Associate's degrees typically require only two years to complete. Technical, community and vocational colleges offer associate degree programs, as do some larger colleges and universities. Students can work toward an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with a major in a wide variety of liberal arts and science fields. These programs' curricula resemble the first two years of coursework at a four-year college, and students completing these degrees often transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor's degree. Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees typically train students in practical skills in technical or vocational fields.
Almost all colleges offer the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, one of the most common undergraduate degrees. Colleges grant the B.A. degree in a wide variety of liberal arts fields, including English, history, art, art history, foreign languages and anthropology. Most schools require that B.A. students fulfill certain distribution requirements as well as the requirements for their individual majors. Distribution requirements might include a certain number of courses in writing, quantitative skills and history. B.A. degree programs offer students a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences.
Most colleges also offer the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, the second most common undergraduate degree. Students with majors in pure and applied sciences, mathematics and technical fields work toward the B.S. degree. Most schools require that B.S. students fulfill the same distribution requirements that B.A. students must fulfill.
Many schools offer five-year programs leading toward a bachelor's and master's degree. For example, Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science offers a five-year Bachelor of Science and Master of Science program, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers a five-year Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering program. Undergraduates can apply to enter these programs during their junior or senior year in college.
Some schools offer specialized bachelor's degrees that prepare students for further education or employment in a specific field. Such degrees include the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree, Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree or Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree. Larger universities or specialized schools offer these degrees more often than small liberal arts colleges.