What is an Undergraduate Degree? UK vs USA

If you’re looking for university or college courses, you may have come across the term ‘undergraduate degree’ and wondered what it actually means.

A common term in the UK for the degree you study when you finish school, it is less common in the US.

For American students, it’s simpler than it sounds. An undergraduate degree is typically what you’d call a college or a bachelor’s degree.

What Are the Types of Undergraduate Degrees?

There are multiple types of undergraduate degrees. These include Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Education (BEd).

Bachelor of Arts (BA) is another, and is what we offer at GIS in both football coaching and sports management.

How Long Is an Undergraduate Degree?

A key difference between bachelor’s degrees in the UK and the US is the length of the course.

In the US, students often study a broad range of topics whilst majoring in their chosen area, with the programme often being four years long.

In the UK, undergraduate degrees tend to be more focused, meaning the programme is typically three years.

What Can You Do With an Undergraduate Degree?

Undergraduate degrees are often necessary to go into many full-time roles.

Reports have shown that up to 62% of US employers require applicants to have an undergraduate degree for entry-level roles. This is because undergraduate degrees can provide the skills, knowledge, and habits needed to prepare students for future work.

Undergraduate degrees can also be the foundation for further education. 

In the UK, students can choose to then study for a postgraduate degree to earn their master’s, and even go on to study for a PhD.

In the US, students can also go on to study for master’s, where in some cases they can go straight into PhD studies after their undergraduate degree.

Is It the Same as an Associate Degree?

An undergraduate degree is not the same as an associate degree.

An associate degree is a qualification in the US that is normally below an undergraduate degree, but often allows for transfer to a bachelor’s programme.

What Do You Study in an Undergraduate Degree?

With the four-year programme in the US, modules are often quite broad. This can involve studying many subjects like you do in school, especially in the first year or two, as well as a chosen major.

In the UK, the student chooses a specific course, with the vast majority of modules within that course being related to the student’s chosen subject area.

For example, GIS’ BA (Hons) Sports Management programme contains specific modules such as Principles of Marketing, Understanding Sports Fan Behaviour, and Managing Sports Organisations—all closely tied to the degree itself.

Undergraduate Degrees Are the Same as a Bachelor’s

While different terminology can be used depending on where you are, college, bachelor’s, and undergraduate degrees can usually be used interchangeably.

They are all the first university-level degree that students study after finishing school, and act as both a key stepping stone to professional work and an introduction to further studies.

For students exploring international education, knowing the difference, or lack thereof, can make your search easier.

Explore GIS undergraduate programmes and discover how studying a sport-related course with an international focus can shape your future.

Article by Zakaria Anani