Major vs. Bachelor — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 17, 2024
Major refers to a student’s primary focus of study, while a bachelor is a degree awarded upon completing undergraduate studies.
Difference Between Major and Bachelor
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A major is a specific area of academic concentration that students choose to focus on during their undergraduate studies, defining the core courses they must take. On the other hand, a bachelor's degree is a broader educational credential that encompasses all coursework completed at the undergraduate level, including both major and elective courses.
Choosing a major is a critical decision that often influences a student's career path, as it involves deep study in a particular field. Whereas, earning a bachelor's degree signifies a general education that prepares students for a variety of professional options or further education.
Students usually declare their major by their second year of college, which allows them to tailor their educational experiences toward a specific discipline. In contrast, the bachelor’s degree is awarded after the completion of all university requirements, which typically takes about four years of full-time study.
While a major is essential for completing a bachelor’s degree, it is just one component of the degree requirements, which also include general education courses and electives. Whereas, the bachelor's degree itself is the credential that provides recognition of an individual's comprehensive educational achievement.
Majors can vary significantly between universities and may have different names that reflect specific focuses or specialties within a field. Conversely, bachelor's degrees are often categorized into broad types like Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS), which indicate a general approach to the curriculum.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Primary focus of study in a specific academic field.
Degree awarded upon completing undergraduate studies.
Role in Education
Specialization within a degree program.
Comprehensive educational credential.
Typical Time to Declare
Usually by the second year of college.
Awarded upon completion of all degree requirements.
Requirements
Focused coursework in a chosen field.
General education, major, and elective courses.
Variability
Can vary widely between institutions and fields.
Generally categorized into broad types like BA or BS.
Compare with Definitions
Major
Academic specialization.
He chose his major based on his career goals in engineering.
Bachelor
Academic credential.
His bachelor’s degree is displayed prominently on his office wall.
Major
College department association.
His major is affiliated with the university’s School of Business.
Bachelor
Basis for further education.
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she pursued a master’s.
Major
Primary field of study.
Her major in college was biochemistry.
Bachelor
Entry-level requirement for many careers.
A bachelor’s degree is required for most entry-level corporate jobs.
Major
Graduation requirement.
Completing a major is essential for her to earn a bachelor's degree.
Bachelor
Undergraduate degree.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in History last year.
Major
Curriculum focus.
Her major requires 40 credits of coursework in environmental sciences.
Bachelor
Higher education qualification.
She earned her bachelor’s degree after four years of study.
Major
Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world.
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.
Major
Important, serious, or significant
The use of drugs is a major problem
Bachelor
A man who is not married.
Major
(of a scale) having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.
Bachelor
A man who has never been married.
Major
(appended to a surname in public schools) indicating the elder of two brothers.
Bachelor
A man who is not married and is not involved in a serious romantic relationship.
Major
(of a term) occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.
Bachelor
A person who has completed the undergraduate curriculum of a college or university and holds a bachelor's degree.
Major
A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
Bachelor
A male animal that does not mate during the breeding season.
Major
A major key, interval, or scale.
Bachelor
A young knight in the service of another knight in feudal times.
Major
A major organization or competition
The majors have swept up the smaller independent companies in licensing deals
It's not unreasonable to believe someone can win all four majors
The oil majors had a profit bonanza
Bachelor
A person, especially a man, who is socially regarded as able to marry, but has not yet.
Major
A student's principal subject or course
Many students would ignore courses outside their major
Bachelor
The first or lowest academical degree conferred by universities and colleges; a bachelor's degree.
Major
A major term or premise.
Bachelor
Someone who has achieved a bachelor's degree.
Major
Short for major suit
South was anxious to mention his four-card major and bid one spade
Bachelor
(Canada) A bachelor apartment.
Major
A goal.
Bachelor
(obsolete) An unmarried woman.
Major
Specialize in (a particular subject) at college or university
I was trying to decide if I should major in drama or English
Bachelor
(obsolete) A knight who had no standard of his own, but fought under the standard of another in the field.
Major
Greater than others in importance or rank
A major artist.
Bachelor
(obsolete) Among London tradesmen, a junior member not yet admitted to wear the livery.
Major
Great in scope or effect
A major improvement.
Bachelor
A kind of bass, an edible freshwater fish (Pomoxis annularis) of the southern United States.
Major
Great in number, size, or extent
The major portion of the population.
Bachelor
A man of any age who has not been married.
As merry and mellow an old bachelor as ever followed a hound.
Major
Requiring great attention or concern; very serious
A major illness.
Bachelor
An unmarried woman.
Major
Of or relating to the field of academic study in which a student specializes.
Bachelor
A person who has taken the first or lowest degree in the liberal arts, or in some branch of science, at a college or university; as, a bachelor of arts.
Major
Designating a scale or mode having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees.
Bachelor
A knight who had no standard of his own, but fought under the standard of another in the field; often, a young knight.
Major
Equivalent to the distance between the tonic note and the second or third or sixth or seventh degrees of a major scale or mode
A major interval.
Bachelor
In the companies of London tradesmen, one not yet admitted to wear the livery; a junior member.
Major
Based on a major scale
A major key.
Bachelor
A kind of bass, an edible fresh-water fish (Pomoxys annularis) of the southern United States.
Major
A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
Bachelor
A man who has never been married
Major
One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.
Bachelor
A knight of the lowest order; could display only a pennon
Major
One that is superior in rank, importance, or ability
An oil-producing country considered as one of the majors.
Bachelor
Lead a bachelor's existence
Major
A field of study chosen as an academic specialty.
Major
A student specializing in such studies
A linguistics major.
Major
A major premise.
Major
A major term.
Major
A major scale, key, interval, or mode.
Major
A chord containing a major third between the first and second notes and a minor third between the second and third notes.
Major
Majors Sports The major leagues.
Major
To pursue academic studies in a major
Majoring in mathematics.
Major
(attributive):
Major
Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
Major
Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
The major part of the assembly
Major
Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
Major
Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
To earn some major cash
Major
(medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
To suffer from a major illness
Major
Of full legal age, having attained majority.
Major children
Major
(education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
Major
(music):
Major
Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.
Major scale
Major
Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval.
Major third
Major
(postpositive) of a key Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
Major
(campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.
Major
Indicating the elder of two brothers, appended to a surname in public schools.
Major
(logic)
Major
Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.
Major
Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism.
Major
(military ranks) A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
He used to be a major in the army.
Major
An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
Major
A person of legal age.
Major
(music):
Major
Ellipsis of major key.
Major
Ellipsis of major interval.
Major
Ellipsis of major scale.
Major
(campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
Major
A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
Major
The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.
Major
A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
She is a math major.
Major
(logic):
Major
Ellipsis of major term.
Major
Ellipsis of major premise.
Major
(bridge) major suit.
Major
(Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.
Major
(Australian rules football) A goal.
Major
An elder brother (especially at a public school).
Major
(entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
Major
(obsolete) mayor and {{en}}.
Major
(intransitive) major in
Major
Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory.
Major
Of greater dignity; more important.
Major
Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.
Major
An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer.
Major
A person of full age.
Major
That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [the major]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [minor]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [conclusion or inference].
Major
A mayor.
Major
A commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
Major
British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)
Major
A university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject;
She is a linguistics major
Major
The principal field of study of a student at a university;
Her major is linguistics
Major
Have as one's principal field of study;
She is majoring in linguistics
Major
Of greater importance or stature or rank;
A major artist
A major role
Major highways
Major
Greater in scope or effect;
A major contribution
A major improvement
A major break with tradition
A major misunderstanding
Major
Greater in number or size or amount;
A major portion (a majority) of the population
Ursa Major
A major portion of the winnings
Major
Of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes;
His major field was mathematics
Major
Of a scale or mode;
Major scales
The key of D major
Major
Of greater seriousness or danger;
A major earthquake
A major hurricane
A major illness
Major
Of full legal age;
Major children
Major
Of the elder of two boys with the same family name;
Jones major
Common Curiosities
What types of bachelor's degrees are there?
Common types include Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
How long does it typically take to earn a bachelor's degree?
It usually takes about four years of full-time study to earn a bachelor's degree.
What is more important for employment, major or bachelor's degree?
This depends on the field; some require specific majors, while others focus on the level of education.
How many majors can you have?
Students can have more than one major, often referred to as double majors, depending on university regulations.
Do all bachelor’s degrees require a major?
Yes, completing a major is a requirement for earning a bachelor’s degree.
Can I earn a bachelor’s degree online?
Yes, many universities offer online programs for earning a bachelor's degree.
Can you change your major?
Yes, students can change their major, though it may extend the time needed to complete their degree.
What is a major in college?
A major is a student's chosen primary field of study within their bachelor’s degree program.
How does a major differ from a minor?
A major is the primary focus of study and requires more coursework, while a minor is a secondary concentration with fewer requirements.
What is the difference between a BA and a BS degree?
A BA focuses more on liberal arts, while a BS typically focuses more on science and technical disciplines.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
