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Evaluate Education - Undergraduate Degree

February 21st, 2007 by Andrew

This is Part 2 of our “Evaluate Education” series. We will cover several different types of education and examine the pros and cons of each. Be sure to check out the first post about vocational school.

After considering vocational school, the next logical option for education is a basic undergraduate degree, typically a bachelor’s degree.

Longer term

The first thing to understand about an undergraduate degree is the length of time required to obtain it. Vocational school can take a couple years, but an undergraduate degree usually takes about four years to complete.

However, don’t let the longer term scare you off from an undergrad education. There are some great benefits.

Flexible costs

Undergrad degrees might take longer than vocational school, but the costs can be flexible. A big reason that college costs are flexible is due to public universities. These schools are subsidized by government money, so they can generally offer lower tuition rates, especially for area residents.

Another factor to help mitigate costs is scholarship and grant money that students can obtain. While this financial assistance might be available to attend vocational schools, it is widely available for undergraduate degrees. Scholarships and grants can often cover a significant portion of college expenses, even taking care of all tuition costs.

Broad degree possibilities

Undergraduate degrees are inherently flexible. Students typically earn a general degree in a broad field of study, such as business, art, history, etc.

This has a couple implications for careers. First, it means that your undergraduate degree will not limit you to a single job. Unlike vocational schools, undergraduate degrees do not target your education for specific job skills.

However, this same feature is the second implication: undergraduate degrees do not typically train for any specific job. A bachelor’s degree in history does not testify to your job abilities in a particular field, other than something like a history teacher. With that said, many employers look favorably on an undergraduate degree in any field, since it illustrates your work ethic in general.

Consider your plans

As always, be sure to consider these thoughts in your career plan as a whole. Undergraduate degrees are not necessary or even beneficial for every career path. In fact, many careers might not require any formal education. Others might require some type of vocational school training. It’s always best to consider your options, but to not feel roped into a particular path.

Be sure to check back for the final post in this “Evaluate Education” series. Better yet, subscribe to keep track of all updates.