The reason most respectable colleges don't list majors on diplomas...

[UGAChemDawg]

The reason that most colleges do not list your major on your diploma is simply because it is technically incorrect to do so. Colleges are accredited to award generic bachleors degrees (B.A. or B.S.) only. That is as far as the regional accreditation body's concern goes. In traditional, liberal arts disciplines like history, biology, psychology, etc., the content of the area of study within that degree is entirely up to the individual college. There is usually no separate accreditation for specific subjects unless they are professional subjects that are regulated by the government and are bound by law to meet additional requirements above and beyond what the regional accrediting agency requires (for example, engineering programs have to answer to ABET, nursing programs answer to NLNAC or CCNE, etc.) In that case, the degree will be a NAMED DEGREE signifying that it meets the standards imposed by the special professional accreditation body in addition to the ones imposed by the regional accreditation body.

So, if you go to XYZ accredited state university, regardless of whether or not they call their main area of study within a degree program a major or a concentration, the major or concentration is NOT part of the degree title and really shouldn't be listed as such. That may come as a shock to most people, but it's true.

If you go to the University of Georgia and major in Political Science, you do not have a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. You have a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science. So, your diploma will say Bachelor of Arts, because that is the degree that the school has the authority to confer. Your major is not part of your degree title and so is not included. There is no such thing as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree at UGA, so they're not going to put a wrong degree name on their certificate that announces to the world that you earned a degree from them.

Contrast this with a B.S.N. If a nurse earns her B.S.N. from an accredited school of nursing, the diploma will say "Bachelor of Science in Nursing." This signifies the extra level of accreditation that the nursing program enjoys. This is not the equivalent of putting a major on a diploma. The nurse does not have a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing in the same way that a biologist has a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology. Rather, the nurse actually has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. That is the formal name of the degree.

When colleges do list majors and concentrations (some even go so far as to list minors, which is quite tacky, if you ask me) on the diploma, they generally do not do so by using "IN" to join the formal degree title with the major. For example, Penn State puts majors on diplomas, but if you major in, say, Russian, your diploma will not say "Bachelor of Arts in Russian" it will say "Bachelor of Arts awarded with the completion of a major in Russian on this whatever day of year of our lord whenever"). If you major in a traditional liberal arts discipline vs a professional discipline like nursing, engineering, or accounting, your major is almost never a formal part of the title of your degree.

[rebel100]

WOW! Lot of information there. I believe you. Sure sounds right. I would like to see something confirming your assertations if you have a link. . . . just to be able to put the issue to bed once and for all.

I think for 99% of the people here this is a non issue for the most part, but it has become a distracting non issue of late and I like your explanation.

[cookderosa]

The reason that most colleges do not list your major on your diploma is simply because it is technically incorrect to do so. Colleges are accredited to award generic bachleors degrees (B.A. or B.S.) only. That is as far as the regional accreditation body's concern goes. In traditional, liberal arts disciplines like history, biology, psychology, etc., the content of the area of study within that degree is entirely up to the individual college. There is usually no separate accreditation for specific subjects unless they are professional subjects that are regulated by the government and are bound by law to meet additional requirements above and beyond what the regional accrediting agency requires (for example, engineering programs have to answer to ABET, nursing programs answer to NLNAC or CCNE, etc.) In that case, the degree will be a NAMED DEGREE signifying that it meets the standards imposed by the special professional accreditation body in addition to the ones imposed by the regional accreditation body.

So, if you go to XYZ accredited state university, regardless of whether or not they call their main area of study within a degree program a major or a concentration, the major or concentration is NOT part of the degree title and really shouldn't be listed as such. That may come as a shock to most people, but it's true.

If you go to the University of Georgia and major in Political Science, you do not have a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. You have a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science. So, your diploma will say Bachelor of Arts, because that is the degree that the school has the authority to confer. Your major is not part of your degree title and so is not included. There is no such thing as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree at UGA, so they're not going to put a wrong degree name on their certificate that announces to the world that you earned a degree from them.

Contrast this with a B.S.N. If a nurse earns her B.S.N. from an accredited school of nursing, the diploma will say "Bachelor of Science in Nursing." This signifies the extra level of accreditation that the nursing program enjoys. This is not the equivalent of putting a major on a diploma. The nurse does not have a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing in the same way that a biologist has a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology. Rather, the nurse actually has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. That is the formal name of the degree.

When colleges do list majors and concentrations (some even go so far as to list minors, which is quite tacky, if you ask me) on the diploma, they generally do not do so by using "IN" to join the formal degree title with the major. For example, Penn State puts majors on diplomas, but if you major in, say, Russian, your diploma will not say "Bachelor of Arts in Russian" it will say "Bachelor of Arts awarded with the completion of a major in Russian on this whatever day of year of our lord whenever"). If you major in a traditional liberal arts discipline vs a professional discipline like nursing, engineering, or accounting, your major is almost never a formal part of the title of your degree.

EXCELLENT post! :hurray: Dawg for the win.

[P00057870]

Clearly states this subject. Thanks.

[Yenisei]

Collegestudent7, I hope you read the initial post on this thread banghead.

[wb.john]

Colleges are accredited to award generic bachleors degrees (B.A. or B.S.) only. That is as far as the regional accreditation body's concern goes. In traditional, liberal arts disciplines like history, biology, psychology, etc., the content of the area of study within that degree is entirely up to the individual college.

If that's the case, then why doesn't COSC name their degrees properly?
"Bachelor of Science/Arts in General Studies with a Concentration in X" is the format for all degrees from COSC, I believe.
I thought this had something to do with accreditation.

[burbuja0512]

If that's the case, then why doesn't COSC name their degrees properly?
"Bachelor of Science/Arts in General Studies with a Concentration in X" is the format for all degrees from COSC, I believe.
I thought this had something to do with accreditation.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but here is the explanation of COSC's degrees as I understand them.

You get a bachelor's in arts or science from COSC in General Studies and choose an area of concentration. I think that this is very similar to how some liberal arts majors choose an area of emphasis.

The concentration is 36 credits in a specific focus area and allows you to list an area of study on your resume that's not quite as intense as some majors. For example, in my Bus Admin concentration at COSC, I didn't have to take a business stats course and my math requirement was minimal. I just covered the math requirement needed for the COSC general studies requirement and I was good. If you look at TESC's BSBA, I believe you need pre-calc. With my degree, I can still show my employers that I know about business, but without spending several years of my life to gain math skills I didn't have and didn't need for my career path.

I don't think that a concentration is a good choice for everyone, but for me it was an excellent option. I'll try to do a little bit more research to see if I can dig up more details surrounding the major vs. concentration question.

[burbuja0512]

Here is the concentration explanation from COSC's site, and can be found here:

Degree Completion: Bachelors and Associates at Charter Oak State College

Bachelor's (Baccalaureate) Degree Overview
You may earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Both baccalaureate degrees are in General Studies and require 120 semester credits. In addition to satisfying general education requirements, the Bachelor of Arts degree requires 90 liberal arts credits, while the Bachelor of Science degree requires 60. Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must also complete a “Concentration” in a specific discipline or combination of disciplines.
Concentration Basics
A concentration consists of a minimum of 36 credits in one or more fields of study. Concentrations can be in specific subject-areas like Business Administration, Child Studies, Psychology or Health Care Administration; or they may be multidisciplinary if you have a background or interest in related subject areas. The multidisciplinary concentrations, called Individualized Studies and Liberal Studies, are popular with students who have very specific or unique career interests because they can be customized based on those interests.

A concentration is similar to a major, but it offers far more flexibility by allowing you to work with the credits you have already earned to map-out a degree program that meets your career and personal goals. Our academic counselors and faculty will provide guidance in helping you choose credits to fulfill your concentration plan of study (CPS), but ultimately, you will need to explain the focus of your concentration and the manner in which credits you have selected fit into your concentration. In thinking about which concentration will work best for you, consider; your career goals, personal interests, when you want to complete your degree, and which credits you have already completed




Hope this helps and sorry to hijack the post, I just thought this would clear up unnecessary confusion. Great post to OP!

[cookderosa]

Collegestudent7, I hope you read the initial post on this thread banghead.

+1 :ack:
Not to Collegestudent, but in general, it's nice when people read allllllll the words.

[dcan]

Epic Sticky Post FTW.

In fact perhaps any search for the word "major" should automatically redirect to this post...

*EDIT* Just remembered using the "report" feature gives you a comment form, so I sent a sticky request.