Whether you're about to begin your college search or have already made your decision about which institution to attend, you've almost certainly seen or heard the terms “degree,” “major” and “concentration” at some point. But can you explain the differences between a major and a degree, or a major and a concentration?
If not, then this blog post is for you. So, without further ado, let's begin to explore the differences between degree vs. major vs. concentration.
What Is a College Degree?
A college degree is a title conferred on a student by a college or university after the student has completed an academic program of study. The four basic types, or levels, of degrees, in order from least advanced to most advanced are: associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctoral degree (or, simply, doctorate).
1. Associate Degree
An associate degree is the least advanced of the four main degree levels. It is a type of undergraduate degree that is sometimes referred to as a “two-year degree” because it generally takes roughly two years of full-time study to complete.1 There are four basic types of associate degrees: Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) and Associate of Applied Science (AAS).
While most associate degrees may serve as a steppingstone on the path toward earning a bachelor's degree, some are terminal, i.e., the highest degree that can be conferred in a particular field of study. The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) is more likely to be a terminal degree than other types of associate degrees are. This is because AAS degree programs are often designed to help students prepare to pursue a specific career path immediately following graduation rather than to serve as a foundation for more advanced study.
2. Bachelor's Degree
Next in the degree hierarchy is the bachelor's degree. It is the most advanced degree that can be earned at the undergraduate level. Bachelor's degree programs typically take about four years of full-time study to complete.1 The three main types of bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
3. Master's Degree
The next level up from the bachelor's degree is the master's degree. A master's degree is an advanced graduate degree that follows a bachelor's degree. Master's programs generally require one to three years of additional study beyond a bachelor's degree, depending on the field and program.2
4. Doctoral Degree (or Doctorate)
At the top of the degree hierarchy is the doctoral degree, or doctorate. A doctorate is the highest academic award for graduate study. Doctoral degrees include academic doctorates, such as the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and professional or applied doctorates.3
What Is a College Major?
The dictionary definition of a college major is “an academic subject chosen as a field of specialization” or “a student specializing in such a field” (e.g., “Sandy is a history major.”).4
In other words, a college major is both the academic field of study that an undergraduate student focuses on in pursuing their degree and a term used to describe that student.
For example, a student focusing their undergraduate studies on business administration would be majoring in business administration, and that student would be referred to as a business administration major (or business major). Upon successfully completing their undergraduate business degree program, that student would receive a degree in business administration.
The term “major” is most commonly used in undergraduate education. Graduate students are typically described by their graduate degree program or field of study rather than by a major.
What Is a “Concentration” in College?
A degree concentration is different from a college major. Whereas a major is the particular field of study that a college student has chosen to specialize in, a degree concentration is a narrower focus within a student's major field of study. In choosing a concentration, a student opts to take a predetermined set of elective courses rather than choosing their own.
Importantly, a concentration within a major is not the same as a minor. A minor is a secondary field of study that some undergraduate students choose to pursue (some may even choose more than one academic minor) and which does not need to be related to the student's major. Not all institutions offer undergraduate students the ability to pursue a minor field of study.
Degree concentrations are not confined to associate and bachelor's degree programs. They are commonly available at the graduate level as well. At Colorado Technical University, we offer an option to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management (BSHM) or a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management with a Health Informatics concentration (BSHM in Health Informatics).
For the BSHM generalist option, you would choose your own electives. For the BSHM Health Informatics option, you would take a set of preselected elective courses focusing on health-informatics related courses. An example of a degree concentration at the graduate level would be the Master of Science in Computer Science with a Cybersecurity Engineering concentration (MSCS in Cybersecurity Engineering).
Degree, Major, Concentration…
Choosing to pursue a degree program, selecting a major field of study and selecting a concentration within that field of study (if that option is available) are important decisions that undergraduate and graduate students must at some point make. If you are a prospective CTU student with questions about any of our online degree programs or concentrations, you can request more information. Current CTU students should reach out to their Student Success Coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a college degree, major and concentration?
A college degree is the credential conferred after completing an academic program of study. A major is the primary field of study an undergraduate student focuses on while pursuing a degree. A concentration is a narrower specialization within that field and generally involves a predetermined set of courses assigned to the concentration.
How do degree requirements vary by major and concentration?
A concentration can affect which electives a student takes within a degree program. As the CTU examples above show, a generalist option may allow students to choose electives, while a concentration may use a preselected set of courses focused on a particular area.
Interested in going back to school to pursue a degree? Check out CTU's 100% online undergraduate and graduate online degree programs today.
1 EducationUSA, U.S. Department of State, “What is A U.S. Undergraduate Student?” (https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/research-your-options/undergraduate/what-us-undergraduate-student) (visited September 24, 2026).
2 EducationUSA, U.S. Department of State, “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),” (https://educationusa.state.gov/experience-studying-usa/us-educational-system/frequently-asked-questions-faqs) (visited September 26, 2026).
3 EducationUSA, U.S. Department of State, “What is a Graduate Student?” (https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/research-your-options/graduate/what-graduate-student) (visited September 24, 2026).
4 Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, “Major,” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major) (last visited September 24, 2026).
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REQ2263283 09/2026