A person might choose to pursue a bachelor's degree for any number of personal reasons. Some of the more common motivations to earn a bachelor's degree include:
- Lower unemployment rate: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people who have earned a bachelor's degree have a lower unemployment rate than individuals who have only completed an associate degree, some college education or a high school diploma.
- Higher weekly pay on average: People who have earned a bachelor's degree have weekly average earnings that are higher on average than those with associate degrees or just a high school diploma. In fact, people with bachelor's degrees earn an average $400 more per week than those solely having a high school diploma.
- Flexibility: Online bachelor's degree programs make it possible to attend class from your own home, on a break at work, or elsewhere, such as from your favorite coffee shop or library. Sometimes this can allow a student to take classes they would otherwise be unable to reach in time; sometimes, the time a student saves on commuting can be used to take an accelerated program they would otherwise be too busy to handle.
Bachelor's Degree Versus Associate Degree
Bachelor's degree programs typically take four years to complete and require general education courses followed by courses tied to a degree. This degree level helps students to learn skills in a specific field, or "major," such as business or information technology or sociology. In general, bachelor's degree programs:
- Are offered through colleges or universities
- Require core coursework in broad fields -- like English, math and science -- as well as courses specific to the major
- Can be relevant to a variety of careers, from criminal justice to information technology to social science
- May require an internship or field experience
Students who have already earned an associate degree are generally at an advantage when it comes to completing a bachelor's degree program. Many schools accept transfer courses from one degree level to the next, allowing students to build on the skills they developed during their associate program and complete a four-year degree program in less time.
Reasons to Pursue a Bachelor Degree Program
Not all bachelor degree programs are necessarily the same even when taking into account the differences between different schools and majors. Listed below are several different formats in which these programs can be completed:
Online Bachelor Degree Programs for Career Training
Many bachelor degree programs are designed to provide you the necessary skills and education to fulfill at least an entry-level position in your desired industry. Examples:
Bachelor Programs Build to a Graduate Degree
Some careers require you to obtain a graduate degree before qualifying for employment. In this case it's important, and sometimes required, to develop the fundamentals the field or related field that you are intending on studying in an online graduate school.
For example, you'd need to earn at least a master's degree to become an attorney, and it's unlikely you'd be able to earn a master's without first completing a baccalaureate.
Generally, there are specific undergraduate degree programs that students complete in order to prepare for the next step of their education -- to continue our example, as an aspiring attorney, you might decide to earn your bachelor's degree in criminal justice as a stepping stone for enrolling in law school afterwards.
Occupations That Can Start With an Bachelor Degree
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, many occupations only require candidates to have an bachelor degree. Here's a look at some of them:
Healthcare Fields: | Psychology, Healthcare Management, Nursing, Healthcare Services Administration, Allied Health |
Business Fields: | Business Administration, Accounting, Human Services, Management |
Technology Fields | Computer Programming Software Development, Computer Science, Information Technology |