The bachelor’s degree, usually representing completion of a four-year course of study on a collegiate level, is the oldest and the best-known academic degree, particularly under the designation of Bachelor of Arts. Some varieties of bachelor’s, or baccalaureate, degree is currently offered by about 750 institutions, most of which offer a Bachelor of Science in Education. Other baccalaureate degrees offered by a large number of institutions are Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Divinity, and Bachelor of Home Economics. Most institutions offer more than one variety of Baccalaureates, but about one tenth report use of the Bachelor of Arts only, regardless of the particular curriculum completed.
Master’s degree
The earned master’s degree in general represents one year of work beyond the baccalaureate, but in a few institutions or in a few fields it requires two years of graduate work. The most frequently awarded master’s degrees are Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Music and Master of Fine Arts. The Master of Philosophy degree is conferred to those who have completed all requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree except the doctoral dissertation.