Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bachelor Vs Master
Bachelor Vs Master
> FAQs > FAQ: What are the Differences Between a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree?
Question: What are the Differences Between a
Bachelor's Degree and a Master’s Degree?
(Bachelor’s vs. Master's Programs)
Answer: A bachelor’s degree is a postsecondary undergraduate degree that typically
requires the completion of the equivalent of eight semester or four years of coursework
and that can prepare students for entry and midlevel work in their field of study, as well
as for further studies at the graduate level. A master’s degree is a graduate degree that
provides advanced training and instruction in a particular field of study and that can
prepare students for more specialized, higherlevel positions and/or for doctoral programs
in that field. While the upper division coursework offered in bachelor’s programs may
overlap with introductory master’s program coursework, bachelor’s program curricula are
designed to provide students with a foundation for further academic and professional
achievement through a combination of general education coursework and a designated
cluster of courses in a particular major. Master’s program curricula do not include general
education requirements and may take only three or four semesters or roughly one to two
years to complete, depending on the program and the field of study.
The Components of a Bachelor’s Degree Program
While there are different types of bachelor’s programs, including Bachelor of Arts (BA) and
Bachelor of Science (BS) programs, most bachelor’s programs have two primary components:
general education course requirements and electives, and core and elective coursework within a
chosen major. General education requirements are typically completed during the initial two years
or four semesters of a bachelor’s program and commonly include classes in English composition,
mathematics, social science, physical science, history, art, and culture. Some bachelor’s
programs may also require a certain number of general education credits in other areas, such a
foreign language or physical education.
and when students qualify for and declare their majors depends on the program and its structure.
In some fields, particularly those that require professional licensure and/or supervised clinical
hours, it may be advantageous for students to declare their major at the beginning or soon after
the start of a bachelor’s program. In addition, some programs may require students to apply for
and be accepted into certain highly competitive majors. Finally, some schools, including schools
that offer online bachelor’s programs, may require students to apply to specific bachelor’s degree
programs (e.g., a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Arts in Education) as part of the
initial admissions process.
The Structure and Length of Bachelor’s Programs
The way bachelor’s programs are structured varies by school and by program, and there may be
structural variations between different majors offered by the same school. Nevertheless, general
education requirements and electives outside of a student’s major can comprise up to half or
more of the credits required for conferral of a bachelor’s degree. In contrast, coursework and
other requirements within a particular major generally add up to between one third and half of the
credits required for a bachelor’s degree. For example, a 120credit bachelor’s program may allot
50 credits for general education requirements and offer a variety of BA and BS majors, some of
which may require the completion of as few as 42 credits while others require students to
complete up to 50 or more credits. The remaining credits required for a bachelor’s degree are
commonly designated for electives that may or may not count toward a secondary major or
minor, as some programs allow students to minor in a field other than their major or to double
major in two fields of study.
The table below offers a simplified example of how crediting and coursework requirements might
be structured for a bachelor’s program that allots an average of three credits per course and that
requires students to earn 120 credits, which is a common number of credits for a bachelor’s
program.
General Education 51 17
Major 45 15
Elective 24 8
Total 120 40
A student enrolled fulltime in a bachelor’s program like the one described above would be
eligible to graduate in four years by taking an average of five classes per semester for eight
semesters. Students who take classes during summer sessions may be able to graduate in less
than four years from a program structured in this way, or to reduce the number of courses they
take per semester to three or four over a fouryear period.
Bachelor’s Program Majors
There are numerous options for majors at the bachelor’s degree level, some of which are more
commonly offered than others. Most colleges and universities offer majors in a range of
humanities, social science, and natural science disciplines, such as English, biology, chemistry,
communication, history, mathematics, philosophy, physics, psychology, and sociology. Majors in
more specialized fields like accounting, business administration, cybersecurity, data analytics,
engineering, environmental studies, library science, nursing, social work, and teaching are
offered by some but not all schools. Potential applicants to bachelor’s programs should research
programs carefully to determine which schools offer a major in their field of interest or in a closely
related field.
Based on an analysis of recent data collected by the Department of Education for its Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the ten most common undergraduate majors or
fields of study are:
1. Business
2. Health professions
3. Social sciences and history
4. Social sciences
5. Psychology
6. Biological and biomedical sciences
7. Engineering
8. Visual and performing arts
9. Education
10. Communication and journalism
As previously noted, different majors have different requirements. Students who major in a
humanities discipline may be required to submit a senior paper or thesis in order to graduate,
while those who major in a science field may be required to complete a research project.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs commonly require students to compose a portfolio of their
work or present a performance of some type prior to receiving their degree. Bachelor’s programs
in professional fields, such as nursing, social work, and accounting, may require students to
complete a certain number of supervised field education, practicum, or internship hours as part of
their major.
Admission to Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Eligibility requirements and admissions criteria vary by program. However, most bachelor’s
programs, regardless of their admissions standards, require applicants to have a high school
diploma or the equivalent. In addition, students may be required to submit scores from a
standardized test such as the SAT; two or three letters of recommendation; a written personal
goals statement; and/or answers to one or more essay questions. Finally, some bachelor’s
programs may request or require interviews with applicants. For specific information regarding a
program’s admissions policies, potential applicants should contact an admissions counselor or
administrator at that school.
The Components of Master’s Degree Programs
One of the primary differences between bachelor’s and master’s degree programs involves
general education coursework, which is not one of the components of a master’s program.
Instead, master’s program curricula focus exclusively on various facets of the program’s field of
study, which may include core subject area courses and specialized coursework within a field, as
well as labs, practicums, internships, and/or field education, depending of the field of study. For
example, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program curriculum typically includes
required courses in key business functions, such as accounting, finance, logistics, marketing,
organizational science, and personnel and project management. In addition, MBA programs
commonly give students options for elective coursework in other areas, such as business
analytics, cybersecurity, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, health management, hospitality
management, and public relations, and many MBA programs have designated tracks in one or
more of these and other specializations.
Many master’s programs in other fields are structured similarly, with several required core
courses followed by optional specializations or concentrations comprised of a designated cluster
of required courses. For example, Master of Social Work (MSW) programs typically provide core
training and instruction in the general practice of social work and may then offer students the
option of specializing in clinical practice, macro practice, mental health counseling, and/or school
social work. Similarly, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs typically cover general
areas of advanced nursing practice in several core courses and provide focused training in one
or more nursing specializations, including nursing administration, nursing education, and various
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) specializations.
There are two additional components that may be required as part of a master’s degree program.
In many fields, master’s degree candidates must complete supervised clinical or work experience
hours through internships, practicums, and/or field education placements. For example, MSW
programs typically require at least 900 field education hours, and master’s in counseling
programs typically require a minimum of 700 supervised clinical hours. In contrast, MBA
programs generally do not have internship requirements. Finally, some programs require students
to pass a comprehensive exam and/or complete a master’s thesis, capstone project, or some
other type of final paper or research project that students may have to defend prior to receiving
their degree.
The Structure and Length of Master’s Programs
Master’s programs generally require fewer courses, fewer credits, and less time to complete than
bachelor’s programs. While the total number of courses and credits in a master’s program varies
by program and by area of study, in most fields students who enroll on a fulltime basis can
complete a master’s program in one to three years. Master’s programs in clinical fields may take
longer on average to complete than nonclinical master’s programs, but this is not universally
true.
The time it takes to complete a master’s program may also depend on a student’s level of
academic and/or professional preparedness. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree in the same
field as a master’s program or who have professional experience in that field may not be required
to take one or more of the program’s introductory courses. Conversely, students who majored in
a field unrelated to the type of master’s degree they are pursuing and who do not have
professional experience in that field may be required to take one or more prerequisites as a
condition for admission. For example, students who hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting
typically do not have to take introductory managerial and financial accounting courses in order to
earn a master’s degree in accounting, while students who did not major in accounting are
generally required to complete several introductory accounting courses prior to taking more
advanced, master’slevel accounting classes.
Social Work is another example of a field in which a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) may
be advantageous for students who intend to pursue a master’s degree. Graduates from BSW
programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) may qualify for Advanced
Standing MSW programs, which have fewer introductory course and field education requirements
than traditional MSW programs and take less time to complete.
The table below compares master’s programs that fall on two ends of the crediting spectrum.
36Credit Master’s Program 60Credit Master’s Program
Number of Required Classes 12 20
Note: Many master’s programs are designed to accommodate students who intend to continue
working professionally while earning their degree. These programs offer parttime or flexible
enrollment, allowing students to take fewer courses per semester provided that they complete the
program within a certain number of years, typically five to eight years. It is also common at the
master’s level to find programs that do not adhere to the traditional 15week academic semester
system and that offer courses five or six times a year during terms that last five, eight, or ten
weeks. This may allow students to take one or two courses per term without extending the time to
completion beyond two years.
Types of Master’s Degree Programs
The two most common designations for master’s programs are Master of Arts (MA) and Master of
Science (MS). However, there are many formal designations for master’s programs, including
Master of Professional Studies (MPS), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Applied Science
(MAS), and an even larger number of designations for specialized types of master’s program.
The list below provides an overview of some of the more common specialized master’s degree
designations and their abbreviations.
Master of Accounting (MAcc)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Computer Science (MCS)
Master of Education (MEd)
Master of Engineering (MEng)
Master of Health Administration (MHA)
Master of Laws (LLM)
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Common Areas for Master’sLevel Study
An analysis of recent IPEDS data on the number of graduates from master’s programs in the US
indicates that the 15 most common general fields of study pursued at the master’s level are as
follows:
1. Business
2. Education
3. Health Professions
4. Engineering
5. Public Administration and Social Services
6. Psychology
7. Social Sciences and History
8. Visual and Performing Arts
9. Biological and Biomedical Sciences
10. Theology and Religious Vocations
11. Computer and Information Sciences
12. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, and Firefighting
13. Communication and Journalism
14. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
15. Mathematics and Statistics
Admission to Master’s Degree Programs
Master’s program admissions policies vary by school and by program. In order to be eligible for
admission to a master’s program, students typically must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
from an accredited college or university. Some programs are designed for students who earned
their bachelor’s degree in a particular field or fields, or who earned passing grades in several
collegelevel courses in one or more subject areas. For example, a master’s in computer science
program may require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or to have taken
collegelevel computer programming, mathematics, and/or statistics courses.
In addition, master’s programs may request that applicants submit standardized test scores (GRE
or GMAT), letters of recommendation, a personal goals statement, and/or answers to one or
more essay questions. Some master’s programs have minimum undergraduate grade point
average (GPA) requirements, while others are designed for students who have one or more years
of qualifying professional experience in their field. Finally, admissions to some types of master’s
programs may require professional licensure. For example, MSN programs commonly require
applicants to hold a valid and unencumbered stateissued Registered Nurse (RN) licensure prior
to admission.
Bachelor’s Degrees vs. Master’s Degrees: A SideBySide
Comparison
The table below offers a general sidebyside comparison of bachelor’s and master’s degree
programs, highlighting many of the key differences between the two types of degrees.
General Education Coursework Yes No
Accreditation for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs
One area in which bachelor’s and master’s degree programs do not significantly differ regards
institutional accreditation. There are currently six regional bodies that provide accreditation to
schools offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs:
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education (NEASCCIHE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and University (NWCCU)
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
(SACSCOC)
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College and University
Commission (WSCUC)
Accreditation from one of these six groups indicates that a college or university has undergone
an assessment designed to ensure the functional viability of the institution and its educational
and financial resources.
In addition to institutional accreditation, specific types of academic undergraduate and graduate
programs may receive programmatic accreditation from accrediting bodies in certain fields, such
as business, counseling, nursing, and social work. The importance of programmatic accreditation
varies by field but is typically more crucial in fields that require professional licensure, like
counseling, nursing, and social work, than in fields that do not have licensure requirements.
However, in a field such as business, which generally does not require professional licensure, it
may still be advantageous to graduate from a program that is accredited by one of the three
bodies that accredit business schools and programs.
For more information on programmatic accreditation for online programs, refer to the following
FAQs:
Business Programs:
Who Accredits MBA Programs?
Who Accredits nonMBA Business Programs?
Who Accredits Online Master’s in Accounting Degree Programs?
Does the SHRM Accredit Master’s in HRM Degree Programs?
Counseling Programs:
Are There CACREPAccredited Online Counseling Programs?
Is CACREP Accreditation Important?
What Is the Difference Between CACREP and MPCAC Accreditation?
Healthcare Programs:
Does CAHIIM Accredit Online Master’s in Health Informatics and HIM Degree Programs?
Does CAHME Accredit Online Master of Health Administration (MHA) Programs?
Social Work Programs:
Who Accredits Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs?
Additional FAQs about Degree Programs and Online
Education:
FAQ: Are there Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs?
FAQ: Are There Online Master’s Degree Programs That Do Not Require the GMAT
for Admission?
FAQ: Are There Online Master’s Programs That Do Not Require the GRE for
Admission?
FAQ: How Long Does it Take to Complete a Master’s Degree Program?
FAQ: How Long Does it Take to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree?
FAQ: What Are Hybrid Doctoral Programs?
FAQ: What Are the Differences Between the GRE and the GMAT (GRE vs. GMAT)?
FAQ: What Is a Master of Applied Science Degree?
FAQ: What Is a Master of Professional Studies Degree?
FAQ: What Is a PhD Degree?
FAQ: What Is a Professional Science Master’s Degree?
FAQ: What Is an MS Degree?
FAQ: What Is the Difference Between an MS and an MPS Degree Program?
Find Online Degree Programs
Current Degree
Desired Subject
Desired Program
Your State
Submit
Sponsored
Copyright © 20162021 Online Education Research, LLC