Major and bachelor are terms frequently used in the realm of higher education, particularly when discussing education beyond high school. A bachelor’s degree is considered a prerequisite for obtaining a well-paying job in most industries. It is an academic degree and the first significant milestone in higher education. Some people confuse the terms major and bachelor, thinking they refer to two different degrees. In reality, one must obtain a bachelor’s degree in a particular subject, which is referred to as their major. This article will clarify the differences between the terms bachelor and major.
Bachelor
A bachelor’s degree is an academic degree that a student can attain after completing high school. This four-year degree program can be pursued in various fields, such as art, science, commerce, business administration, and more. Depending on the chosen course at the undergraduate level, one can obtain a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of law, bachelor of music, etc.
Major
Higher education begins with a bachelor’s level degree (the undergraduate course) and can progress to a master’s level degree or even a PhD, a research-based degree aimed at pursuing a career in research or teaching. Regardless of the degree being pursued, it is necessary to indicate the subject being studied when asked. The chosen subject is known as the major. For example, if a student is studying psychology and working toward a bachelor’s degree at a college or university, psychology is considered their major, and they are referred to as a bachelor of arts.
Key Takeaways
– A major refers to the specific field of study, while a bachelor is an academic degree offered by colleges and universities.
– It is insufficient to say that one is pursuing an undergraduate course or bachelor’s degree without specifying the major.
– In an engineering undergraduate program, students must identify their chosen stream (e.g., civil, chemical, mechanical), which is referred to as the major.
– A bachelor’s degree is generic, while a major is the specific field of study at that level.
