What Is the Advantage of a Bachelor's Degree Over a BGS Degree?

Going after a college degree is beneficial both financially and professionally. The value of a bachelor’s degree is immeasurable for students with a lot of ambition. But what is the best bachelor’s degree to plan for? There are slight differences between a bachelor’s and a bachelor’s of general studies.

What Is a Bachelor’s Degree?

There are two main bachelor’s degrees that take four years to complete: the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science.

Both of these degrees require the same core courses to be completed, although the credit hours may vary from school to school. These are:

Math
English
Reading and writing comprehension
Science
Social studies

A Bachelor of Science generally will require more class credits to complete than a Bachelor of Arts. Science-based professions, such as psychology, pre-med or research, will need more math, statistics and lab course credits to prepare the graduate for the professional world.

What Is a BGS Degree?

A bachelor of general studies degree, or BGS is offered by most colleges and universities as an undergraduate academic degree. The typical BGS program enables students to be more involved and design a degree plan that also meets the college’s core requirements.

This flexible plan lets students complete a bachelor's degree with much more individualism than other degrees offer.

For students who have to transfer academic institutions, a BGS allows a student to combine course credits from other schools in many areas, so you can obtain a bachelor’s degree without having to take more credits in a specified area at a new institution. A BGS holds the same value as other liberal arts or science bachelor degrees. It is generally thought to be an interdisciplinary degree.

BGS Degree vs. B.A. Degree

The BGS degree vs. B.A. degree tends to have the same foundation of courses. These include math, reading and writing comprehension, English and a few basic science and social study classes. The student will fill up the course work with electives that focus on the student’s chosen area of study.

Cost of Bachelor’s Degrees

The cost of a four-year bachelor’s degree, whether B.A., B.S. or BGS, varies widely. It can be as low as $5,000 to more than $40,000 a year.

The cost of a degree comes down to the school, and the class work that is needed to complete the specific degree.

Courses for BGS Degree

A Bachelor of General Studies degree covers a wide area of interests. These are mostly handpicked by the student after the common core classes have been completed. Each semester may require a certain number of rudimentary or core classes to be completed before the student can move on to the next year.

Typically, the BGS list of core classes include:

Algebra
Humanities
Literature
Social Sciences
History
Foreign Language

Depending on your major, the qualified field for a graduate with a general bachelor’s degree is immense: from journalist to social worker, probation and parole officer to office manager.

BGS Degree Career Opportunities

The benefits of a general education degree are many. A BGS degree can open many doors to a wide variety of challenging and interesting industries. The opportunities are limitless.

BGS degree jobs include:

Communications
Business
Technology
Science
Math
Literature and Composition
Marketing
Media
Social Sciences
Human Resources

Completing the course work can inspire the student to discover new concepts and create a larger, more diverse network of individuals who are also on the path to reaching higher education goals. The professors and professionals a student will interact with along the way can become mentors and possible future employers as well.

The difference between a bachelor’s degree and a bachelor’s general education degree can depend on what college you plan to attend and the specifics of the program that they offer.