How many credit hours is a typical bachelors degree

How many credit hours is a typical bachelors degree

“Credits to Degree” is the number of credits a student has earned at graduation. In most majors, a student who graduates on time with a four-year bachelor’s degree has to complete 120 credits.

However, as the table below shows, on average UWM students, like many students nationally, complete significantly more than 120 credits at the time of graduation. In fact, on average UWM students complete a full semester of additional course work, even when not counting any remedial units they accumulate.

Average Credits to Degree
Actuals/Goals in numbers UWM Actual UWM Goal
Graduating cohorts 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 3-year 6-year 10-year
New freshmen 136.3 135.4 135.5 135.5 135 133 130
Transfers 142.1 142.8 142.9 142 138 135 133
Note: The data include UWM credits, test credit, and transfer credit, but not remedial and audit units.

Taking extra credits to earn a degree is expensive (tuition, fees, living expenses, books), and taking longer to earn a degree means a delay in joining the workforce. So while students who change majors can expect to take longer, we should look for opportunities to reduce the complexity of our degrees, streamlining the path to graduation.  For example, we should

  • Examine curricula and reducing the requirements/prerequisites students need to fulfil to be allowed to take a course. Are we putting in unneeded complexity that doesn’t add to success?
  • Allowing students to substitute one course with a different one if a course isn’t offered in a given semester.
  • Examine transfer policies and equivalencies, identifying and more broadly accepting transfer credits that students with the background they need to succeed.

  • Back to Student Success Story List

How many credit hours is a typical bachelors degree

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Obtaining a bachelor's degree may allow graduates to get better-paying jobs, making on average about 65 percent more over their lifetimes than those with just a high school education, according to a 2013 CollegeBoard report. The number of credit hours needed to complete a bachelor's program depends on the school and major, but in general, students need to take at least 120 semester credit hours.

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1 Typical Requirements

Both four-year Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees generally require an average of 123 to 142 credits, depending on discipline, for completion, according to a 1995 national survey conducted by the Board of Regents of the State University System of Florida. Bachelor's degrees in the health professions, engineering, education and architecture tend to require more credits than degrees in other programs. Five-year bachelor's programs require significantly more credit hours, on average 156 to 165. The curriculum for each major generally covers communications, math, science, social sciences, foreign language and a specified minimum number of courses in the student's major.

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About the Author

Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

The number of credits it takes to graduate college greatly depends on the degree you want to earn. Each degree has a different credit requirement, takes a different length of time to complete and presents different opportunities for focus of study and career advancement.

There are a lot of things to consider when earning your college degree. Is the time it takes to earn a degree a primary factor? Are you concerned about the overall cost? When deciding on which degree you should earn, having a solid understanding of what your options are will help you decide what’s best for you.

How Many Credits for an Associate Degree?

An associate degree is typically required for entry-level professional positions in any industry. Some associate degree programs are tailored specifically to a career field while others have a broader base of study. An associate degree is also a perfect stepping stone for someone wanting to earn their bachelor’s degree further down the road.

An associate degree is usually 60 credits or around 20 courses. This degree usually takes 2 years to complete. Courses in an associate degree program are focused on general education to prepare you for a bachelor’s program as well as courses teaching more specific knowledge if you’re studying to enter a particular field. For example, an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts provides a broader academic base than an Associate of Science in Accounting, which will have courses specifically chosen to prepare a student for working in a financial department or an accounting position. Whether general or career-specific, you’ll still need around 60 credits to graduate with an associate degree.

How Many Credits for a Bachelor's Degree?

A bachelor’s degree may be your education goal from the start or the follow up to an associate degree you’ve already earned. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) determined many career fields, especially competitive fields, such as information technology, require a bachelor’s degree. The BLS also found 174 occupations as typically requiring an employee to have a bachelor’s degree to break into the field.

A bachelor’s degree takes 120 credits, which is around 40 courses. Typically, earning a bachelor’s degree takes 4 years, but depending on your previous education and whether you’re a full- or part-time student, it may take a shorter or longer length of time. You may have earned credit through other courses you’ve previously taken or certifications.

Bachelor’s degree programs are designed to prepare a student to enter a particular field. Some bachelor’s programs offer students the additional option of studying in a specific concentration. Degree concentrations are specializations within a field of study. If you’re earning a bachelor’s in psychology, you may want to take courses that focus on addiction, mental health or child and adolescent development. Adding a concentration to your bachelor’s degree allows you to learn more specifically about the area in which you’re aiming to have a career. 

How Many Credits for a Master's Degree?

If you’re looking for upward mobility in your career field, earning a master’s degree – or even a graduate certificate – can be helpful when it comes time to ask for a raise or promotion. Some employers may even offer to help with tuition as an employment benefit in order to retain valuable employees.

Usually a master's degree will take 1-2 years of full-time study to complete, but the number of credits required varies depending on your field of study and your experience in the field. Most master's degree programs require 30-60 credits. For example, a master's in psychology is 36 credits, while a master's in clinical mental health counseling is 60 credits.

Earn Credit Toward A Successful Future

The BLS keeps track of weekly earnings and unemployment rates compared to education levels. Year after year, the BLS has found higher education attainment has led to higher weekly wages and lower unemployment. While education takes a commitment of time and money, earning a degree at any level is more advantageous than not having a degree at all.

Ashley Wallis is an Army veteran and writer with a BA in English Language and Literature from SNHU. She is currently living in the Denver area. Find her on Twitter @AshDWallis.

How many hours is a 4 year degree?

What the Bachelor's Degree Entails. Also known as an undergraduate degree, the bachelor's degree is a four-year degree that usually takes about 120 semester hours to complete depending on the college's requirements and semester/quarter format.

What happens if you take more than 120 credits?

If a student takes more than 120 credit hours, they incur an Excess Credit Hours Surcharge, depending on how many extra hours they have taken and barring certain exceptions.

How many credits do you need to graduate with a bachelor's degree?

A bachelor's degree takes 120 credits, which is around 40 courses. Typically, earning a bachelor's degree takes 4 years, but depending on your previous education and whether you're a full- or part-time student, it may take a shorter or longer length of time.

How many credit hours is a normal major?

Undergraduates choose a major to focus their studies. Within their major, students typically take 30-36 credits, including lower-division and upper-division courses. General education courses that introduce students to a field may also count toward their major.