There are several types of bachelor’s degrees in the United States: general degrees and degrees with an indication of the subject area.
General bachelor’s degrees:
- Humanities – Bachelor of Arts, abbreviated BA, awarded in the humanities, social sciences, and arts;
- Technical – Bachelor of Science, abbreviated BS, is awarded in the field of technical, exact and natural sciences.
Bachelor’s degrees with an indication of the subject area:
- research – for example, Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs, BSPA;
- professional – for example, Bachelor of Architecture, B.Arch.
There are almost as many professional degrees with an indication of the subject area as there are subject areas. So, after completing a bachelor’s degree in architecture school, the student will receive a professional degree B.Arch, in a pedagogical one – BEd.
As a rule, general and research degrees are awarded at the end of programs with immersion in scientific, theoretical, research issues, with a serious volume of laboratory work. Professional degrees are awarded on programs with an emphasis on acquiring practical skills, long-term practice and internships in the specialty.
Examples of undergraduate degrees:
- BA Bachelor of Arts
- BS Bachelor of Science
- BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts
- BSW Bachelor of Social Work
- BEng Bachelor of Engineering
- BSPA Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs
- BPhil Bachelor of Philosophy
- B.Arch Bachelor of Architecture
Many US universities offer programs where graduates can obtain two degrees or specialties at the same time, which helps to reduce training costs.