Undergraduate education

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In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. Students of higher degrees are known as postgraduates (or often simply graduates).

Contents 1 Programs 1.1 British system 1.2 Irish system 1.3 Other European systems 1.4 Indian system 1.5 Brazilian system 1.6 South African system 2 See also

[edit] Programs

[edit] British system

In the United Kingdom undergraduate refers to those studying toward a bachelor's degree which usually takes three or four years. The three-year system applies to most arts, humanities and social sciences degrees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whereas engineering and natural sciences degrees usually require four years, with the older three-year degrees being phased out. The four-year system is the standard for all undergraduate degrees in Scotland. The old Scottish masters degree after four years of undergraduate studies is being phased out to avoid confusion with postgraduate masters degrees.

[edit] Irish system

In Ireland the system is similar to that of the United Kingdom, reflecting the shared origins of undergraduate education for both countries.

[edit] Other European systems

In many other, particularly continental European systems, something like an "undergraduate" degree in the American sense does not exist. Unlike in the US, where students engage in general studies during the first years of tertiary education and only specialize in a "major" during the last years of college, European students enroll in a specific course of studies they wish to pursue right from the beginning, as they are expected to have received a sound general education already in the secondary level, in a school such as a gymnasium or lycée. At university, which they can enter at an age as early as 18 or even 17 in many countries, they specialize in a subject field which they pursue in a curriculum of, in most cases, four or five years of studies. The fields available include those which are only taught as graduate degrees in the US, such as law or medicine. After completing the first degree, students can move on to doctoral studies (having sometimes to achieve an intermediate pre-doctoral degree). In many countries, the English distinction between a bachelor's and master's degree is only now being introduced by the Bologna process, meaning that the old first degree would roughly, but not exactly, correspond to a Master degree in the US or the UK. Under the new Bologna reform, central European Universities are introducing the Bachelor level (BA or BS) degree. These new Bachelor's degrees are similar in structure to British Bachelor's degrees.

[edit] Indian system

In India it takes three or four years to complete an "undergraduate" degree. The three year undergraduate programs are mostly in the fields of arts, humanities, science etc, and the four year programs are mostly in the fields of technology, engineering, medicine etc.

[edit] Brazilian system

In Brazil, courses usually take four or five years to complete an "undergraduate" degree. The biggest difference from the Brazilian system is that the students need to choose their majors before they even join the university, by taking a test called "vestibular".

[edit] South African system

The South African system generally has a 3-year undergraduate Bachelor’s degree, with one or two majors. (There are exceptions, such as the medical qualification (MBChB) which is six years.) A fourth year, known as an Honours year, is considered a post-graduate degree. It is usually course-driven, although may include a project or thesis.

[edit] See also

• Undergraduate degree
• Higher education
• Post-secondary education
• Mature student
• Postgraduate education
• Bologna process