Bachelor's degree
The Bachelor of Arts degrees (B.A., A.B.; also known as "Artium Baccalaureus") along with the Bachelor of Science degrees are the most common undergraduate degrees given. Originally, in the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, all undergraduate degrees were in the faculty of arts, hence the name of the degree. The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.Sc.) is an undergraduate degree that bridges academic and work-life experiences.There are various undergraduate degrees in information technology incorporating programming, database design, software engineering, networks and information systems. These programs prepare graduates for further postgraduate research degrees or for employment in a variety of roles in the information technology industry. The program focus may be on the technical or theoretical aspects of the subject matter, depending on which course is taken.
Propaedeutics
In the US, the equivalent of the propaedeutic diploma lies somewhere between an undergraduate certificate and an associate degree. Undergraduate certificates can be completed in as little as one semester (one-half of one academic year or about four months) and do not necessarily lead or contribute to any degree. Associate degrees (e.g. AA, AS) are typically earned after the first two years of the four- to five-year (in the US) course of study culminating in a baccalaureate degree; however, students matriculated in a bachelor's degree program are not usually awarded the associate degree en route (as is often the case when a doctoral student is awarded a master's degree en route). Additionally, there are first professional associate degrees (e.g. AAS, AGS) that do not necessarily lead or contribute to a bachelor's.