Bachelors
If you have finished secondary school, or have never previously obtained a qualification from a university, an undergraduate degree is your starting point.
A bachelor’s degree is designed to teach you the theory and equip you with practical knowledge and skills.
Your 1st degree
is generally referred to as a bachelor’s degree.
Duration 3–4 years
full-time study depending on your chosen course and the institution.
Preparing you for professional work
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A bachelor’s degree is about much more than preparing you for life as a potential academic. People tend to acknowledge that one of the best things they learn at university is how to learn.
For example, learning how to research and formulate arguments in an independent and rigorous fashion are invaluable skills for a career as a professional in the dynamic world of work.
Opportunities to specialize
It is usually possible to pursue more in-depth, specialized study in certain subjects (generally known as a major).
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Honors & masters
Some universities also offer the option to extend your bachelors with honors, an extra year of study drawing upon the knowledge gained in your degree. This is often a precursor to a master’s degree.
Getting started
How do you get started?
Perhaps you already know the specific qualification you would like.
For example, to become a journalist, you would generally need to study a Bachelor of Communication with a major in journalism.
You can also take a broader approach to your orientation and start exploring different faculties, and then dive into the degree courses they offer.
Is it best to pick the university, faculty or course first?
You’ll tend to find that each university specializes in certain faculties.
1. You can look first at universities and then explore their faculties.
2. Or you can start with your chosen faculty and explore the associated institutions and their degree courses.
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There is no single best approach for every student.
What are some popular faculties?
Among-st the multitude of faculties, some popular ones include:
Architecture
Art(s)
Accounting
Building
Business
Commerce
Communication
Design
Economics
Education (and teaching)
Engineering
Environment
Fashion
Film & Television
Health (sciences)
Information technology (IT)
Law
Media
Medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Psychology
Science
Sport
Composition and balance
How is a bachelor’s degree composed?
Each faculty offers a number of subjects. In effect, you customize your bachelor’s degree by picking your specific units, electives and study points from the faculty menu to compose your own course.
Get help
It is important to do this carefully to ensure your degree meets your aspirations. Consulting a university counselor to find the right fit is also a great idea.
Core subjects + elective subjects = your bachelor’s degree
What’s the balance of practice/theory?
This partly depends on the subjects you choose. Universities generally want to teach you the relevant theory, enabling you to learn and advance your thinking. University teaching offerings generally evolve to meet the needs of students and industry. For example, a Bachelor of Cyber Security has only become relevant in the past years as our digital world has advanced.
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Practice + theory = your bachelor’s degree
Composition and balance
How flexible is a bachelor’s degree?
Bachelor’s degrees tend to offer a tremendous amount of flexibility, based on how you compose them.
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Other faculties and subjects
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You can usually select some subjects outside of your faculty to extend the breadth of your degree. Pursue a special interest or passion or develop new ways of thinking. You can work with students from different faculties or courses, affording you a mix of perspectives more representative of a normal working environment.
What are the benefits of a bachelor’s degree?
A bachelor’s degree introduces you to the latest thinking and research in a given field and enables you to explore and develop ideas.
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Independent and self-directed
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Compared to secondary school, university students need to be more independent, disciplined and self-directed. Learning how to learn is one of the biggest benefits of studying a bachelors. An undergraduate degree is generally also a prerequisite for most postgraduate study.
What are the career prospects of a bachelor’s degree?
Considering the huge variation possible, this really depends on your individual circumstances and choices. That said, holders of bachelor’s degrees are generally well regarded by employers.
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Bachelor’s as a prerequisite
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Indeed, having a bachelors is a prerequisite for many companies, especially as technology becomes more pervasive in all aspects of life and work becomes more complex. Adaptability and flexibility are key.