What is the role of a Bachelor's degree?

Untitled Slide

"If institutions and students do not have highly aligned goals and purposes for completing a bachelor’s degree in the21st
century, then there is likely to be disappointment on both sides." (Chan et al. 2014)

Learning objective

• To complete the sentence:
• "The purpose of higher education is..." 

Is higher education about getting a job?

95% of American's think that the main purpose of higher education is to get a job (Chum et al. 2014)

"Pryorr et al. (2012) outlined that students expect that a bachelor’s degree would allow them to acquire a better job, to earn a good salary..." (Chum et al 2014)

Is higher education for everyone?

"Lagemann and Lewis (2012)
have suggested that the public purpose for attending... universities has less to do with the pursuit of economic or employment benefits and much more about preparing young adults with generic skills and civic education such as, civic values, ideals, and virtues."(Chan et al. 2014)

"Polanyi (1974) stated that higher education’s primary purpose is to help students learn who they are, to search for a larger purpose for their lives, and to leave college as better human beings”(Chan et al. 2014)

Learning objective

• To complete the sentence:
• "The purpose of higher education is..." 

Goals of a bachelor's degree

• Social democratic values and action; civic engagement
• Advanced intellectual skills
• Advanced communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Vocational & employment preparedness

Goals of a bachelors degree con't

• Personal life quality enhancement
• Personal life quality enhancement
• Personal integrity
• Graduate school education preparedness
• Family expectations/reasons