4 Year Undergraduate Degree in US

There are over 1500 institutions in the US, that offer a four-year bachelors program where, over 1 billion people study.

An undergraduate bachelor's degree usually, is a four year course. For successful completion of the course, one has to attain 120-128 credits (depending on the university requirements). You can transfer around 60 credits from an associate degree completed in the US. In case of tranfer of credits from outside the US, the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) recognized credential evaluation services, evaluate the profiles.

The four years spent as an undergraduate at a university are typically known as the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. The undergraduate courses in the US follow a “liberal arts” philosophy, under which, the students learn the basics of all subjects and depths of subjects of their choice. Hence, it promotes all round development. The general education courses include study in English composition, social sciences, humanities, history, mathematics and natural or physical sciences.

On meeting the core curriculum requirements, students are asked to select a specific course of study, known as the majors.

Your major should be in an academic area that is of great interest to you, and one in which you will likely seek a career in the future. The final two years are spent taking more courses that are more directly related to your major. Other four-year colleges and universities emphasize preparation for special professional areas—fine arts, pharmacy, engineering, business, agriculture, and other specialized fields.

The two types of bachelor’s degrees typically offered are B.A. degrees (Bachelor of Arts degrees) and B.S. degrees (Bachelor of Science degrees). If you choose to earn a B.A., the majority of your coursework will typically be in the arts, such as social sciences, humanities or fine arts. Students who earn a B.S. degree take the majority of their courses in life, physical or mathematical sciences.

Students who major in certain fields such as business, engineering or science find that the curriculum is often more tightly structured than it is in the humanities or socials sciences. Business, science and engineering majors may have to take more courses related to their major field of study and have fewer electives, or optional courses.

The "four years" expected to complete a B.A. degree is an estimate of time it should take  to complete the required number of credit hours. Thus, a B.A. could be achieved in less time if the student "overloads," that is, takes more classes than expected. It could also be achieved as "on time" in most institutions if completed within a six-year period.

B.A. degrees are most commonly awarded for successful completion of a "liberal arts" program (in majors such as English literature, humanities, history, philosophy, communication arts, and political science). In rare instances, some schools like Augustana College (Illinois), Saint Anselm College, and Morehouse College award B.A.'s in non-liberal arts subjects like business administration, and biological sciences because they require a strong liberal arts emphasis throughout the delivery of their course content.