a suitable candidate for job roles such as an international development officer, policy analyst, or foreign service officer.

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Bachelor of Science (BS): BS degree courses typically focus on more scientific disciplines. In the College of LAS, BA and BS programs both incorporate aspects of each other, so that students receive a broad education outside their majors and deep knowledge within it.
Specialized Bachelor's Degrees: Specialized bachelor's degree curriculums are more rigidly structured because they are designed to meet the demands of outside accrediting agencies.

Some institutions offer a liberal arts and career combination program, also called a 3-2 program. This is a type of dual degree in which a student completes three years of liberal arts study followed by two years of professional or technical study. In the end, students earn two bachelor’s degrees, usually a BA and a BS. An example of this is Columbia University’s 3-2 Combined Plan program in which students can earn a BA and a BS in five years. Some colleges also let you earn a teacher certification by combining bachelor's degree study with state certification requirements. State requirements vary, but these programs usually feature professional education courses, including student teaching.

Associate Degree

In the United States and sometimes in Canada, an associate degree is a two-year degree. An associate degree is a two-year degree typically offered at community colleges, technical colleges, and career colleges. However, some four-year universities offer this degree as well. Examples of associate degrees include Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS). It is occasionally undertaken as the beginning of a four-year degree.

Individuals with two-year degrees, often called an associate degree, earn, on average, about 20% more a year compared to individuals with just a high school diploma.

AS degrees are generally narrowly focused and prepare students for science and math-related careers. AA degrees are broader and focus on fields outside of math and science such as liberal arts, business administration, criminal justice, and culinary arts.

Some students who earn an associate degree transfer to a four-year program to earn a bachelor’s degree. Others complete associate degrees and then go straight into the workforce.

Postgraduate Degrees

A bachelor's degree is often considered sufficient for entry-level positions and initial employment in roles across the business, engineering, and arts fields. However, some fields have more stringent educational requirements. For example, careers in academia, research, and specialized fields like clinical psychology often stipulate a master’s degree as an essential or preferred prerequisite.

Graduate degrees are advanced degrees that some students pursue after earning a bachelor’s degree. Both bachelor's and master's degrees are valuable, but in the hierarchy of academic degrees, a master’s degree signifies a higher level of educational attainment and specialization compared to a bachelor’s degree.

Master's Degree

A master’s degree is well-suited for those aiming for specialized roles, advanced positions, or a shift in career focus. The depth of knowledge you’ll acquire during a master’s program sets you apart as a specialist in your field, making it easier to get shortlisted for niche-specific roles.

Master’s programs often involve more in-depth research projects, internships, or additional training that through your additional education can prepare you for high-level positions. You also may be able to gain additional networking opportunities by studying in a master's program.

The two most common are Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS). Other examples include Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). A graduate degree is like an extension of a bachelor’s degree in which a student enriches their knowledge of their field and narrows their focus of study. Graduate degrees usually take around 2 additional years to attain, but this can vary based on the degree. Many institutions allow students to enroll in a graduate program in a field unrelated to their bachelor’s degree. This may require some extra credit hours, though.

Educational attainment can significantly impact your earning potential. Individuals with master’s degrees generally earn more over their lifetimes, so the return on investment could be substantial.

Doctorate and Professional Degrees

The doctorate and professional degrees signify mastery of a subject and often come with the title “doctor.” Although the 2 are similar, there are some important differences. A graduate degree doesn’t need to precede a doctorate or professional degree. Often, students will go straight into a doctorate or professional program following their bachelor’s. However, some programs will require a master’s degree to gain entry. Completion can take anywhere from four to eight years, depending on the field of study. Many doctoral students work either full time or part time while they study in the program. This, along with the field they are studying, will significantly affect the time it takes to complete their degree.

Doctorate Degree: A doctorate degree is a research-oriented degree focused on scholarly development. The most common doctorate is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Despite the name, a PhD covers many disciplines, not just philosophy.
Professional Degree: A professional degree is an application-oriented degree, meaning it prepares students for a specific working position. Examples are Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), and Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) in the field of medicine, and Juris Doctor (JD) and Doctor of Judicial Science (SJD) in the field of law.

Joint Degrees

Some students may choose to pursue a joint degree, also known as a dual degree, which means they simultaneously study for a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree. Joint degrees can be pursued in the same college or can be split between two different colleges. For example, Berklee College of Music and Harvard University offer a dual bachelor’s/master’s program in which a student receives a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Harvard and a Master of Music (MM) or Master of Arts (MA) at Berklee. Depending on the program, it may be possible to study at the same time for a master's degree and a doctorate. A master's student is called a graduate student or “grad student” for short.

Considerations for Choosing a Degree

Deciding between pursuing a bachelor’s vs. master’s degree can shape your career path for years to come. But don’t panic!

Career Aspirations: Looking ahead by several years may seem impossible-after all, nobody has a crystal ball! However, your long-term career objectives will play a significant role in determining whether a bachelor’s vs. master’s degree is the right choice for you.
Level of Expertise: Knowing the level of expertise you want to reach is another essential criterion for determining whether a bachelor’s vs. master’s degree is the right choice for you.
Financial Commitment: Both master's and bachelor's degree types require a significant time and financial commitment. If you want to develop a comprehensive budget for your studies, you can use our cost of attendance calculator to help crunch the numbers.

Global Perspectives on Academic Degrees

The structure and nomenclature of academic degrees vary across countries. Here's a glimpse into a few different systems:

Bangladesh and India

Bangladesh and India mostly follow the colonial era British system for the classification of degrees. The arts, referring to the performing arts and literature, may confer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA). Management degrees are also classified under 'arts' but are nowadays considered a separate stream, with degrees of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Information Technology degrees are conferred specially in the field of computer science, and include Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (B.Sc.IT.) and Master of Science in Information Technology (M.Sc.IT.). The engineering degree in India follows two nomenclatures, Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) and Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.). Both represent bachelor's degree in engineering.

Pakistan

Pakistan has recently switched to the US model of a two-year associate degree and a four-year bachelor's degree program. Engineering degrees are Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S./B.Sc. Engineering). Both are the same in curriculum, duration and pattern, and differ only in nomenclature.

Indonesia

Indonesia follows a higher education system that originated from the Dutch colonial period. All degrees in Indonesia follow standardized regulations. The duration of each program is specified by Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 3 of 2020 on National Standards of Higher Education. The regulation outlines the maximum duration and minimum credit requirements (Semester Credit Units or SKS) for each level of study without counting academic leave.

Diploma 1 (D1): Usually and fastest 1 academic year, maximum 2 academic years, with a minimum of 36 SKS.
Diploma 2 (D2): Usually 2 academic years, fastest 1.5 years, maximum 3 academic years, with a minimum of 72 SKS. Similar to US Associate degree.
Diploma 3 (D3): Usually 3 academic years, fastest 2.5 years, maximum 5 academic years, with a minimum of 108 SKS.
Bachelor's degree (Sarjana) & Applied bachelor's degree (Sarjana Terapan) usually denoted as Diploma 4 (D4): Usually 4 academic years, fastest 3.5 years, maximum 7 academic years, with a minimum of 144 SKS. Sarjana (S1) denoted as S.XX (e.g., S.T. for Sarjana Teknik (Bachelor in engineering), and S.H.
Professional degree (Profesi): Usually 1-2 academic years, fastest 1 year, maximum 3 academic years after completing a bachelor's or applied bachelor's degree, with a minimum of 24 SKS. Various titles are used depending on the profession, such as Ir. (for engineers), Drs. (for social sciences before the 1990s), Ak. (for accountants), Apt.
Master's degree (Magister), Applied master's degree (Magister Terapan), or Medical Specialist program (Spesialis): Usually 2 academic years, fastest 1.5 years, maximum 4 academic years for non-Medical Specialist after completing a bachelor's or applied bachelor's degree, with a minimum of 36 SKS. Master's Degree uses M.XX (Magister) to represent the field of study, such as M.T. for Magister Teknik (Master of Engineering) and M.Hum.
Doctorate (Doktor), Applied Doctorate (Doktor Terapan), or Subspecialist program (Subspesialis): Usually 3-4 academic years, fastest 2 years, maximum 7 academic years for non-Medical Subspecialist after completing a master's, applied master's, or specialist program, with a minimum of 42 SKS. The title Dr.

Since a semester consists of 14 or 15 weeks of coursework and 1 or 2 weeks of exams, one SKS translates to an average of 40 hours of study per semester. Comparatively, one European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit equals 28 hours of study, meaning that one Indonesian SKS is approximately equivalent to 1.5 ECTS. All degrees in Indonesia grant academic titles, which are often used in formal and social settings, including on unofficial documents such as marriage invitations.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, like many other commonwealth countries, follows the British system, but with its own distinctions.

Tunisia

Tunisia's educational grading system, ranging from elementary school to Ph.D. programs, operates on a scale of 0 to 20. The minimum score for passing is set at 10 out of 20.

Historical Context: Medieval European Universities

George Makdisi theorizes that the ijazah issued in medieval Islamic madrasas in the 9th century was the origin of the doctorate that later appeared in medieval European universities. Alfred Guillaume, Syed Farid al-Attas and Devin J. Stewart agree that there is a resemblance between the ijazah and the university degree. However, Toby Huff and others reject Makdisi's theory. Devin J. Stewart finds that the ijazat al-ifta, license to teach Islamic law and issue legal opinions, is most similar to the medieval European university degree in that it permits entry into certain professions.

In medieval European universities, candidates who had completed three or four years of study in the prescribed texts of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric and logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music), together known as the Liberal Arts, and who had successfully passed examinations held by their master, would be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The term "bachelor" comes from the Latin baccalaureus, a term previously used to describe a squire (i.e., apprentice) to a knight. Further study and, in particular, successful participation in, and moderation of, disputations would earn one the Master of Arts degree, from the Latin magister, "master" (typically indicating a teacher), entitling one to teach these subjects. Masters of Arts were eligible to enter study under the "higher faculties" of Law, Medicine or Theology and earn first a bachelor's and then master's or doctor's degree in these subjects.

The naming of degrees eventually became linked to the subjects studied. Scholars in the faculties of arts or grammar became known as "masters", but those in theology, medicine and law were known as "doctors". As a study in the arts or grammar was a necessary prerequisite to study in subjects such as theology, medicine and law, the degree of doctor assumed a higher status than the master's degree. This led to the modern hierarchy in which the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), which in its present form as a degree based on research and dissertation is a development from 18th- and 19th-century German universities, is a more advanced degree than the Master of Arts (M.A.).

The French terminology is tied closely to the original meanings of the terms. The baccalauréat (cf. "bachelor") is conferred upon French students who have completed their secondary education and allows the student to attend university. When students graduate from university, they are awarded a licence, much as the medieval teaching guilds would have done, and they are qualified to teach in secondary schools or proceed to higher-level studies.

Online Degrees

An online degree is an academic degree (usually a college degree, but sometimes the term includes high school diplomas and non-degree certificate programs) that can be earned primarily or entirely on a distance learning basis through the use of an Internet-connected computer, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting.

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