All about the Cumulative Bachelor’s degree

What is a Cumulative Bachelor's degree?

A Cumulative Bachelor's is a Bachelor's degree earned by combining short undergraduate programs, including minors, majors and certificates. Just think of it as an à la carte Bachelor's degree menu to pick and choose from.   

The Cumulative Bachelor's degree is like an educational buffet. It’s sort of like eating a restaurant where everything on the menu looks so good, it’s hard to pick one dish. But in this restaurant, you can design your ideal meal by sampling different flavours, picking different dishes and creating your own combinations. What’s more, the waiters and waitresses will help you pick the right combination and make the best choice to suit your tastes and preferences. Who will help you make the right choice at UdeM? Guidance counsellors! They’ll suggest the best possible combinations for a Bachelor's degree, depending on availability.   

Cumulative Bachelor's are like an à la carte menu. They require a minimum of 90 credits and are comprised of any of the following combinations : 

• 1 major (60 credits) + 1 certificate (30 credits)  
• 1 major (60 credits) + 1 minor (30 credits)  
• 3 minors  
• 3 certificates  
• 2 majors (exceptionally) 

A Cumulative Bachelor’s degree
puts you in charge 

A Cumulative Bachelor’s degree is the perfect degree for students who want to build a university curriculum that reflects them. They even allow you to extend your horizons to UdeM's affiliated schools: HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal. In fact, out of the total number of credits required for a Bachelor's degree, at least 30 must be successfully completed at UdeM. The possibilities are endless: in addition to the 130 short undergraduate programs at UdeM, HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal offer dozens of certificates.   

What are the advantages of a Cumulative Bachelor’s degree?

There are lots and most of them are underestimated! 

The Cumulative Bachelor's degree lets you sample different fields of knowledge. Since today’s job market increasingly requires workers to perform diverse tasks, getting a taste of different areas is a real asset. What’s more, a diverse skill set also sets you apart from candidates who may be over-specialized. Atypical and unique backgrounds are being increasingly sought by employers looking for employees with that certain something.  

This degree can be completed up to a maximum of 10 years, giving candidates in the workforce the flexibility to hone their expertise and pursue a part-time Cumulative Bachelor's degree. 

Can’t decide? The Cumulative Bachelor’s degree makes it easy. 

• Are you creative? Do you thrive on new ideas?    
• Do you need flexibility in your career and schedule?  
• Do you like to push the limits of innovation?  
• Are you a "go your own way" rather than a "turnkey" type of person?  
• Are you looking for a less traditional educational approach?   

Getting it on paper: the wording, the value and more

Do you like the idea of a personalized degree? Your professional life will like it too! 

The wording of a Cumulative Bachelor’s degree is Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, depending on the area of most of its components. The degree also lists the name of the programs, the date of award and the institution where each program was completed.   

Cumulative Bachelor's degrees open the door to graduate studies. Since most Bachelor's degrees include practical work and internships, they can be a stepping stone to university research. What’s more, employers recognize their multidisciplinary value in the job market, both in Quebec and internationally. Your future career may not exist yet, so you can shape it from a career path that reflects you! 

What about BACCAP?

Another acronym? FYI, let’s take a look. First of all, what does it mean? In French BACCAP stands for Bachelor's degree by accumulation with designation. Unlike a traditional Bachelor's degree in which students choose a combination of short programs, a BACCAP is made up of components (minors, majors or certificates) specifically chosen by the faculty(ies) that offer them. That means that the BACCAP is not as generic as the Cumulative Bachelor’s degree so it can be accredited with the specific discipline of its components (e.g. modern languages, management, communication practices, etc.).