College-Related Degree and Organization Abbreviations

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So you’re planning to attend college and you’re on the hunt for schools and degrees to consider. College is an alphabet soup of degree and other abbreviations that you might be unfamiliar with. This handy guide might help with abbreviations you encounter both here on the AffordableSchools.net site, and on most college Web sites.

Abbreviations have been organized into degree levels and a miscellaneous section, and sorted by abbreviation within each section. This list is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Associate’s Degrees

• AA = Associate of Arts
• AB = Associate of Business
• AAS = Associate of Applied Science
• AS = Associate of Science
• ASN = Associate of Nursing

Bachelor’s Degrees

• BA = Bachelor of Arts
• BAAS = Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences.
• BAED = Bachelor of Art Education
• BArch = Bachelor of Architecture
• BAS = Bachelor of Arts and Sciences or Bachelor of Applied Science
• BASW = BA Social Work
• BBA = Bachelor of Business Administration
• BEd = Bachelor of Education
• BEM = Bachelor of Emergency Management
• BEnvD = Bachelor of Environmental Design
• BFA = Bachelor of Fine Arts
• BGS = Bachelor of General Studies
• BHS = Bachelor of Health Sciences
• BIS = Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
• BLA = Bachelor of Liberal Arts
• BLS = Bachelor of Liberal Studies
• BM = Bachelor of Music
• BMA = Bachelor of Musical Arts
• BME = Bachelor of Music Education
• BMus = Bachelor of Music (typically for performance/ instruments)
• BS = Bachelor of Science
• BSB = BS Business
• BSBME = BS Biomedical Engineering
• BSCE = BS Computer Engineering
• BSChE = BS Chemical Engineering
• BSCIV = BS Civil Engineering
• BSCJ = BS Criminal Justice
• BSCLS = BS Clinical Laboratory Science
• BSCompEng = Computer Engineering
• BSE = BS Engineering
• BSEd/ BSED = BS Education
• BSEE = BS Electrical Engineering
• BSElecEng = BS Electrical Engineering
• BSHSM BS Health Services Management
• BSK = BS Kinesiology
• BSME = BS Mechanical Engineering
• BSMechEng = BS Mechanical Engineering
• BSMIT = BS Medical Imaging Technology
• BSMT = BS Music Technology
• BSN = Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• BSPA = BS Physician Assistant or BS Public Administration
• BSPH = BS Public Health
• BSRT = BS Respiratory Therapy OR BS Radiation Therapy
• BSW = Bachelor of Social Work
• BT = Bachelor of Technology

Master’s Degrees – Research, Professional

In progress – check back

Doctoral Degrees – Research, Professional, Other

In progress – check back

Miscellaneous

• FAFSA = Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• HBCU = Historically Black College or University