The different types of undergraduate courses in the UK

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CONTENTS

What's an undergraduate degree?
Bachelor's degree
Joint/dual honours degree
Major/minor degree
Combined honours degree
Integrated master's degree
Accelerated degrees
Degrees with placement years
Foundation degrees
Degrees with a foundation year
HNC/HND

What's an undergraduate degree?

In a nutshell, an undergraduate degree is an academic qualification you'll earn by studying your first higher education degree course, most commonly a bachelor's.

When starting your uni research, you'll notice universities offer a number of different undergraduate courses – from BA to BEng, combined honours to sandwich courses. But what are they all about, and which one will you end up studying?

Here's a brief guide to some of the most popular undergraduate degrees in the UK.

Bachelor's degree

You may have already looked at a few undergraduate courses online and stumbled upon letters such as BA and BSc and been confused by what they mean.

Let's break them down:

BA: Bachelor of Arts (subjects like history, marketing, drama)
BSc: Bachelor of Science (subjects like maths, biology, psychology)
BEd: Bachelor of Education (education and teacher training subjects)
BEng: Bachelor of Engineering (engineering courses)

You may have also seen the word 'Hons' after the BA, BSc, etc. Simply put, it comes down to the type of mark you get at the end of your degree. If you get a third class grade or above (usually an overall mark of over 40%), you'll receive an honours degree, e.g. a BA (Hons), or BSc (Hons).

Anything below the pass mark (40% or under) and you get an ordinary degree – so just a BA or BSc.

Joint/dual honours degree

You may love studying two of your A-level subjects so much that you’re struggling to decide which one to study at university. Well, you don’t actually have to pick just one as most unis offer joint/dual honours degrees.

In a joint honours degree, two subjects are studied concurrently within the timeframe of one degree, so you’ll do 50:50 of each subject. A degree is joint honours if it includes 'and' within it, e.g. 'BA Business and German'.

Major/minor degree

However, if the degree is worded 'BA Business with German', it means you’ll spend more time studying for one subject than the other. This may be in a ratio of 60:40 or 66.6:33.3. These specific courses are often referred to as major/minor degrees rather than joint honours.

Combined honours degree

Combined honours degrees (triple honours) let you study two or more different subjects as part of one degree. Only recommended if you're able to deal with the extra workload and really love the subjects.

Integrated master's degree

These courses tend to have higher entry requirements, as they allow for automatic progress to postgraduate study provided you continue to receive suitable grades. These courses often take four years, but some may take longer, for example if you add a year abroad or a year of work experience. On a four-year version of one of these courses, you would spend the first three years studying the normal bachelor's level content, and your fourth year would be postgraduate level study. Upon successful completion of an integrated master's degree, you'll graduate with a masters level degree.

Accelerated degrees

In a rush? With a two-year degree you can complete a full bachelor's degree in two years instead of the standard three. An accelerated degree will mean you have to complete uni work during the summer when most students are on summer holidays, but you'll get your degree and get into the world of work that bit faster. Fees usually work differently with these degrees, so you'll pay more tuition fee each year to account for the extra teaching you receive, but with only two years of tuition fees and two years of funding your living while you study, these can often be a smart financial choice.

Learn more about two year degrees.

Degrees with placement years

Also known as sandwich courses, these often last four years with one year spent either studying abroad or working in an industrial placement.

Placement/sandwich degrees with a study abroad option are highly recommended for those studying a language, as you’ll be able to use what you’ve learned in a real setting. However, many other courses come with placement options too.

With placement/sandwich degrees, the year away comes in the third year of study. Make sure to double-check your chosen university as this can vary depending on the subject and where you want to study.

Foundation degrees

Foundation degrees usually last for two years, and upon completion you'll receive a FdA or FdSc. Foundation degrees are equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree, so the foundation degree is worth 2/3 of a bachelor's degree. After completing your FdA or FdSc, many universities offer the opportunity to study a 'top-up year', which you can apply for at any time after completing your foundation degree. Successful completion of the top-up year would upgrade your qualification to a BA or BSc.

Degrees with a foundation year

These can be confusing – what's the difference between a foundation degree or a degree with a foundation year? Well, a degree with a foundation year is very different to the foundation degree we just covered. On a degree with a foundation year, you'll complete a year of study before you start the standard bachelor's level study. These courses allow students with lower grades to go to university and build their understanding of the subject they wish to study in the foundation year (also called Year 0). If you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll be able to move on to the first year of the regular bachelor's degree. As these courses add a year onto the start of your degree, they typically take four years to complete, though this can be extended if you also add a year in industry or year abroad.

HNC/HND

The HNC (Higher National Certificate) is a qualification that typically takes one year to complete and is equivalent to the first year of a bachelor's degree. A HND (Higher National Diploma) is normally a two-year qualification and is equivalent to the first two years of bachelor's level study. These courses are usually practically-based, and aim to prepare you to go straight into the world of work.