Africa In most African countries, the university systems follow the model of their former colonizing power. For example, the
Nigerian university system is similar to the British system, while the
Ivorian system is akin to the French.
Algeria Bachelor's degrees in Algerian universities are called "" in Arabic or '''' in
French; the degree normally takes three years to complete and is a part of the LMD ("licence", "master", "doctorat") reform, students can enroll in a bachelor's degree program in different fields of study after having obtained their '''' (the national secondary education test). The degree is typically identical to the program of France's universities, as specified in the LMD reform. Bachelor's degree programs cover most of the fields in Algerian universities, except some fields, such as Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science.
Botswana Bachelor's degrees at the
University of Botswana normally take four years. The system draws on both British and American models. Degrees are classified as First Class, Second Class Division One (2:1), Second Class Division Two (2:2) and Third as in English degrees, but without being described as honours. The main degrees are named by British tradition (Arts, Science, Law, etc.); in recent years, however, there have been a number of degrees named after specific subjects, such as Bachelor of Library and Information.
Kenya In Kenya, university education is supported by the government. A bachelor's degree is awarded to students who successfully complete a three to seven-year course depending on the area of study. For most degree programs, a research project and an internship period after which a report is written by the student is a must before the student is allowed to graduate. In 2012, a number of select colleges were upgraded to university status in a bid to increase the intake of students into degree programs.
Morocco In Morocco, a bachelor's degree is referred to as
al-ʾijāzah (Arabic, French: '
). The course of study takes three years, which are further divided into two cycles. The first cycle comprises the first, or propaedeutic, year. After successfully completing their first two years, students can pursue either theoretical specialization (') or professional specialization ('
). The second cycle is one year after whose completion students receive the ' or the
l. This academic degree system was introduced in September 2003.
Nigeria University admission is extremely competitive, with attendant advantages and disadvantages. Nonetheless, it takes four to five years to complete a bachelor's degree. In cases of poor performance, the time limit is double the standard amount of time. For example, one may not study for more than 10 years for a five-year course. Students are normally asked to leave if they must take longer. Nigerian universities offer BSc, BTech (usually from Universities of Technology), BArch (six years), and other specialized undergraduate degrees, such as BEng. Science undergraduate degrees may require six months or a semester dedicated to SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) but it is usually mandatory for all engineering degrees. A semester for project work/thesis is required, not excluding course work, during the bachelor thesis in the final year. The classifications of degrees: first-class, second-class (upper and lower), third-class (with honours; i.e., BSc (Hons)) and a pass (no honours). First- and second-class graduates are immediately eligible for advanced postgraduate degrees (i.e., MSc and PhD), but other classes may be required for an additional postgraduate diploma before such eligibility. Furthermore, all graduating students are obliged to do the
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) requirement, which usually takes one year, after which they are eligible to pursue higher degrees. The NYSC is a paramilitary service that involves students' being posted to different parts of the country to serve in various capacities. Principal objectives of the NYSC are to forge national cohesion, encourage students to apply their obtained knowledge to solving problems of rural Nigeria, and others. The NYSC was established by law after the Nigerian Civil War. Polytechnical schools (polytechnics) in Nigeria are not considered universities. They are mandated to educate technicians of high calibre; they offer the OND (ordinary national diploma) and the HND (higher national diploma). The polytechnics focus very strongly on practical technical training. The BSc and HND are compared in engineering circles, but there are significant differences in training philosophies. Honours degrees in Nigeria are differentiated only on the basis of performance. Honours degrees include the first-class degree, second-class degrees (upper and lower) and the third-class degree, but not the pass. All university students must do an independent research project which applies the knowledge obtained during the previous years of study. The project work must be submitted in the semester before graduation and usually takes a significant number of points. Further course work is not precluded during the project work, but the courses are fewer and are at an advanced level. Project work is orally defended before the faculty and before peers. In the sciences and engineering a demonstration of the project is usually required. The exceptions are theoretical work.
South Africa In South Africa, an honours degree is an additional
postgraduate qualification in the same area as the undergraduate major, and requires at least one further year of study as well as a research report.
Tunisia In Tunisia, a bachelor's degree is referred to as
al-ʾijāzah in Arabic, or '
in French; the degree takes three years to complete and is a part of the LMD (', '
, ') reform, students can enroll in a bachelor's degree program in different fields of study after having obtained their '''' (the national secondary education test). The degree is typically identical to the program of France's universities, as specified in the LMD reform. Most universities in Tunisia offer the 3-year bachelor's degree, except some fields, which are Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, solely offered by
Tunis Business School and lasts 4 years.
The Americas The region typically confers associates, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral degrees to graduating students.
Argentina University education in Argentina is currently regulated by the Ministry of Human Capital, with the requirements of a Licenciatura or bachelor's degree, also referred to as a university degree program lasting 4, 5, or more years. These programs can be equivalent to professional degrees, such as law, medicine, engineering, psychology, education, arts, architecture, industrial design, or bachelor's degrees more oriented towards research and teaching in a specific field of science. The undergraduate degrees recognized by the Higher Education Law (LES) are programs that must have more than 2,600 hours of instruction, under the guidance of the National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation (CONEAU). The current regulations govern the Institutional Distance Education System, Ministerial Resolution No. 2641-E/2017 and Ministerial Resolution No. 4389/2017. There is no distinction between universities and non-university institutions, such as teacher training colleges.
Brazil In Brazil, a bachelor's degree takes from three years to six years to complete depending on the course load and the program. A bachelor's degree is the title sought by Brazilians in order to be a professional in a certain area of human knowledge. Master's and doctoral degrees are additional degrees for those seeking an academic career or a specific understanding of a field. Even without a formal adhesion to the
Bologna system, a Brazilian "bachelor's" would correspond to a European "first cycle". A Brazilian "bachelor's" takes three to six years for completion, as well as usually a written monograph or concluding project, in the same way that a European bachelor's can be finished in three to four years, after which time Europeans may embark on a one- to two-year 2nd cycle program usually called a "master's", according to the Bologna Process. Depending on programs and personal choices, Europeans can achieve a master's degree in as little as four years (a three-year bachelor's and a one-year master's) and as long as six years (a four-year bachelor's, a two-year master's) of higher education. In Brazil it would be possible to have a specialization "lato-sensu" degree—which differs from a Brazilian "stricto-sensu" master's degree—in as little as three years (two years for a "" degree and an additional year for a specialization) or as long as eight years (six years for professional degrees, plus two years for a master's "stricto-sensu" degree—typical in medicine or engineering).
Canada Education in Canada is governed independently by each province and territory; however, a common framework for degrees was agreed to by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, in 2007. This adopted descriptors for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees that were deliberately similar to those defined by the
Bologna Process. Under the framework, four general forms of bachelor's degree are defined: general programs that provide a broad education and prepare graduates for graduate-entry professional programs or employment generally; in-depth academic programs in a specific subject that prepare graduates for postgraduate study in the field or employment generally; applied programs that concentrate on a mastery of practice rather than knowledge; and professional programs, often (but not exclusively) graduate-entry, that prepare graduates to practice as professionals in a specific field. This last category includes graduate-entry degrees titled as if they were doctorates, such as MD, JD and DDS degrees—despite their names, these are considered bachelor's degrees. but there are some specializations called "concentrations" in French, which are mostly taken as optional courses. In the province of Ontario, the most bachelor's degrees offered by
Ontario universities are academic in nature. In contrast, Ontario legislation requires bachelor's degrees offered by
Ontario colleges to be applied and vocationally focused.
Costa Rica, El Salvador and Venezuela In these countries, there are two titles that should not be confused: • High school students who pass their ''
or high school exams obtain a certificate of (not the same as a 'Bachelor' for higher education degrees)'', which is needed in order to enter a university and is usually requested by companies in their profiles. • University students obtain an American equivalent bachelor's degree in their respective fields after completing four years of education, and a
licenciatura licentiate degree completing one more year of studies (and meeting other requisites unique to each institution, it is common to write a dissertation on the professional field), this enables them to work as professionals in their chosen areas; for example, a '''' ("Licentiate degree in secondary education") enables a person to work as a high school teacher. Currently, the trend is for universities not to offer a bachelor's degree and to offer instead a
licentiate's or "" degree after five years of education.
Mexico Bachelor's degrees may take an average of five years (from four to five years) to complete depending on the course load and the program and they are awarded by colleges and universities. Medicine is from 6 to 7 years. Each college has its own curriculum and requirements with an emphasis of their choice, governed independently by each state of the republic. After finishing all the subjects the student require a final work, which means the completion of particular honours seminars, research and development or a written thesis in a particular field. Mexico's regulations established as an obligation in order to receive their license and title the fulfillment of a "social service" to the nation (usually for those who finished their studies in a public institution) as a remuneration to society in the form of social actions, the benefits, as students, were received during training. This requirement takes about six months to one year depending on the type of degree. Bachelor's degree should not be falsely related with its Spanish cognate "bachiller", which designate a prerequisite for matriculate in a career or bachelor studies. The official name for a bachelor's degree in Mexico is "licenciado" and such studies are referred as "licenciatura". Bachelor's degrees should not be confused with
Engineering Degrees, where an
Ingeniería is prefixed to the name and requires additional courses for certification as an Engineer.
United States Bachelor's degrees in the United States are typically designed to be completed in four years of full-time study, which typically represents an average of 15 hours of weekly instruction per four-month semester, two semesters per year, for a total of eight semesters and 120 instructional credit hours, although some programs, such as engineering or architecture, may take five years, and some universities and colleges allow students, usually with the help of summer school, who are taking many classes each semester or who have existing credit from high school
Advanced Placement or
International Baccalaureate course exams, to complete them more rapidly. Some US colleges and universities have a separate academic track known as an "honours" or "scholars" program, generally offered to the top percentile of students, based on
GPA, that offers more challenging courses or more individually directed seminars or research projects instead or in addition to the standard
core curriculum. Those students are awarded the same bachelor's degree as students completing the standard curriculum but with the notation
in cursu honorum on the
transcript and the
diploma. Usually, the above Latin honours are separate from the notation for this honours course, but a student in the honours course generally must maintain grades worthy of at least the
cum laude notation anyway. Hence, a graduate might receive a diploma
Artium Baccalaureatum rite or
Artium Baccalaureatum summa cum laude in the regular course or
Artium Baccalaureatum summa cum laude in cursu honorum in the honours course. If the student has completed the requirements for an honours degree only in a particular discipline (e.g., English language and literature), the degree is designated accordingly (e.g., "BA with Honours in English"). In this case, the degree candidate will complete the normal curriculum for all subjects except the selected discipline ("English", in the preceding example). The requirements in either case usually require completion of particular honours seminars, independent research at a level higher than usually required (often with greater personal supervision by faculty than usual), and a written honours thesis in the major subject. Many universities and colleges in the United States award bachelor's degrees with
Latin honours, usually (in ascending order)
cum laude ("with honour/praise"),
magna cum laude ("with great honour/praise"),
summa cum laude ("with highest honour/praise"), and the occasionally seen
maxima cum laude ("with maximal honour/praise"). Requirements for such notations of honours generally include minimum
grade point averages (GPA), with the highest average required for the
summa distinction (or
maxima, when that distinction is present). In the case of some schools, such as
Bates College,
Carleton College,
Colby College,
Middlebury College,
Guilford College,
Franklin College Switzerland, and larger universities like the
University of Virginia,
Princeton University,
North Carolina State University,
University of Massachusetts Amherst, a senior
thesis for degrees in the
humanities or
laboratory research for
natural science (and sometimes
social science) degrees is also required. Six notable exceptions are
Reed College,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
The Evergreen State College,
Sarah Lawrence College,
Bard College, and
Bennington College, which do not have deans' lists, Latin honours recognitions, or undergraduate honours programs or subjects. Starting in 2023, some colleges and universities began offering three-year bachelor's programs. As of late 2025, 70 institutions had the programs or planned to. A three-year degree could be obtained with additional credits during the regular school year and summer courses. Most reduced the number of required credits, identifying the program as "accelerated pathways" on the transcript. Reasons for choosing a three-year program include the increasing cost of education, and the desire of students not to take courses they did not need.
Asia Bangladesh In Bangladesh, universities and colleges award three- and four-year degrees (three-year degrees courses are called pass courses and four-year degree courses are called
honours courses) in science and business BSc, BBS, BBA, , etc. and three- and four-year degrees in arts (BA, BSS, etc.). Engineering universities provide four-year degree programs for bachelor's degree courses of study (BSc in Eng and BSc). Medical colleges have five-year degree programmes (MBBS, BDS). In law education there is a two-year LLB degree after completing three years in a BA program for a total of five years of study. There is also a four-year LLB honours degree. The
Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) and
Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) are
professional degrees awarded to students who complete a five-year course of study in the field at some universities. All of these programs begin after achieving the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC – in total 12 years of school education).
China There are 13 kinds of
statutory bachelor's degrees in China:
Bachelor of Philosophy,
Economics,
Laws,
Education,
Arts, History,
Science,
Engineering,
Agriculture,
Medicine,
Management, Military Science, and
Fine Arts. Since the
undergraduate education system in
China is modeled after its American counterpart, all of the degrees are adapted from those of the United States except for the issuing of the degree certificate. Once a student has fulfilled their course requirements, a "graduate certificate" will be given. In order to get the degree, a student must finish and pass the
dissertation stage; only then will they be awarded a degree certified by the
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Most bachelor's degree in China needs four years to complete, with the exception that the Bachelor of Medicine degree requires five years. Although some colleges (), vocational colleges () and colleges in some universities offer two or three year programs for students, For instance, S.Psi. for '
(literally translated as "Bachelor of Psychology/BPsy, BA"), S.T. for ' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Engineering"), S.Si. for '
(literally translated as "Bachelor of Science"), S.Farm. for ' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Pharmacy"), S.E. for '
(literally translated as "Bachelor of Economy"), S.Kom. for ' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Computer Science"), S.S. for '
(literally translated as "Bachelor of Literature") or S.Sos. for ' (literally translated as "Bachelor of Social Sciences"). In the past, the Indonesian academic system adopted the old European/western degrees, such as the Ir (
insinyur from Dutch ''
) for an engineering degree and the common academic degree (doktorandus
from Dutch and ultimately Latin doctorandus'') for a degree in either social or natural sciences.
Europe Austria The historical situation in Austria was very similar to that in Germany, with the traditional first degrees being the
magister and the
diplom, which are master's-level qualifications. From 2004, bachelor's degrees have been reintroduced as part of the
Bologna Process reforms. These can be studied at universities, leading to a bachelor's degree (BA or BSc) after three or four years, and at
Fachhochschulen (universities of applied science), leading to a
bachelor (FH) after three years.
Belgium Education in Belgium is run by the language communities, with separate higher education systems being administered by the
Flemish Community and the
French Community. Both systems have been reformed to align with the
Bologna Process, the Flemish Community from 2003 and the French Community from 2004. In the Flemish Community, bachelor's degrees may be either academic or professional. These degrees last three years, and may be followed in both cases by an advanced bachelor diploma (; ), lasting one year (cf. the Australian bachelor honours degree). All of these qualifications are at level 6 on the
EQF, to which the Flemish Qualification Framework was referenced in June 2011. In the French Community, universities award
grade de bachelier (3 years) as the equivalent of bachelor's degrees. Outside of universities, professional programs may be
type long (long type) or
type court (short type), both of which are offered at
hautes ecoles and
ecoles supérieures des arts. The long type takes in a
grade de bachelier (type long) (3 years), which is followed by a
master degree (1 or 2 years), while the short type has a
grade de bachelier professionnalisant (type court) (3 years), which may be followed by a
bachelier de spécialisation (1 year). All
bachelier degrees (including the
bachelier de spécialisation) are equivalent to level 6 of the EQF, but have not been formally referenced.
Croatia Most public universities and community colleges in Croatia today offer a three-year bachelor program, which can be followed up typically with a two-year master's (graduate) program. All bachelor's degrees in Croatia are
professional. For distinction, in universities the title is "univ. bacc." (university bachelor) and in community colleges is just "bacc.".
Zagreb School of Economics and Management has a four-year bachelor's program. Academies that specialize in
the arts, e.g. the
Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, have four-year bachelor's programs followed by a one-year master's.
Czechia Historically, the baccalaureus was the undergraduate degree awarded to students who graduated from the course of
trivium (
grammar,
dialectic and
rhetoric) at a faculty of liberal arts (either at the
Charles University or at the
University of Olomouc). It was a necessary prerequisite to continue either with the faculty of liberal arts (
quadrivium leading to a
master's degree and further to a doctoral degree) or to study at one of the other three historical faculties—law, medicine or theology. A bachelor's degree, abbreviated BcA, in the field of fine arts, and Bc (
Bakalář in Czech) in other fields is awarded for accredited undergraduate programs at universities and colleges. The vast majority of undergraduate programmes offered in the Czech Republic have a standard duration of three years. In the Czech tertiary education system, most universities and colleges today offer a three-year bachelor program, which can be followed up typically with a two-year master's (graduate) program. Some specializations, such as doctors of medicine and veterinary doctors, hold exceptions from the general system in that the only option is a six-year master's program with no bachelor stage (graduate with title doctor). This is due mainly to the difficulty of meaningfully splitting up the education for these specialisations.
Denmark The bachelor's degree was re-introduced at universities in Denmark in 1993, after the original degree (baccalaureus) was abandoned in 1775. The bachelor's degree is awarded after three or four years of study at a university and follows a scheme quite similar to the British one. Two bachelor's degrees are given at the university level today: • Bachelor of Science (BSc), awarded to students with main focus on scientific, medical, or technical areas; • Bachelor of Arts (BA), awarded to students whose main focus is on humanistic, theological, or jurisprudence areas. However, both in the business and the academic world in Denmark, the bachelor's degree is still considered to be "the first half" of a master's (
candidatus). It is often not considered a degree in its own right, despite the politicians' best attempts to make it more accepted. The bachelor's degree has also been used since the late 1990s in a number of areas like nursing and teaching. Usually referred to as a "professional bachelor" (Danish:
professionsbachelor), these degrees usually require 3 to years of combined theoretical and practical study at a
"professional university college" (Danish:
professionshøjskole) or "business academy" (Danish: "erhvervsakademier"). These professional bachelor's degrees do grant access to some university master's program. These professional bachelor's degrees are considered to be a full education.
France The traditional bachelor's degree is the equivalent of the French
Licence three-year degree. Since the new European system of 2004
LMD Bologna process was founded, it has become standard to recognize a bachelor's degree over three years with a
licence degree, a
master's degree over five years, and a
doctorate over eight years. Some private institutions are however literally naming their degrees
bachelor. Some of these
bachelor are "
Diplômes visés" (often delivered by specialized private schools, such as business, design, film or journalism schools), others are "
Diplômes certifiés" by the
French State. The others are not accredited by the French State.
Germany Historically, the bachelor's degree, called "
Bakkalaureus", existed in Germany since the late Middle Ages. But it was abolished by the educational reforms undertaken in 1820. The
Abitur degree – the final degree received in school after a specialized 'college phase' of two years – replaced it, and universities only awarded graduate degrees. The
magister degree, a graduate degree, was awarded after five years of study. In 1899, a second graduate degree, the
diplom, was introduced when the
Technische Hochschulen (TH) received university status. With the introduction of the
universities of applied sciences, a shortened version of the latter, referred to as
Diplom (FH) and designed to take three to four years, was phased in between 1969 and 1972. However, in 1998, in order to comply with the European
Bologna process, a new educational law reintroduced the bachelor's degree (first degree after three years of study) in Germany. Today, these degrees can be called either "
Bakkalaureus" or "bachelor" (in accordance with federal law), but the English term is more common. According to the Bologna model, the bachelor is followed by the post-graduate master's degree of another two years. The traditional degrees of diplom and magister were mostly abolished in 2010, although the diplom still persists in a few subjects and universities and has been reintroduced as alternative degree in some places. The traditional degrees have been re-mapped to the new
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) point system to make them comparable to the new bachelor's degree. Traditional and Bologna process degrees are ranked as follows in Germany: • Bachelor: 180, 210, or 240 ECTS points required; • Diplom FH: 240 ECTS; • Diplom Uni or TH: 300 ECTS; • Master: 300 ECTS (including bachelor).
Greece The
Greek bachelor's degree is called πτυχίο (
transliterated to "ptychio"; Greek: πτυχίο; ptychio in
dhimotiki from 1976–present; or defunct ; ptychion in
polytonic,
katharevousa up until 1976). It is earned after four to six years of undergraduate studies, depending on the field, and is a first cycle qualification in the
Bologna Process with 240 or more
ECTS credits. It is placed at level 6 of the
national qualifications framework of Greece which is officially named Hellenic Qualification Framework (HQF), which is referenced to level 6 of the
European Qualifications Framework. It is classified as a level 6 qualification in the
ISCED. The bachelor's degree is provided by all
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including
universities,
specialist HEIs, formerly
technological educational institutes (TEIs) (1983–2019). In 1995, it changed TEI six-semester-mode of undergraduate degree programme of studies legally equivalent to an ordinary bachelor's degree (Ord) (-year; 210 ECTS, 1983–1995) into nine-semester-mode (4-year; 240 ECTS, 1995–2019).
Technical universities and some universities offer a five-year (300 ECTS) undergraduate programme leading to a Δίπλωμα (Greek) Diploma (
integrated-master-level-granting, Master's degree equivalent) at Level 7 of the HQF.
Hungary In the classic, pre-Bologna educational system, Hungarian academic programs were not divided into bachelor's and master's degrees. However, while an average university () degree lasted 5 years, there were undergraduate college () degrees obtainable, in either 3 or 4 years of length. These diplomas are today considered to be equivalents of a BA/BSc (undergraduate college) or an MA/MSc (university) degree. The Bologna System was introduced in 2005, and with the last classes graduating in 2009, it is the sole form of higher education in the country. Bachelor's degrees (, "basic degree") usually last 3 years, but there are degrees in certain areas of education – most notably engineering, economics, and some natural sciences – where an additional semester is required, lengthening the program to 3,5 years. While regular master's degrees (, "master degree") are only obtainable with a pre-existing bachelor's degree, the Hungarian system makes notable exceptions with law degrees, teacher's degrees, medical degrees, and some unique fields of study (i.e. forestry engineering at the
University of Sopron): these degrees are called non-divisional degrees (), and while technically being MA/MSc degrees, they have the same entering criteria as BA/BSc degrees, and have a span of 5 or 6 years.
Italy Italian students graduate from high school at age 19, and the current higher education system includes: • "
laurea triennale" (
three-year degree) or simply "laurea", corresponds to bachelor's degree. The course takes three years to complete and grants access to graduate degrees. • "
laurea magistrale", corresponds to master's degree and takes two years to complete. • "laurea magistrale a ciclo unico", (
one cycle degree) is a title provided by particular faculties like law school and medical school. It takes 5 to 6 year to complete and grants the access to a profession. A bachelor's degree holder has the title of "dottore" (
doctor) A master's degree holder has the title of "dottore magistrale" (
master doctor) In order to graduate, students must earn credits (
ECTS) and write a thesis for which students have to elaborate on an argument under the supervision of a professor (generally from three to eight ECTS). Graduation marks go from 66 to 110. According to each faculty internal ruling, a
lode may be awarded to candidates with a 110/110 mark for recognition of the excellence of the final project.
Netherlands In the Netherlands, the bachelor's degree was introduced in 2002 with the change of the Dutch degree system due to the European
Bologna process. Until that time, the Dutch universities did not have a Bachelor level degree (although the
Candidate's diploma existed until 1982, which was more-or-less of the same level). Prior to the Dutch degree system change a single program at the university comprised the same course load as the bachelor's and master's programs together which led to the
doctorandus degree (or for legal studies to the "Meester in de rechten" and engineering to "
Ingenieur"). In 2002, with the introduction of the
Bachelor's master's doctorate system, the single (4- or 5-year) program at Dutch universities has been changed and split into a 3-year program leading to the bachelor's degree and a subsequent a 1- or 2-year program leading to the
master's degree. Those who had already started the doctorandus program could, upon completing it, opt for the doctorandus degree (before their name, abbreviated to 'drs.'), or simply use the master's degree (behind their name) in accordance with the new standard. Since these graduates do not have a separate bachelor's degree (which is in fact – in retrospect – incorporated into the program), the master's degree is their first academic degree. In 2003/2004, the Dutch degree system was changed because of the Bologna process. Former degrees included: •
baccalaureus (bc. for bachelor, corresponding to a BASc or BAA degree, it may be formally rendered as "B", followed by the specialization field, instead of "bc.") •
doctorandus (prefix abbreviated to drs.; it corresponds to MA or MSc, but it may be formally rendered as M instead of drs.), •
ingenieur (ing.) for graduates of the four-year courses offered by Dutch higher vocational colleges (HBO, that is;
hoger beroepsonderwijs) see:
university of applied science. It is similar to a BASc, BEng, BBE, BAS or BICT (BIT., and it may be formally rendered as B followed by the specialization field, instead of ing. • ir. for those having graduated from technical university after a minimum of five years, corresponding to a MSc, but it may be formally rendered as M, instead of ir.), •
meester in de rechten (mr.; it corresponds to LLM, but it may be formally rendered as M instead of mr.) and •
doctor (dr.; it corresponds to PhD, but it may formally be rendered as D instead of dr.) are still granted along with their international equivalents. While the titles ing., bc., ir., mr., drs. and dr. are used before one's own name, the degrees B, M or D are mentioned after one's name. It is still allowed to use the traditional titles. Whether a bachelor's degree is granted by a
hogeschool or university is highly relevant since these parallel systems of higher education have traditionally served somewhat different purposes, with the vocational colleges mainly concentrating on skills and practical training. A BA or BSc from a university grants "immediate" entry into a master's program. Moreover, this is usually considered a formality to allow students to switch to foreign universities master's programs. Meanwhile, those having completed a HBO from a vocational college, which represented the highest possible level of vocational education available, can only continue to a "master's" on completion of a challenging year of additional study, which in itself can serve as a type of selection process, with the prospective MSc students being required to cover a great deal of ground in a single year. Recently, HBO (vocational) master's degrees have been introduced in the Netherlands. Graduates thereof may use neither the extension "of Arts" (MA) nor "of Science" (MSc). They may use an M followed by the field of specialization (e.g., MDes). This year of study to "convert" from the vocational to academic (WO –
wetenschappelijk onderwijs, literally "scientific education") is also known as a "bridge" or "premasters" year. Despite the use of the terminology "university of applied science" the higher vocational colleges are not considered to be "universities" within the Netherlands. Important aspects of Dutch bachelor's degree courses (and others) relative to some of those offered abroad include: • Duration. While in many countries courses are completed in a given time under normal circumstances, degree courses offered at some (though by no means all) Dutch institutions, including the most prestigious, can only be completed in three years by the best performing students. • Academic year. The Dutch academic year has a formal duration of 42 weeks. In practice students are often expected and required to spend a great deal of the "free" time revising for examinations. This is not always true elsewhere, as in many countries a very long summer break is taken or examinations are before the winter break rather than after. • Learning curve. Some education systems, notably the British one, involve a gentle introduction during the first year. This is generally not the case in the Netherlands, with the difficulty level in the first year serving as a type of "self-selection" with less committed and less able students routinely finding it difficult to keep up. In February 2011, the Dutch State Secretary of Education decided to adhere to the recommendations written in a report by the Veerman Commission. In the near future, the distinction between academic and higher vocational degrees will disappear.
Spain In Spain, due to the ongoing transition to a model compliant with the
Bologna agreement, exact equivalents to the typical
Anglosphere bachelor's degree and master's degree are being implemented progressively. Currently, there is an undergraduate bachelor's degree called "título de grado" or simply "grado" (its duration generally being four years), a postgraduate master's degree called "título de máster" or "máster" (between one and two years), and a doctor's degree called "título de doctor" or "doctorado". The "título de grado" is now the prerequisite to access a master's degree. The "título de máster" is now the prerequisite to access doctoral studies, and its duration and the kind of institutions that can teach these programs are regulated in the framework of the
European Higher Education Area. Spanish university qualifications are now defined by law (currently RD 1509 of 12 September 2008), included the 2008 reform was the replacement of the Catalog of titles by the Registry of Universities, Centers and Titles (RUCT) Up until 2009/2010, the system was split into three categories of degrees. There were the so-called first-cycle degrees: "diplomado" or "ingeniero técnico", with nominal durations varying between three and four years; there were also second-cycle degrees: "licenciado" or "ingeniero" with nominal durations varying between four and six years; and finally the third-cycle degrees: "doctor". The official first-cycle degrees are comparable in terms of duration, scope, and educational outcomes to an Anglo-Saxon bachelor's degree. Meanwhile, the second-cycle degrees are comparable in terms of duration, scope, and educational outcomes to an Anglo-Saxon bachelor's + master's degrees combination if compared with the Anglo-Saxon system. In this traditional system the access to doctoral studies was granted only to the holders of "licenciado", "ingeniero" or "arquitecto" (second-cycle) degrees, and the "master" or "magister" titles were unregulated (so, there coexisted so-called "master" programs with different durations, from some months to two years, backed by universities or centers without any official recognition) and only the reputation of the program/institution could back them. Specialisation now includes about 800 specific recognised study programmes and qualification titles although the former general qualification nomenclature has been retained so that
grade/licencado is approximately BA or BSc while
maestro generally indicates a practice licence similar to MA and
doctorado a PhD published original research thesis.
Note: The
Anglophone Bachelor's degree should not be confused with the official university entrance precursor, the
Spanish Baccalaureate qualification available to
Year Twelve students. That qualification is distinct from the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for young adults with similar aspirations.
United Kingdom The bachelor's degree is the standard undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom, with the most common degrees being the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc). Most bachelor's degree courses (apart from the very rare postgraduate awards, and those in
medicine,
dentistry and
veterinary science) lead to
honours degrees, with ordinary degrees generally only being awarded to those who do not meet the required pass mark for an honours degree. With the exception of the postgraduate bachelor's degrees and bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, UK bachelor's degrees (whether honours or non-honours) are first cycle (end of cycle) qualifications under the
Bologna Process. Postgraduate bachelor's degrees and bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are second cycle (end of cycle) qualifications. Some bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science offer intercalated degrees en route to the final qualification. Bachelor's degrees should not be confused with baccalaureate qualifications, which derive their name from the same root. In the UK, baccalaureate qualifications, e.g.
International Baccalaureate,
Welsh Baccalaureate,
English Baccalaureate, are gained at secondary schools rather than being degree-level qualifications. Until the 19th century, a bachelor's degree represented the first degree in a particular faculty, with Arts representing undergraduate study, thus the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at Oxford and the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Cambridge, for example, were postgraduate degrees. Vestiges of this system still remain in the ancient universities, with Oxford and Cambridge awarding BAs for undergraduate degrees in both arts and sciences (although both award undergraduate BTh degrees through associated
theological colleges, and Oxford awards BFA degrees in addition to the BA) and defining other bachelor's degrees (e.g., BPhil, BCL) as postgraduate awards equivalent to
master's degrees, although many postgraduate bachelor's degrees have now been replaced by equivalent master's degrees (e.g., LLM for the LLB at Cambridge and MSc for the BSc at Oxford). The same historical usage of indicating an undergraduate degree by it being in the faculty of arts rather than being a bachelor's degree gives rise to the
Oxbridge MA and the
Scottish MA). Common bachelor's degrees and abbreviations: •
Bachelor of Arts: BA •
Bachelor of Science: BSc •
Bachelor of Laws: LLB •
Bachelor of Civil Law: BCL •
Bachelor of Engineering: BEng •
Bachelor of Education: BEd •
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery: MBBS, MBBCh, BMBS, BMBCh •
Bachelor of Dental Surgery: BDS
England, Wales and Northern Ireland In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bachelor's degrees usually take three years of study to complete, although courses may take four years where they include a year abroad or a placement year. Degrees may have titles related to their broad subject area or faculty, such as BA or BSc, or may be more subject specific (e.g. BEng or LLB). The majority of bachelor's degrees are now
honours degrees, although this has not always been the case historically. Although first degree courses are usually three years (360
credits), direct second year entry is sometimes possible for students transferring from other courses or those who have completed
foundation degrees, via
accreditation of prior learning or more formal credit transfer arrangements. Some universities compress the three-year course into two years by teaching for a full calendar year (180 credits) rather than a standard academic year (120 credits), thus maintaining the full 360-credit extent of the course. In addition to bachelor's degrees, some institutions offer integrated
master's degrees as first degrees in some subjects (particularly in STEM fields). These integrate teaching at bachelor's and master's level in a four-year (five-year if with industrial experience) course, which often shares the first two years with the equivalent bachelor's course. The normal academic standard for bachelor's degrees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the
honours degree. These are normally
classified into one of four classes of honours, depending upon the marks gained in examinations and other assessments: • First class honours (1st) • Second class honours, divided into: • Upper division, or upper second (2:1) • Lower division, or lower second (2:2) • Third class honours (3rd) Some institutions have announced that they intend to replace this system of classifying honours degrees with an American-style
Grade Point Average. An
ordinary (or
unclassified) degree, which only requires passes worth 300 credits rather than the 360 of the honours degree, may be awarded if a student has completed the full honours degree course but has not obtained sufficient passes to earn a degree. Completion of just the first two years of the course can lead to a
Diploma of Higher Education and completion of only the first year to a
Certificate of Higher Education. On the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, standard undergraduate bachelor's degrees with and without honours are at level 6, although the courses include learning across levels 4 to 6. Honours degrees normally require 360 credits with a minimum of 90 at level 6, while ordinary degrees need 300 credits with a minimum of 60 at level 6. Bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are at level 7, with learning spanning levels 4 to 7, and are not normally credit rated. The Diploma of Higher Education is a level 5 (second year of bachelor's degree) qualification and requires 240 credits, a minimum of 90 at level 5; The Certificate of Higher Education is a level 4 (first year of bachelor's degree) qualification and requires 120 credits, a minimum of 90 at level 4. Other qualifications at level 6 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications or the Regulated Qualifications Framework, such as
graduate diplomas and
certificates, some
BTEC Advanced Professional awards, diplomas and certificates, and the graduateship of the
City & Guilds of London Institute are at the same level as bachelor's degrees, although not necessarily representing the same credit volume.
Scotland At Scottish universities, bachelor's degrees (and the equivalent
Scottish MA awarded by some institutions) are normally
honours degrees, taking four years of study (or five with a year abroad or in industry), but may also be
ordinary degrees (also known as
pass,
general or
designated degrees) requiring three years of study. Honours degrees may be awarded as BA (Hons) or MA (Hons) in the arts and social sciences, or BSc (Hons) for sciences, or have more specific titles such as BEng. As in the rest of the UK, integrated
master's degrees, taking five years in Scotland, are also offered as first degrees alongside bachelor's degrees. An honours degree may be directly linked to professional or vocational qualifications, particularly in fields such as engineering, surveying and architecture. These courses tend to have highly specified curricula, leaving students without many options for broader study. Others, following a more traditional route, start off with a broad range of studies across the faculty that has admitted the student or, via modular study, across the whole university. Students on these courses specialise later in their degree programmes. Honours degrees are subdivided into
classes in the same way as the rest of the UK, depending on the overall grade achieved. These are, from highest to lowest; first class, upper second class (2:1), lower second class (2:2), and third class. Ordinary degrees are awarded to students who have completed three years at university studying a variety of related subjects. These may be taken over a broad range of subjects or (as with honours degrees) with a specialisation in a particular subject (in the latter case, they are sometimes known as
designated degrees). As ordinary degrees in Scotland constitute a distinct course of study, rather than a grade below honours degrees, they can be graded (from lowest to highest) as "pass", "merit" or "distinction". As in the rest of the UK, Certificates and Diplomas of Higher Education may be earned by those completing one and two years of a bachelor's degree course respectively. Bachelor's degrees with honours are at level 10 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and require 480
credits with a minimum of 90 at level 10 and 90 at level 9. Ordinary degrees are at level 9 and require 360 credits with a minimum of 90 at level 9. Both honours degrees and ordinary degrees qualify as first cycle (end of cycle) qualifications in the
Bologna Process. Bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are at level 11 of the SCQF and are second cycle (end of cycle) qualifications in the Bologna Process.
Oceania Australia In Australia, a "bachelor degree" is normally a three to four-year program, leading to a qualification at level 7 of the
Australian Qualifications Framework. Entry to a number of professions, such as law practice and teaching, require a bachelor's degree (a 'professional' degree). Other degrees, such as Bachelor of Arts do not necessarily elicit entry into a profession, though many organisations require a bachelor's degree for employment. A one-year postgraduate
bachelor honours degree can be achieved as a consecutive stand-alone course following a bachelor's degree in the same field, or as an additional year as part of a bachelor's degree program. Both the bachelor and bachelor honours degrees are aligned with level 6 of the
EQF, the same as British and Irish bachelor's degrees with and without honours, and other
Bologna Process first cycle qualifications. Some bachelor's degrees (e.g. engineering and environmental science) include an integrated honours degree as part of a four-year program. Honours is generally for students who want to take up a research track for
postgraduate studies, and increasingly for those who want an extra edge in the job market. Marking scales for Honours differ; generally, First Class Honours (85–100%) denotes an excellent standard of achievement; Second Class Division 1 (75–84%) a high standard; Second Class Division 2 (65–74%) a good standard; Third Class (50–64%) satisfactory standard; a final mark below 50% is a fail of the course. Bachelor honours degrees include a major Independent research component, allowing students to develop skills that will enable them to proceed to further study or to work in research roles in industry. First-class or second-class (upper division) honours are generally required for entry into doctoral programs (e.g. PhDs, etc.); an alternative route to doctoral study is via a "masters degree".
Fiji The colonial link and the establishment of the
University of the South Pacific in 1968 allowed the education system to follow suit from the qualification system of the
Commonwealth.
University of the South Pacific is the only university in the
Oceania region to be internationally recognized outside Australia and New Zealand with its bachelor's and other awards program. It is also the highest ranked in the university ranking in the island region and also ranked above some Australian universities like the
University of Canberra,
University of Sunshine Coast and New Zealand universities like
Lincoln University and
Waikato Institute of Technology.
New Zealand In New Zealand, only recognised institutions – usually universities and polytechnics – have degree-awarding powers. Most bachelor's degrees are three years full-time, but certain degrees, such as the Bachelor of Laws and the Bachelor of Engineering degrees, require four years of study. A bachelor with honours is a program of four years duration (e.g., Bachelor of Arts with Honours). A Bachelor of Medicine degree requires a minimum of six years. Where students opt to study two bachelor's degrees simultaneously – referred to as a "conjoint degree" or "
double degree" – an extra year of study is added. The number of years of study required is determined based on the degree with the greatest number of years. For example, a BCom degree requires three years of full-time study, but a double BCom–LLB degree will require five years of full-time study because the LLB degree is four years long. Exceptional students may choose to complete a degree in a shorter amount of time by taking on extra courses, usually with the help of summer school. Students who complete a double degree program will have two separate bachelor's degrees at the end of their studies. Consistently high-performing students may also be invited to complete the 'honours' program. The bachelor with honours usually requires an extra year of study with an extra honours thesis/dissertation. This degree is considered to fall between the bachelor's and master's levels on the
European Qualifications Framework. An honours award is indicated by the addition of "Hons" to the degree name or abbreviation (for example, "Bachelor of Laws (Hons)"). Some honours degree courses also offer a
postgraduate diploma (PGDip) as an exit qualification, which often consists of the same workload but with added flexibility. A PGDip does not usually require a dissertation. However, the student may complete one if desired. A diploma award is indicated by "PGDip" and the degree field (for example, "PGDipArts" or "PGDipScience". ==Subjects==