# Why is it called a bechelor's degree? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083 "2001-11-30T06:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kydavis\_md](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ad7895/32.png) [@kydavis\_md](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kydavis_md)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/1 "2001-11-30T06:27:26Z")
I know plenty of people who were married when they got them. I’m fairly sure that isn’t the reason, but what is? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/2 "2001-11-30T07:14:34Z")
According to my 1957 edition of the _New World Dictionary_, “bachelor” originaly referred to a young knight serving under another’s banner. The term gradually came to apply to a young male (preferably unmarried) who occupied a subordinate position–which holders of lower degrees certainly did in the medieval educational system. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/3 "2001-11-30T15:07:28Z")
I think it is an anglicized variant of baccalaureat, which was actually from baccalarius, according to my dictionary, used in Latin for young men. As opposed to your magister degree, or masters (teacher’s) or doctorate (doctus–learn-ed). ---
**Author:** ![aegypt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@aegypt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aegypt)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/4 "2001-11-30T15:32:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capybara \* > \*\*or doctorate (doctus–learn-ed). \*\* Or rather, from doctor (“teacher”), which comes from “docere”, to teach or explain. “Master” comes from Latin “magister”, meaning “master , chief, head, director”. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/5 "2001-11-30T18:42:07Z")
Yup, college is very Medieval, all right! As undergrads, we’re just serfs. And, then as grad students, we’re just endentured servants! Of course, the profs are lords, or so they think… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/6 "2001-11-30T19:19:41Z")
Shouldn’t a grad student know how to spell “indentured”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-called-a-bechelors-degree/96083/7 "2001-11-30T19:24:04Z")
No, he’s referring to his partial plate, having lost his teeth due to poor diet from the long hours and low pay as a lowly grad student, hence “endentured.” 😃