Articles

A Bachelor's degree or sometimes called S1 in Indonesia is an education level that all students worldwide are familiar with. As you might have known, the bachelor's degree comes after you finished high school or equal levels of education like GCE A level or diploma. But have you ever wondered what is a bachelor's degree and why it is called a bachelor degree? Let's find out in today's university Basics.

WHAT IS A BACHELOR DEGREE?

The name bachelor's degree or baccalaureate comes from the Latin word 'baccalaureus' or 'baccalaureates'. It is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completing a course of study lasting three to seven years.

A bachelor's degree typically lasts for four years or more, but some institutions have created Bachelor's degree courses that last for three years. The trend started in Europe and is adapted in many institutions in many countries, including Australia. However, the credits required to finish the three-year Bachelor's degree are the same as the credits needed to complete the four-year bachelor's degree. So if your institution offers a three-year-long bachelor's degree, it doesn't mean that you are learning less. These changes' objective is to reduce the time spent on learning general knowledge of the degree so that students can spend it on two-year masters and other post-degree courses.

HISTORY OF BACHELOR DEGREE

The bachelor's degree's history could be dated back to a medieval time or during the 14th century. Since then, doctorate and master's degrees have already existed. In medieval European universities, candidates would complete three or four years of study in Liberal Arts, including grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. The candidates will have to pass examinations held by their master to be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree.

The Bachelor of Arts degree is the first step for candidates before moving forward with their studies to obtain a Master of Arts degree. This is also why a master's degree is sometimes called a graduate degree, taken from the Latin word Gradus (Step).