Bachelor's Degree

Bachelors Degree: About bachelor's degrees 

A bachelor’s degree is the traditional degree given by undergraduate colleges and universities. It normally requires at least four years but not more than five years of full-time university-level coursework. The two most common classes of bachelor’s degrees awarded by Canadian schools are the bachelor of science degree (also called the B.S.) and the bachelor of arts degree (also called the B.A.). Some schools offer only the B.A. degree, even for science majors (such as a B.A. in biology). Other schools offer both the B.A. and the B.S. Bachelor degrees are what most students pursue when enrolling in a Canadian university or college.

All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must select a major, usually by the end of their second year. Students must complete a required number of courses (or units) within their major in order to graduate with a bachelor degree in that major. They may also be required to complete a number of courses in closely related fields. For example, a student who is majoring in chemistry will not only have to complete chemistry courses, but also mathematics, biology, and physics courses in order to graduate with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. In addition to the requirements for the major, students must also complete a series of courses outside of their major. These requirements will apply to all students attending the university, regardless of major. For example, all students may be required to complete courses in writing, foreign language, communications, and history.