Bachelor’s Degree Programs

What is a bachelor’s degree? How can it help me?

Bachelor’s degrees are offered by four-year colleges and universities. Bachelor’s degree programs are designed to take four years of full-time study to complete, however, many students choose to complete them in five years, and part-time students may take even longer. Students are required to take a variety of general education courses, plus several courses in a specific area of study called a major, that the student chooses. A bachelor’s degree can be a stepping-stone toward earning a graduate or professional degree, and is required for many high-salary, high-status jobs.[2860]

PROS:

CONS:

    Qualifies you for jobs across more professional fields (for example, engineering, architecture, accounting)
    Generally no “open admissions”—requirements are extensive, and competition can be fierce
    May increase your competitiveness in the job market for higher-level, better-paying jobs
    Courses are academically rigorous, and may be difficult for people who have been out of school for a long time
    Qualifies you to pursue graduate academic and professional degrees
    Class schedules tend to be less flexible, making it harder to juggle other obligations
    Makes you eligible for more scholarships and grants
    Programs can be expensive—higher tuition and fees can lead to more student debt
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    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012). See also Quick Guide: Your College Degree Options, College Board, www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/college-101/quick-guide-your-college-degree-options.

What types of Bachelor’s degrees are there?

There are two main kinds of Bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees.[2861] BAs are awarded for programs of study that focus on areas within the liberal arts, humanities, or social studies (such as English, Psychology, or History). BSs are awarded for programs of study that focus on areas within the “hard” sciences, such as Math, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.[2862]

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    Most Bachelor’s degrees fall into one of these two categories, however there are a number of specialized Bachelor’s degrees such as Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and Bachelor’s of Architecture.

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    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012). See also Quick Guide: Your College Degree Options, College Board, www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/college-101/quick-guide-your-college-degree-options.

How much will it cost to earn a Bachelor’s degree?

Bachelor’s degrees from four-year colleges and universities are expensive. They can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most people require financial assistance from federal or state student aid programs, or from private organizations to pay their tuition. (For information on Paying for College, see PG. 881.)

A NOTE ON PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Both public and private colleges and universities offer Bachelor’s degree programs. Public schools are partially funded by government taxes and usually charge lower tuition (especially for in-state residents). They tend to have a larger student population and larger class sizes. Private schools are generally more expensive, and tend to focus on keeping classes small and exposing students to many different subjects. [2863]A NOTE ABOUT IN-STATE TUITION: Most schools require that you have lived in California for a certain period of time in order to get the discounted “resident” or “in-state” tuition rate. [2864] Some schools will consider time that you spent incarcerated in California towards this requirement. Check with your school’s admissions and financial aid offices to find out if your period of incarceration qualifies you as a California resident under that school’s policy.

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    Public v. Private Colleges, My College Options, www.mycollegeoptions.org/Core/SiteContent/Students/Advice/College-Resource-Center/College-Search---Selection/College-Choices/Public-Vs-Private-Colleges.aspx; Erika Ward, Private v. Public College: Which is Best for Me?, Campus Explorer, http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/C6F3EE61/Private-vs-Public-College-Which-is-Best-For-Me/.

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    Cal. Veh. Code §§ 68000-68084, 68120-68134, 89705-89707.5; Cal. Code Regs. tit. 5, §§ 41900-41916.

How do I find a Bachelor’s degree program?

If you’re currently incarcerated

    Earn college credits. Unfortunately, at the time of this publication, there currently are no four-year Bachelor’s degree programs offered in federal, state, or county correctional facilities in California, and correspondence courses that advertise four-year degrees should not be trusted. However, you can earn college credits while you are incarcerated which can be applied toward a four-year degree after you are released. (For information on how to earn college credits while you are incarcerated, see Associate Degree Programs, PG. 868, and Distance Education, PG. 876. For information on how to transfer college credits that you earn while you are incarcerated, see PG. 875. For information on how to tell if a school or program is a scam, see PG. 849.)
    Plan and Prepare. There is plenty you can do to plan and prepare for your post-release education while you are still incarcerated. You can research schools (see PG. 864), complete applications (see PG. 856), take placement tests (see PG. 853), and apply for financial aid (see PG. 881)

If you’re formerly incarcerated

    Visit your public library and ask the librarian to show you to the section on college guides.
    Search colleges and universities on the Internet. You can search based on location, cost, program or degree options, or rankings.
    The College Board: www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges; www.campusexplorer.com/4-year-colleges-and-universities;
    The National Center for Education Statistics, College Navigator tool: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/;
    The National Association of College Admission Counseling:
    http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/PG.s/Default.aspx

College Programs for Formerly Incarcerated Students

Project Rebound is an academic support program that helps currently and formerly incarcerated people enroll and stay in college. Originally founded at San Francisco State University, it has since expanded to eight California State University campuses.[2865] Project Rebound answers letters from people incarcerated across California and helps them apply to college before they’re released. Once people enroll in college, Project Rebound connects them to supportive resources on campus and in the community.[2866]

Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) is and academic support program at U.C. Berkeley aimed at connecting formerly incarcerated students with resources and information, including peer counseling, scholarship information, campus and community advocacy, and networking with other service organizations, to increase each student’s prospects of success at U.C. Berkeley [2867]

    Underground Scholars Initiative
    2400 Bancroft Way, #7, Berkeley, CA 94704
    Phone: (510) 643-2226

The Street Scholars program at Merritt College in Oakland, California is a peer mentoring and training program focused on academic success for formerly incarcerated students enrolled in one of the four Peralta District Colleges (Merritt College, College of Alameda, Berkeley City College, Laney College). All Street Scholars programs and services are designed with the input of members who were formerly incarcerated. Formerly incarcerated students also direct and facilitate most of Street Scholars’ programs to ensure that formerly incarcerated students are understood and supported throughout their reentry experience.

    Street Scholars at Merritt College
    Merritt College, Building P, Room 112
    12500 Campus Drive, Oakland, CA 94619
    Phone: (510) 436-2580
    Website: www.merritt.edu/wp/streetscholars/

NEW D.R.E.A.M at the College of Alameda is an academic support program for formerly incarcerated students who are on parole or probation. NEW D.R.E.A.M helps students with the transition into college. The program is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student.

(List continues on next page.)The Formerly Incarcerated Student Transition (F.I.S.T.) Program at El Camino College in Compton, California is a support program for formerly incarcerated students. F.I.S.T. holds regular support meetings and helps connect students with campus and community resources. Additionally, F.I.S.T. helps its students to develop professional and “soft” skills, learn to how to network, explore career options, and enter the professional world.

    F.I.S.T., El Camino College Compton Center
    1111 E. Artesia Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221
    Phone: (310)-900-1600
    Website: www.compton.edu

Restoring Our Communities Initiative (ROCI) at Laney College is a student-led program by and for formerly incarcerated students in Oakland, California. The goal of ROCI is to support and equip formerly incarcerated students to transcend reentry barriers, envision and implement their educational goals, make informed decisions, increase their self-determination and create positive life outcomes for themselves, their families and the broader community.

    Restoring Our Communities Initiative
    Laney College Tower Building, 602
    Phone: (510) 464-3176

The Green Workforce Development Initiative at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) is a program specifically designed for formerly incarcerated people and people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Goal of the Green Initiative is to ensure that people from groups that have been historically disadvantaged or “left behind” in emerging economies (e.g., people of color, people living in poverty, people with criminal records) are at forefront and prepared to obtain the most promising occupations and careers in the new, emerging green economy. These fields include sustainable energy, sustainable architecture, alternative fuel, conditioning/HVAC, solar design, and more.

    Green Workforce Development Initiative
    Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
    400 West Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015
    Phone: (213) 763-7000
    Website: http://college.lattc.edu/green/

Extended Opportunities Program and Services (EOPS) is a support program for low-income community colleges students. EOPS primary goal is to encourage the enrollment, retention and transfer of students disadvantaged by language, social, economic and educational circumstances, and to facilitate the successful completion of their goals and objectives in college. EOPS offers academic and support counseling, financial aid and other support services. Most community colleges throughout the State have an EOPS programs. Contact the California Community College’s Chancellor’s Office to ask for more information about EOPS and to find a community college with an EOPS program near you

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    Los Angeles Times, “Project Rebound wants to make life after prison successful through education,” (Nov. 11, 2016), http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/tn-wknd-et-1023-project-rebound-cal-state-fullerton-20161112-story.html.

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    Project Rebound, Associated Students, Inc. of SF, http://asi.sfsu.edu/asi/programs/proj_rebound/about.html.

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    Underground Scholars Initiative, Univ. Cal. Berkeley, https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/usi/about.