Majors

**Andres** · 12-22-2010, 16:27

Originally Posted by TinCow

No, major refers to a specialization that US undergraduate schools require for obtaining a BA/BS degree. For instance, my undergraduate degree is a BA in History. To obtain the major, a person has to take more numerous, and more advanced, classes in that particular focus than is otherwise required for the Bachelor's degree. Particular requirements for the majors vary depending on the major and the school at which it is obtained.

A minor is a lesser specialization in a different subject than the major. Many schools do not require minors and they're not generally very useful for anything beyond personal knowledge.

I'm confused

So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?

Why do you have such a weird educational system?

**Hooahguy** · 12-22-2010, 16:39

No, majors and minors do play a major part of the system. You attend Uni to pursue a major/minor.

**al Roumi** · 12-22-2010, 16:39

Originally Posted by Andres

I'm confused

So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?

Why do you have such a weird educational system?

It's a long story. We had differences, they wanted to feel special and valued -we just wanted their lunch money.

**TinCow** · 12-22-2010, 16:40

Originally Posted by Andres

I'm confused

So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?

Why do you have such a weird educational system?

I think the confusion is that the US has a two-tier university system, which is not present in many other countries.

The first tier is generally referred to as undergraduate school. The undergraduate level takes an average of four years to complete, though it can be done in less (or more) time. Graduation from undergraduate schooling results in a Bachelor's degree (BA for arts and humanities, BS for sciences). The Bachelor's degree is a degree that certifies that a person has received a general education with classes in all areas of study. However, all Bachelor's degrees also require that the student specialize in at least one area. That specialization is referred to as a 'major' and the student takes more classes (and gains more knowledge) in that specific area of study than they do in the other general courses. So, while the Bachelor's degree is still for general education, the major is an acknowledgment that the student is more focused in a specific area.

The second tier is generally referred to as graduate school. The graduate tier has no general education at all and is entirely focused on the study of the specific area that the person enrolls in. Medical school focuses exclusively on medicine, law school focuses exclusively on law, etc. Graduate degrees are considered to include all Masters and Doctorate degrees, including MA, MS, MD, JD, MBA, PhD, LLM, etc. The length of graduate schooling depends on the degree the person is attempting to get. Some degrees (like a Masters) can be completed in a single year. Some, like PhDs, can take five years or longer.

As a general rule, a "college" is a school that offers only undergraduate degrees, and a "university" is a school that offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, there are many schools that violate this terminology for reasons I cannot understand, so there are exceptions.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 12-23-2010, 00:54

@Andres: your confusion may be due to your more advanced age, the BS/BA/MS/MA degrees are a relatively recent introduction (EU thingy, IIRC) here
to make qualifications easier to translate across the Atlantic.

**Andres** · 12-23-2010, 10:14

Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios

@Andres: your confusion may be due to your more advanced age,

**Rhyfelwyr** · 12-23-2010, 12:21

Is history really that bad for earning potential? Isn't it more important just to have a degree of some sort (so long as it is something respected eg not media studies), just to get you into white-collar work?

I think history is still seen as a respectable degree, it is just not specialised.

**TinCow** · 12-23-2010, 14:36

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

Is history really that bad for earning potential? Isn't it more important just to have a degree of some sort (so long as it is something respected eg not media studies), just to get you into white-collar work?

I think history is still seen as a respectable degree, it is just not specialised.

Sure it's respectable, but it doesn't really 'qualify' you for anything or give you skills which are useful in most jobs. There isn't a 'history' industry outside of academia, so the history aspect of the degree is pretty much irrelevant to the job application. Compare that with a degree in math or economics for a business-related job, a degree in biology for a job in the health care industry, etc. If you're applying for one of those kinds of jobs with a History degree, you'll be at a disadvantage to someone with a field-related degree as that person will be able to claim they have some pre-existing knowledge of that field, while the History major will not. That's why it's important to decide what you want to do in life before you pick your major. It's always possible to change your field later in life, but it gets more difficult as time goes on, so if you can get it right from the start you'll be better off.