College Overview for Yeshiva Students

Links to multiple additional resources are listed to the right (or at the end of this page on mobile view).

 

Navigating the college system can be very challenging for yeshiva students. This article will present an overview of college in general, and the admission process and hopefully help make college a bit less intimidating for those who went to yeshiva and have now decided to earn a college degree.

 

Many careers require a college degree as a legal requirement, such as doctors and medical professionals, lawyers, engineers, and accountants. Other fields may not require a degree, but a degree can provide students with important knowledge and skills that are helpful, including business, education, finance, real estate, and many others. A college degree can serve as an advantage over other candidates in the hiring process and can help a candidate receive a higher salary as well as other benefits.

 

This article will provide an introduction to undergraduate degrees (such as a B.A., B.S. etc, what most people refer to when they say "college") and graduate degrees (law, medicine, etc.). If you are not familiar with the terminology used here, please check the Glossary page .

 

 

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What are the requirements to get admitted to college?

Generally, a high school diploma or an equivalent such as the GED or TASC is necessary for admission to college, though some colleges allow students to earn their GED while in college. For an overview of the GED and TASC and for other related resources, see the GED/TESC page. (Note: Not all undergraduate programs require a GED or high school diploma equivalent, but some loans/grants may not be available to those without it.)

 

What is necessary to be awarded a college degree?

For most undergraduate degrees (such as a B.A. or a B.S.) students must complete 120 credits. Each college class provides a specific amount of credits, generally around 3-5 credits.  There are a few ways to get credits -  online, CLEP, on campus, or transfer; see here for more details. A student can usually take up to 18 credits per semester.  (If you’re coming from yeshiva or seminary etc, some of your time there may count as credits; a college may allow you to transfer some yeshivas credits to the college, giving you a  head start in your credits.)

 

College credits fall into the following general categories:

 

Core: Regardless of the degree that you choose, there are general classes that you must complete in order to graduate. Such classes usually include English, math, science, literature and similar fundamental courses. Cores can vary with every college so check with your college about their core requirements.

 

Major:  To receive a degree, one is required to focus a significant amount of classes in a particular field, such as math, biology, chemistry, psychology, etc. Generally, 40 credits are necessary to get a major in a particular field. You can also double major if you complete 40 credits in two fields. A degree is then granted based on your major, so for example, if you receive 40 math credits, your degree will be in math.

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Minor: If you get 20 credits in a particular field, it is considered a minor. Minors are not necessary to graduate.

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Electives: Once you complete your core and major requirements, you can take whatever class you want to complete the necessary 120 credits, such classes are called ‘electives’.

 

What do the different types of college degrees mean?

There are a few kinds of undergraduate degrees, the most common ones are the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) that is awarded for a major in a field of the arts, and the B.S. (Bachelor of Science) that is awarded for a major in a science field. Additionally, an Associate's degree can be awarded after completing 60 (or 90) credits, those credits can count towards a Bachelor’s degree.

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Does it matter what kind of degree I get?

Depends what you want to do with your degree. Do you need a degree for a specific kind of job and specific kind of graduate school, or do you just need any bachelor's degree?  If you have a specific interest or degree that you’re looking for, then you have to be more specific. For example, if you want to be an engineer, then doing a fast-track yeshiva program won’t provide the necessary courses, and you may have to look into more established programs.

• For medical school, specific science courses are generally required 

• For law school, it doesn’t matter what kind of degree you get

• For an engineering degree, there are other requirements

• For business school, most degrees are acceptable

 

To fully answer this question requires a discussion with someone who can really discuss your specific case, you can reach out to somebody on the mentor page.

 

What if I don’t know what I want to do, but I just want a degree?

In that case, you can just go whatever route will get you the degree the easiest. However, it helps to know why you want the degree to guide your steps. As the saying goes “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might just get there…”

 

To fully answer this question requires a discussion with someone who can really discuss your specific case; see here.

 

How should I choose a profession?

There’s no easy answer. To a large extent, you need to know what you enjoy and speak to people who know you well. You also need to be realistic about practical constraints, whether financial or other. Speaking with mentors or people in the various fields can be really helpful in providing insight and guidance.

 

What can college degrees be used for?

As discussed above, college degrees provide their holders with a few advantages:

• It can be used to get a job; college degrees can often make you more employable

• It can be used for admission to graduate school, like medical school, law school, etc. which in

 

What college can I go to to get a degree? What options are out there?

• You can go to a regular college like Touro or Brooklyn College, perhaps transfer some yeshiva or seminary credits if possible, and take classes in the field you’re interested in.

• You can find some “fast-track” program geared for Yeshiva students. They take some Yeshiva credits, give you some (online) courses so you get more credits, and then they give you a degree from whichever college the program is in cahoots with. Examples of this are the TTI and FDU programs. See the "Undergraduate Programs" section of this site. 

 

There are many careers where a college degree is not necessary, such as real estate, finance, sales, and similar businesses, though a degree may be helpful. Crown Heights Young Entrepreneurs (CHYE) is a wonderful resource for such careers, and more info can be found at www.chye.info.

For further questions, please email ZevulunEdu@gmail.com

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