Bachelor of Science or Bachelor’s of Science?

When it comes to degrees, there is some confusion on how to spell things. Is it “Bachelor of Science” or “bachelor’s of science?” Which of these is the correct way to refer to the degree? Or, are they interchangeable?

We’ll answer these questions right here.

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor’s of Science?

The correct phrase is “Bachelor of Science”, if you are identifying what someone is. Someone is a Bachelor of Science, they are not a “bachelor’s of science”. You can, however, have a “bachelor’s degree”, but that describes a degree, not a person.

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor’s of Science

Basically, it all comes down to what you are trying to say. If you want to say that you have a degree, you would say:

  • I have a bachelor’s degree in science.

But if you wanted to say that you are a Bachelor of Science, you would say it exactly like that:

  • I am a Bachelor of Science.

Do you want to learn why this is the case? Below, we’ll cover the rules of choosing between “Bachelor of Science,” “bachelor’s of science,” and “Bachelors of Science.”

Bachelor of Science

The phrase “Bachelor of Science” is appropriate when you are referring to what a person is. If someone has earned their “bachelor’s degree”, it makes them a “Bachelor of Science”.

It’s a title, in the sense that you would say someone is a “police officer” or a “practitioner of karate”.

For example:

  • Kyle is a Bachelor of Science.
  • I will be a Bachelor of Science after I graduate.

Because it’s a title, you don’t need to make it possessive. However, this does not mean that “bachelor’s of science” is wrong. It’s just that it only works in a different context, which we will discuss below.

Bachelor’s of Science

The phrase “bachelor’s of science” is wrong when you are referring to what someone is. However, it is correct when referring to the degree itself. “Bachelor” is a rank of education.

It has degrees that are tied to that rank. In this way, the degree for that rank “belongs” to the rank of “bachelor”, like so:

  • Robin has a bachelor’s of science degree.
  • I received a bachelor’s of science after I finished my studies.

In such a case, where you are referring to the degree itself and not the person that has the degree, you would rightly say “bachelor’s degree of science”.

In some cases, the word “degree” is implied, and you can just say “bachelor’s of science”. But for more clarity, you should include “degree”.

Bachelors of Science

The only time the phrase “Bachelors of Science” would be right is if you are referring to several people, all of whom are a “Bachelor of Science”. Naturally, this would make “bachelor” plural, and lead to the only case in which you would say “Bachelors of Science”.

For example:

  • They are all Bachelors of Science.
  • Sam, Seth, and Sarah are all Bachelors of Science.

Other Ways to Say “Bachelor of Science”

If you don’t want to say “Bachelor of Science”, there are some other ways to go about it.

Granted, there are no direct synonyms, but there are some other sentences you can use that would still let someone know that you are referring to someone who is a Bachelor of Science.

  • She has a bachelor’s degree in science.
  • Jordan has a BS degree.
  • Tim has a degree in science at the bachelor level

Unfortunately, you can’t really get out of saying “bachelor” when talking about a “bachelor’s degree”. Obviously, the factor that sets one degree apart from the others is the level of education, so “bachelor” is needed to separate the degree from other types of degrees.

Even if you say “BS” degree, that’s just shorthand for “Bachelor of Science”.

Conclusion

When referring to a person, you say they are a “Bachelor of Science”. When referring to a degree, you say “bachelor’s degree of science”. When referring to a group of people who are all “Bachelors of Science”, you can make the phrase plural in that manner.