Bachelor's degree


A bachelor's degree, originating from medieval Latin terms signifying a novice or beginner, typically requires three to six years of study at a higher education institution. While commonly an undergraduate qualification, certain bachelor's degrees, like the MBBS or the Scottish MA, exist outside of this standard framework and may function at different qualification levels or even be considered postgraduate.

⭐ In the context of higher education qualifications, a bachelor's degree is most accurately described as…


⭐ Core Definition: Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin baccalaureus; or baccalaureate, from Modern Latin baccalaureatus) is an undergraduate degree awarded by higher education institutions upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years (depending on the institution and academic discipline). The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS or BSc). In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a master's or a doctorate.

In countries with qualifications frameworks, bachelor's degrees are normally one of the major levels in the framework (sometimes two levels where non-honours and honours bachelor's degrees are considered separately). However, some qualifications titled bachelor's degree may be at other levels (e.g., MBBS) and some qualifications with non-bachelor's titles may be classified as bachelor's degrees (e.g. the Scottish MA and Canadian MD).

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HINT: The historical and global application of bachelor's degrees demonstrates variations in their placement within qualifications frameworks, with examples like the MBBS and Scottish MA functioning differently than typical undergraduate degrees.

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