Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degrees: Best Programs, Jobs, and Salaries

Consumers have become savvier, and with more options to choose from, there is a strong emphasis on product quality across markets worldwide. With a quality assurance bachelor’s degree, you will be knowledgeable enough to improve the creation and performance of these products. Your primary role will be to create reliability that boosts a company’s competitiveness within its market.

What Is Quality Assurance?

Quality assurance

(QA) is the process of creating and maintaining the requirements for developing marketable products. QA involves systematic processes that determine if products meet the required standards. The end goal of quality assurance is to improve customer satisfaction by boosting purchasing confidence while also increasing a company’s credibility.

Work efficiency and manufacturing processes are also enhanced to give a company a better position in a competitive market. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the main body behind quality assurance practices and creating roadmaps towards implementing QA.

What Is a Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree?

A

Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Assurance

blends basic management principles, science and technology, statistical tools, and quality concepts to prepare students to be quality assurance professionals. It instills knowledge like quality auditing and how to use quality management systems to individuals interested in joining the industry.

Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission to a university or college degree program is a high school diploma or equivalency. The admission requirements will differ from one university to the next. Many ask for an essay, application, and letters of recommendation.

How Much Does a Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Cost?

To study quality assurance at a four-year institution, tuition will cost between

$20,000 and $60,000 every year

for a bachelor’s degree program. Public universities are the best option for students who are after a more affordable option since they charge less for in-state residents.

Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Financing Options: How to Pay for Your Quality Assurance Degree

There are many ways you can pay for your bachelor’s degree. You can opt for upfront payments, deferred tuition, scholarships, month-to-month installments, or loan financing. However, if you cannot fully fund the program, there are grants and loans available. You can apply through the Federal Student Aid program to see if you are eligible.

Best Quality Assurance Degree Programs and Schools: Overview

Best Colleges for Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree: Top Quality Assurance Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Technology, Quality Systems Major | Bowling Green State University

Graduates of Bowling Green State University can

become quality assurance managers

specializing in scientific methods. There is also an online program for QA. Applicants must have an associate degree or work for a minimum of one year in the industry to be accepted to the program.

Bachelor of Science in Quality Assurance | California State University, Dominguez Hills

For the general education program, you must attend critical thinking, oral communication, mathematics and quantitative reasoning, and written communication classes. There are also classes for measurement sciences with a concentration on technical quality and metrics. In addition, students can participate in faculty research efforts at the school.

Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering Technology | Ferris State University

This program lays the foundation for careers in quality management. You can opt for the quality concentration, which covers quality planning, basic quality tools, performing quality audits. Transfer students must have a 2.50 GPA and 57 credits hours of completed coursework, among other prerequisites. You must earn a minimum of 120 credits to graduate.

Bachelor of Science in Food Science | Michigan State University

Students in this program select a concentration between food technology, food business and industry, food packaging, and basic science. You will also learn about food safety and microbiology, sensory analysis, food processing technologies, and food chemistry. These are all skills you can implement in your work as a quality assurance officer or food scientist.

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management | National University

Undergraduate students can major in construction management, which correlates with quality assurance. You’ll learn the fundamentals of construction quality assurance, surveys, and the technical skills needed to become project managers on construction sites. You’ll also explore mechanical and electrical systems and the technical tools that apply to developing safe projects.

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management | New York Institute of Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management program covers 123 credits including quality control, operations management, project management, and more. In addition, the institution prepares students for the professional world through the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center and engineering clubs.

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Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Food Business Management | Oregon State University

This program helps students understand food systems, agriculture, and business strategies to ensure the production and distribution of quality food products. You will take classes on subjects such as food management, market analysis, food economics, and statistical methods. These courses are relevant to inspectors and quality controllers in the agricultural and food industry.

Bachelor of Science in Food Quality, Safety, and Nutrition | Queen’s University Belfast

The Bachelor of Science in Food Quality, Safety, and Nutrition equips its students with knowledge in food quality to enter into a career in food quality assurance. Subjects studied include food biochemistry, hygiene, microbiology, and quality and safety.

Bachelor of Science in Management, Quality Management Concentration | University of Wisconsin-Stout

UW-Stout is known for its comprehensive curricula and research-oriented teaching. The coursework covers procurement, supply chain management, quality assurance practicum, quality management, quality tools, and lean enterprise. The program aims to equip students with skills in statistical processes, quality management and system audits, and six sigma processes.

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Application Development, Testing, and Quality Assurance Concentration | Walden University

This undergraduate degree prepares students for quality assurance careers in IT. The concentration focuses on modern tools, procedures, and practices in quality assurance. You will learn how to write, test, debug, and maintain source code for business requirements.

Courses within this concentration include server-side and multi-tier programming, quality management standards for IT, software QA testing and testing tools, and user interface evaluation.

Best Online Quality Assurance Degree Programs and Schools: Overview

Best Colleges for Quality Assurance Degrees: Top Online Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Management | American Military University

AMU was established to provide higher education to the military and public service communities. Your credit hours must be made up of general education, general electives, core courses, and concentration courses. The coursework explores quality control, supply chain management, strategic management, production, and operations.

Bachelor of Science in Quality Assurance | California State University

This bachelor’s degree is an excellent program for people seeking careers in manufacturing, statistics, technical communications, engineering, and safety. You will learn to develop, operate, and manage quality control systems and apply your technical and analytical skills to real-world situations. You will also learn communication, interpersonal, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning skills.

Bachelor of Science in Quality Systems and Improvement Management | Cambridge College Global

This program teaches students how to analyze business practices and develop and maintain comprehensive plans that enhance an organization’s ROI. The core courses include accounting, fundamentals of taxation, digital analysis, contemporary regulatory issues, and user interface (UI) design.

Bachelor’s Degree in Technical Management | DeVry University

This undergraduate program will develop quality assurance skills in project management, accounting, human resources, and manufacturing. This program features several specializations, however, the operations management concentration covers quality assurance.

Students explore business technology and business operations practices and processes. The coursework includes quality control methods and systems, production software, inventory and resource management, and operational planning strategies.

Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Management | Hempster Shire University

Hempster Shire University is the largest online university, catering to students around the globe. The quality management major contains 24 courses and a total of 144 credit hours of self-paced learning. The coursework covers statistical quality control, quality design, quality engineering, and team management.

Bachelor of Science in Operations Management | Southern New Hampshire University

The operations management program lays a foundation for a career in quality assurance. Students can select between two concentrations, logistics and transportation, or project management. The coursework explores different aspects of quality assurance like management science, supply chain management, industry trends, and quality improvement tools.

Bachelor of Science in Business Quality Management | Southwestern College

Some of the major courses in this bachelor’s degree program include quality management principles, quality through effective teams, data acquisition, and business quality management capstone. You will also explore general education, which covers basic skills, ethical reasoning, and disciplinary perspectives.

Bachelor of Manufacturing in Quality Management | University of Minnesota

The business quality management program is offered fully online and is made up of 120 college credits. Some sample courses include sustainability and compliance, project management, financial accounting, and manufacturing processes.

Bachelor of Science in Management | University of Phoenix

This program equips students with the leadership, productivity, and decision-making skills needed in a business setting. You will receive 120 total credit hours, paying $398 per credit.

You will learn how to evaluate business management principles, manufacturing processes, and gain problem-solving skills that help in making business decisions. You can also explore the six-week

project quality management

program for advanced skills in quality assurance.

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration | Upper Iowa University

The Bachelor’s in Business Administration features a quality assurance course, namely quality management and productivity. The coursework covers quality management concepts, quality processes for customer satisfaction, and quality system technologies. Students can also focus on human resource management or health services practices.

What Is the Average Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Salary?

According to Payscale, the average salary for professionals with a

Bachelor of Science in Quality Assurance

is $92,000 per year. However, many factors influence wages, including location, experience, and the company or organization of employment.

Top Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Jobs and Salaries: Overview

Best Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree Explained

Software Developer

Software developers

research, design, implement, and manage software programs. They also test and evaluate the functionality of new programs and create competitive strategies to determine how existing programs can be modified.

Quality Assurance Analyst

• 
  Average Salary:
  
  $110,140
• 
  Job Outlook:
  
  22%*
• 
  Number of Jobs:
  
  1,847,900*
• 
  Highest Paying States:
  
  Washington, California, New York*

Quality assurances analysts work with development departments to test games, programs, and software to confirm their reliability and functionality. They undertake advanced research strategies to help make the products as user-friendly as possible. User-friendliness is the most crucial aspect that would quantify whether a product is fit to serve a particular market.

Head of Manufacturing

• 
  Average Salary:
  
  $108,790
• 
  Job Outlook:
  
  5%**
• 
  Number of Jobs:
  
  189,300**
• 
  Highest Paying States:
  
  New Jersey, Colorado, New Hampshire**

Heads of manufacturing are responsible for managing all production details within an industry. Responsibilities include hiring new staff, setting up production schedules, and overseeing quality assurance specialists to ensure top-notch production that meets local and international standards.

Associate QA Manager

• 
  Average Salary:
  
  $108,790
• 
  Job Outlook:
  
  5%**
• 
  Number of Jobs:
  
  189,300**
• 
  Highest Paying States:
  
  New Jersey, Colorado, New Hampshire**

Associate managers oversee the work of a particular department or a group of people. In many cases, they work under the general manager and are responsible for organizing work for the team. Their duties may shift depending on the task at hand.

Head of Quality Assurance

Heads of quality assurance oversee the activities of junior QA specialists. They are responsible for ensuring that products are adequately enhanced to meet the quality standards. They also have to fix any technical issues that could interfere with the quality of the end products.

Medical and Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers perform crucial tasks to ensure health services achieve their desired quality. They analyze a company or hospital’s data to find areas that would allow for growth. From this, they can design, implement and increase the quality standards of services. They also keep reports of company progress and create strategies to improve productivity.

Quality Assurance Engineer

QA engineers track the process of developing a product from beginning to end. They work with other team members to guide production and offer instructions to ensure a product meets the requirements before moving to different production sections.

Quality Auditor

Quality auditors determine the quality of a company’s services or products to ensure they are fit for use by the general population. They come up with products and service testing parameters, develop control procedures, conduct audits, and manage quality control teams.

Technical Support Engineer

Technical support engineers troubleshoot and solve tech issues for internal or external clients across various industries like telecom, financial services, and healthcare. They are available in nearly all IT departments.

Quality Control Inspector

Quality control inspectors monitor the quality of a wide variety of manufactured products. They carry out random product checks, monitor the equipment through the production phase, and review how the end product works.

*Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data on Software Developers





**Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data on Industrial Production Managers

Quality Assurance Bootcamp vs Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree: Which is Better?

A

quality assurance bootcamp

is an intensive, short-term educational program. It does not have the prestige of a bachelor’s degree but offers students a chance to learn at a lower price. A bachelor’s program covers a wide range of courses. Bootcamps have a more focused curriculum, covering mainly the specific technology used today and what employers want from their workforce.

Benefits of a Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree

• 
  Extensive learning materials.
  
  Students can access a wide range of material when learning through bachelor’s degree programs. Such material is available in the school library, electronic sources, and journal databases.
• 
  Access to advanced degrees:
  
  With a Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Assurance, students can decide whether they want to further their career by pursuing a master’s degree. These further qualifications allow for great job opportunities and earnings.
• 
  Networking:
  
  There are more networking opportunities when you study with your fellow students in a college setting. You can attend job fairs, conferences, and seminars relating to your job description organized by your school. You can prepare for
  
  interview questions
  
  with help from career services.
• 
  Remote learning.
  
  Many bachelor’s programs are now offered fully online, letting you study from anywhere with internet access.
• 
  More job opportunities.
  
  When you have a bachelor’s degree, you study a wide range of topics that give you more employment opportunities after graduation. Some schools also guide you on finding better employment opportunities by offering resume-building services and linking you with job postings.

Benefits of a Quality Assurance Bootcamp

• 
  Affordability.
  
  At a bootcamp, you learn the essential aspects of your future career at a lower price, without going through many course modules and books. Your annual fee could even be lower than what you would pay for a semester at a university.
• 
  Career services.
  
  Mentorship and guidance are offered by qualified individuals who have experience working in the industry. They teach using a hands-on approach that directly relates to the industry requirements.
• 
  Job guarantee.
  
  Bootcamp grads can seamlessly enter their respective fields since most bootcamps are in partnerships with established companies. Once students complete their course, they can work with these companies as they build their careers.
• 
  Flexibility.
  
  Bootcamps are easily accessible since they are based in nearly every state and are often available online. This makes it easy for students to study as they work.
• 
  Project-based learning.
  
  Learning in a bootcamp will take you through a practical experience rather than the course’s theories taught in universities and two-year institutions. Therefore, you will be a step ahead when working with the respective systems at work.

Should You Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Quality Assurance?

Yes, you should. Quality assurance is a fast-growing industry and this means that professionals with the necessary skills are in demand. Many people choose this career path, and while some companies rely on a small team, the field is still growing, and many people are becoming successful in this field.

Quality Assurance Bachelor’s Degree FAQ