Just under 50% of all Aussie high school students will enrol in higher education (uni) within 2 years of finishing their HSC. That’s a lot of students! Most are asking the question “What is a bachelor’s degree?”
So many students have no idea how uni actually works, why they’re going in the first place, and how to make the most of it.
The most common confusion around uni is with the course itself. I remember thinking the same thoughts as you!
“What the heck is a degree? Like I know it’s a qualification just like the HSC, but what does it actually give me and how do I actually get it?”
Uncle Nathan decided to mix some research and wisdom to provide you with all the answers! Here’s your complete guide to what a bachelor’s degree is, what is required to obtain one, and how to make the whole process as easy as possible.
Table of Contents
Undergrad vs. Postgrad
The first step to understanding what uni is and how it works is to know the difference between undergrad and postgrad qualifications.
Basically, if this is your first degree, you’re an undergrad student. Undergrad stands for “Under Graduate” AKA you haven’t yet graduated with ANYTHING.
If you’ve already graduated with any form of degree, you’re now considered a postgrad student. Postgrad stands for “Post Graduate” AKA you’ve graduated with a degree and have come back to study something else.
The distinction here is that typically, all undergrad courses will give you an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree at a maximum.
This is because most university courses require you to complete an undergrad degree before you can attempt a master’s course due to the content within it. As a postgrad, you have access to master’s degrees and eventually a doctoral degree if you decide to pursue it.
Undergrad students are usually young (although, not always) like you and I, working towards their first qualifications outside of school.
Associate’s – Bachelor’s – Master’s – Doctoral
There are 4 main degree types in Australia:
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Master’s Degree
- Doctoral Degree
The above order is based mainly on time spent to obtain the level of qualification, but also indicates the difficulty of course and value of the qualification.
Associate’s Degree
An associate’s degree is the most basic higher-education achievement after the HSC. It sits between the HSC qualification, and a bachelor’s degree, and typically takes 2-3 years to complete.
This type of degree is valued by employers, however, is quite uncommon in the corporate world as most students go directly to a bachelor’s degree.
An associate’s degree is a great option if you didn’t get the required ATAR for your dream bachelor’s degree as it teaches you the basics and gives you the required credibility to be accepted into the bachelor’s degree.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree is the most common form of higher educational achievement for undergrad students. It typically takes 3-4 years to complete as a full-time student and is considered reasonably valuable to employers.
There was a time not too long ago where most school students started working straight out of school, and so, a bachelor’s degree was considered extremely valuable. However, in today’s fast-moving society every Tom, Jack and Holly has some form of bachelor’s degree in the corporate world.
The bachelor’s degree is often used as a gateway into postgrad study to obtain a master’s or higher.
Master’s Degree
The master’s degree is the first significant level of postgrad achievement. It typically represents a specific field of study within your bachelor’s degree area. For example, after completing my Bachelor of Business, I could go on as a postgrad to complete a Masters of Business Administration.
The master’s degree level of qualification usually takes an additional 2 years of study after completing the bachelor’s degree (5-6 years total).
Doctoral Degree
The doctoral level of achievement is the highest educational form of achievement within the one-course area. It usually takes another 4 years of study (9-10 years total) in a specific topic area. This study is usually research-based and involves one large thesis submission to graduate.
The doctoral degree (AKA Ph. D or Doctorate) allows graduates to teach at universities and refer to themselves as Dr.
Bachelor’s Degree – FAQ
What is it?
A bachelor’s degree is an undergrad educational achievement that sits between an associate’s degree and a master’s degree.
How do I get one?
To obtain a bachelor’s degree in any course of study, you must first graduate from High School with the required entry marks (or equivalent – i.e. TAFE course). You must then undertake 3-4 years of full-time study in a specific subject area (i.e. Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Arts, etc.)
Most undergrad bachelor’s courses are structured to have a total of 96 credit points required before completion. To obtain these credit points, you must achieve a pass-mark-minimum in each of your subjects. Subjects usually contribute 6 credit points each, meaning you’d have to pass 4 subjects each semester over the course of a 3-year degree (144 credit points total).
This structure can change depending on the nature of the course. For example, a Bachelor of Nursing is usually fast-tracked to allow for clinical placement (meaning you complete 8 subjects in a semester to allow for a free semester of industry-related work).
How long will it take?
A bachelor’s degree usually takes 3-4 years of full-time study or 6-8 years of part-time study. Full-time study is typically 4 subjects each semester with 2 semesters each calendar year. Part-time study can be flexible around what the student needs (i.e. 4 subjects this semester with just 2 next semester).
Can I get multiple?
You can technically get as many bachelor’s degrees as you’d like. I don’t recommend it though. Get specific, find a bachelor’s degree you enjoy, finish it, and then specialise either in the industry or through a master’s degree.
Double Degree?
A double degree is where you study 2 bachelor’s degrees concurrently (at the same time), in order to finish your undergrad study with 2 different degrees. These usually take 4-6 years of full-time study to complete because it requires more credit points.
I am doing a double degree that allows me to graduate after 4 years with 2 degrees. The main degree is a Bachelor of Business (this is completed over 3 years within the normal semester timeframes). The second degree is a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (this is completed in blocks at the end of each semester over the first 3 years, and then finished over 1 full year in the 4th year).
A double degree is good for those of us who are studying something very broad and don’t want to study as a postgrad student. It gives us a slight differentiation advantage over the thousands of other students who go job searching at the end of those 3-4 years.
What’s the point?
A bachelor’s degree certainly isn’t as impressive as it was when our parents were growing up. Back then, a bachelor’s degree was all you needed for a ridiculously high paying executive role. Nowadays, it’ll take a lot more than that!
A bachelor’s degree gives you access to the corporate world, gives you credibility in your field of expertise, gives you the opportunity to travel and meet new people, and still offers value above the HSC qualification for potential employers.
How much does it cost?
A bachelor’s degree in Australia typically costs around $5k each semester for a full-time student. That works out to be roughly $30k-$40k for a 3-4 year degree.
Paying for a degree can be tough… I mean what 19-20-year-old has 30-40k laying around? Not many!
$30-$40k is still extremely reasonable when we compare it to the cost of education in places like the USA. SOme undergrad degrees cost upwards of $150k!
Luckily, the Aussie government helps us out through what’s called a HECS-HELP Loan. This is an interest-free loan that lets us study now and pay it off once we use the degree to get a job in the industry.
To learn more about how HECS works, check out this post: How on Earth Does HECS Actually Work?
What is honours?
Honours is offered as a part of most bachelor’s degrees as an additional year of research-based study that allows students to write a thesis on a topic of their choice.
The honours program for each degree differs slightly, however, most degrees require a certain level of academic achievement throughout the regular degree before offering honours to a student.
Graduating with honours is certainly more impressive than simply graduating with good marks. However, oftentimes it isn’t worth the extra year of study.
There you have it. A complete guide to the bachelor’s degree.
It’s all a bit confusing at first, I know. I hope this has helped to make things clearer and hopefully has given you a strong basis to plan out your next few years of study with where you want to take it.
As always, get in touch if anything doesn’t make sense and be sure to follow us on Instagram for daily value in smaller chunks!
Here are some other posts I think you’d enjoy:
- How to find the uni degree of your dreams
- How to be a uni pro from day 1
- Here’s the best way to stop procrastinating
- 8 laptops you need to consider before starting uni
Until next time,
Uncle N.