Types of Bachelor Degrees Including Online BA Degree Programs
You can earn an online bachelor’s degree or you can attend a traditional on-campus program. If you decide to seek a bachelor’s degree, a wide variety of institutions are ready to help you achieve your goal. Most distance learning students enter the workforce upon completing their bachelor’s degree, but some decide to continue their education with more advanced online degrees. Either way, your degree is a smart investment; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that professionals with a bachelor’s degree earn over $18,000 more each year when compared to someone who holds only a high school diploma.
There are several types of bachelor’s degree programs awarded by universities, and an accredited online bachelor’s degree is no different. By far the most common are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees, though which you receive depends partly upon your field of study and partly upon your particular educational institution.
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees are typically awarded for the academic subjects, especially at liberal arts universities where students completing their coursework in fields like history or physics receive a BA degree. At a few universities, BA degrees are only for those who study the humanities – art, music, literature, etc.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees are usually awarded for professions, particularly at liberal arts universities where students completing their coursework in areas like accounting or nursing receive a BS degree. At a few universities, BS degrees are only for those who study the natural or social sciences – biology, chemistry, psychology, etc. There are also a handful of schools, including all United States Military Academies, which award BS degrees for all programs
- Other bachelor’s degrees are sometimes awarded for specialized areas of study, such as the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).