text: what is the difference between a bachelors and a masters degree?   one difference between a bachelors and a masters degree are the requirements. to gain eligibility for a bachelors, you must have at least a ged and have scored well enough on the sat. to be eligible for a masters degree, you must have completed a bachelors degree program, and adequate scores on the gre.  in addition, as a bachelors degree student, your first year or two focuses on the acquisition of general knowledge and the last few years become more specialized, focusing primarily on classes for your major/minor area.   in contrast, the master's degree program takes usually only 2 years to complete and the student is only focused on learning one speciality area during that time. in addition, a masters program requires the student to be more of an independent learner, with classes requiring much more research and independent thought.