Merit Badges are the second main area of the Boy Scout advancement program. Unlike ranks, there is a degree of choice in the merit badge program. A sub-group of merit badges are known as Eagle required merit badges. To earn Eagle Scout, most of these badges must be earned although some are "either/or" badges. The remainder of the badges help with earning ranks as well as Eagle Palms after the Eagle Scout award has been earned. The online Merit Badge Application is a Word doc file.
Boy Scouts may work on merit badges from they time they join a Scout troop until they turn 18 years old. There is no time limit for completion of merit badges other than age 18. See the Merit Badge FAQ. Some Merit Badges Require Prior Approval before starting certain requirements. Most do not.
This is a list of the the Merit badges, including eagle required.
A[]
- American Business
- American Cultures
- American Heritage
- American Labor
- Animal Science
- Archaeology
- Archery
- Architecture
- Art
- Astronomy
- Athletics
- Auto Mechanics
- Aviation
B[]
- Backpacking
- Basketry
- Bird Study
- Bugling
C[]
- Camping - Eagle required
- Canoeing
- Chemistry
- Cinematography
- Citizenship in the Community - Eagle required
- Citizenship in the Nation - Eagle required
- Citizenship in the World - Eagle required
- Climbing
- Coin Collecting
- Collections
- Communications - eagle required
- Composite Materials
- Computers
- Cooking
- Crime Prevention
- Cycling - Eagle required
D[]
- Dentistry
- Disabilities Awareness
- Dog Care
- Drafting
E[]
- Electricity
- Electronics
- Emergency Preparedness - Eagle required
- Energy
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental Science - Eagle required
F[]
- Family Life - Eagle required
- Farm Mechanics
- Fingerprinting
- Fire Safety
- First Aid - Eagle required
- Fish and Wildlife Management
- Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Forestry
G[]
- Gardening
- Genealogy
- Geology
- Golf
- Graphic Arts
H[]
- Hiking - Eagle required
- Home Repairs
- Horsemanship
I[]
- Indian Lore
- Insect Study
J[]
- Journalism
L[]
- Landscape Architecture
- Law
- Leatherwork
- Lifesaving - Eagle required
M[]
- Mammal Study
- Medicine
- Metalwork
- Model Design and Building
- Motorboating
- Music
N[]
- Nature
- Nuclear Science
O[]
- Oceanography
- Orienteering
P[]
- Painting
- Personal Fitness - Eagle required
- Personal Management - Eagle required
- Pets
- Photography
- Pioneering
- Plant Science
- Plumbing
- Pottery
- Public Health
- Public Speaking
- Pulp and Paper
R[]
- Radio
- Railroading
- Reading
- Reptile and Amphibian Study
- Rifle Shooting
- Rowing
S[]
- Safety
- Salesmanship
- Scholarship
- Sculpture
- Shotgun Shooting
- Skating
- Small-Boat Sailing
- Snow Sports
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Space Exploration
- Sports
- Stamp
- Surveying
- Swimming - Eagle required
T[]
- Textile
- Theater
- Traffic Safety
- Truck Transportation
V[]
Veterniary Medicine
- Veterinary Medicine
W[]
Water Sports[]
watersports
Not Eagle required. See requirements here.
Weather[]
Not Eagle required. See requirements here.
Whitewater[]
Not Eagle required. See requirments here
Wilderness Survival[]
Not Eagle required.
Woodwork[]
Not Eagle required.
Woodworking[]
Not Eagle required.
Eagle[]
Of the merit badges labeled "Eagle required" only 12 need to achieved in order to achieve the Rank of Eagle.
Total[]
As of 2009 there are 122 merit badges including the eagle required ones. Bold text