The bachelor's degree is a popular educational path for professionals who want to expand their professional options.
In the past, it took four years to earn a postsecondary undergraduate degree, which typically required 120 semester credits or around 40 college courses. It requires a minimum of 180 quarter credits for students enrolled in colleges that use the quarter system instead of the semester system.
Historically, a bachelor's degree or a traditional four-year degree was referred to as a "college degree." It is now known as a baccalaureate degree, a BA, BFA, or BS. The majority of bachelor's degrees in the United States are awarded by liberal arts colleges with regional accreditation.
Classes in the liberal arts and general education are required for all bachelor's degrees. English, critical thinking, psychology, history, mathematics, and other subjects will be covered by a large number of students. A student's major typically consists of 10 to 12 courses and 30 to 36 credits. This system opens the door to careers at the entry level and graduate school.
Master's degrees can also be more specialized, often focusing on a specific professional field. These are sometimes referred to as "tagged master's degrees" or "professional master's degrees" because they focus on career development in a specific profession and are "tagged" to a particular field. The Professional Science Master's Degree (PSM) is a hands-on degree with a strong practical component that provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to work professionally in their chosen field. Some professional master's degrees begin with the word "Professional" in the title.
Classifications and specifics of courses will, as always, differ from country to country and institution to institution. The most typical examples of specialized and professional master's degrees are listed below.