Is a bachelor’s degree an undergraduate degree?

An undergraduate degree (also called first degree, bachelor’s degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a college or university.

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

If you are applying to university for the first time, the chances are you’re overwhelmed with the amount of information relating to the various degrees and courses.

As an undergraduate student, you are likely to be applying either to a foundation year or a bachelor degree. But what is the difference between single and joint honors? And how do you know whether you should study a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science?

A foundation degree

What is it? A foundation degree is a shorter course that combines academic study with workplace skills. It usually takes two years full-time to complete or longer for part-time study.

Who is it for? This degree type is perfect if you are unsure if you want to commit to a full degree, but still, want to gain academic knowledge while building your professional skills.

Pros: It allows you to have a taste of university life while proactively working toward your career. If you’re not convinced you to want to invest the full time and money of a completed undergraduate degree, you can get the best of both worlds. And, if you decide to continue studying, you can usually extend your foundation degree to graduate with a bachelors.

Cons: Foundation degrees are not considered as academically prestigious as Bachelor degrees. While you will be gaining industry knowledge alongside your studies, that means less time in the lecture hall and library.

Bachelor Degree

What is it? This degree is typically three or four years of full-time study in one specific subject. You will learn about different topics within this degree, but ultimately your studies will focus on one subject. For example, a geography degree might explore global poverty, the effects of climate change and data collection, but the overarching theme will be geography.

Who is it for? If you have one favorite subject, have a specific career goal or are particularly talented in one area, you can focus your interest in a single honors Bachelor degree. You usually have to have A-Level qualifications (UK), International Baccalaureate qualifications or equivalent to study at this level.

Pros: You will graduate an expert in your chosen field. After completing numerous years of study, you will have in-depth knowledge in your subject area, making you ready to make influential changes in the real world. It also shows an employer you are passionate about a subject and have the willpower to work hard.

Cons: Studying one subject means you have to really love it. Since you will be spending every day learning about it, make sure you chose a subject you’re genuinely interested in otherwise you risk feeling unmotivated and uninspired.

Bachelor Degree

What is it? This is the same as a single honor, except you choose two subjects. You will split your time across two subjects, giving you a broader scope of knowledge. Universities often have a range of joint honor programs, sometimes within the same department — such as English Literature and History — or across fields, such as Mathematics and Philosophy.

Who is it for? A joint honors degree is perfect if you’re interested in two disciplines or want to learn across subject areas. You usually need the same qualifications as a single honor.

Pros: While you will still graduate with deep knowledge in your chosen subject areas, you also have the added benefit of having more scope than gained through single honors. You have a wider perspective in two subject areas.

Cons: Because you will be splitting your time equally between two subjects, you will have less time to study each subject. This means while your knowledge may be broader than a single honors student, it won’t necessarily be deeper. You will also have to swap between subjects, potentially dealing with timetable clashes for your different modules and deadlines.

There are a few types of certificates for education. I’ll explain them in order of value:

Diploma: American students get this for graduating from high school.

Associate’s Degree: This comes from a 2-year study program after high school, usually from a Community College.

Bachelor’s Degree: This comes from a traditional 4-year university. While a student is in a university studying to get a Bachelor’s Degree, they are called “undergraduates” or “undergrads”.

Master’s Degree: This comes after a student has a Bachelor’s Degree. They can move on to a more specialized area of the university for 2 more years (usually). While a student is studying to get a Master’s Degree, they are called “graduates” or “grad students”.

Doctorate: This is the highest level of education a person can achieve. Doctorate programs differ a lot in what they require, but a Master’s-holding student will have to publish work in their field of study to obtain a Doctorate.

Even though we call them “Doctors” in hospitals, they have an M.D., which is different than a standard Doctorate. There are also degrees from Law School, which is also different than the more well-known degrees I mentioned above.

Answer: There are, of course, many differences. Some of the most important ones are:

1. Undergraduate programs are more general in nature. They include general education courses in a wide variety of subjects that are not part of graduate education. Graduate programs are highly specialized and much more advanced than undergraduate programs.
2. Undergraduate classes are usually much larger and less individualized. In graduate programs, students work closely with professors, often on a one-to-one basis.
3. While some undergraduate programs require a senior project or a similar activity, graduate studies are much more research-oriented. Master’s and doctoral programs include some classwork, but research preparation and defense is a primary focus in most programs. Undergraduate programs usually restrict examinations to those related to individual classes; graduate programs also include comprehensive examinations that are very important.
4. It is comparatively easy to change undergraduate major subjects and to move to a different school during a program. It is much more difficult to do so in graduate programs, as they are narrowly specialized. Graduate programs in psychology, for example, maybe very different from one university to another.