Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (B.S., BS, B.Sc. or BSc; less commonly, S.B. or Sc.B. from the Latin Scientiæ Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years (see below).
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International differences
Australia
In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on. A fourth (Honours) year or an MSc is then required to progress on to PhD.
Commonwealth and Ireland
Commonly in the Commonwealth and Ireland graduands are admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science after having completed a programme in one or more of the sciences. These programmes may take different lengths of time to complete.
A Bachelor of Science receives the designation B.Sc. or B.S. for a major/pass degree and B.Sc. (Hons) or B.S. (Hons) for an honours degree. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland an honours degree is typically completed over a three year period, though there are a few intensified two year courses (with less vacation time). In Scotland, where access to university is possible after one less year od scondary education, degree course have a foundation year making the total course length four years. Ireland the former B.Sc. was changed to B.Sc. (Hons.) which is awarded after 4 years. The B.Sc. (Ord.) is awarded after 3 years.
Whether a subject is considered a science or an art can vary between universities. For example, an economics degree may be given as a B.A. by one university but as a B.Sc. by another. Biology, Biochemistry, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General science, Earth science and Computer Science are almost universally considered to be sciences.
Even in cases of near-unilateral consensus across a country as to whether a subject is a science or an art, there are exceptions. The London School of Economics offers B.Sc. degrees in practically all subject areas, even those normally associated with arts degrees, while the Oxbridge universities award arts qualifications almost exclusively. In both instances, this is generally for historical and traditional reasons. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of London in 1860. Prior to this science subjects were included in the B.A. bracket, notably in the cases of mathematics, physics, physiology and botany.[1] Formerly at the University of Oxford, the degree of B.Sc. was a postgraduate degree; this former degree, still actively granted, has since been renamed M.Sc.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, students are admitted to a B.A./B.Sc. degree programme at a college/university, after F.A./F.Sc. F.A./F.Sc. is a 2 year program equivalent to 11th and 12th grade of High School.
Most B.A./B.Sc. degree programs were 2 years in duration. But now HEC has changed the duration of BA/BSc degree to 4 years. However, professional degree programs vary in duration. Engineering programmes (B.Sc. Engineering or B.E.) take at least 4 years to finish. The medical degree, known as M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), requires at least 5 years to complete.
United States
In the United States, a Bachelor's degree in Science is generally a four-year undergraduate degree more typically used in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and the natural sciences. In some cases it is used in professional studies of areas involving law, business, or architecture.
Continental Europe
The B.Sc. in Germany was equivalent to a B.Sc. (Hons.). Many universities in German speaking countries are changing their systems into the BA/MA system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia a Bachelor of Science places the pre-nominal letters Bc. before his name.
Other countries
In Brazil, a Bachelor of Science degree is a graduate degree and is also more specific, usually containing a one-year mandatory probation time by the end of the course followed by relatively elaborate written and oral evaluations.
Typical completion period
Two years
Pakistan See above note.
Three years
Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada (Quebec (In this province, it is preceded by two years in college (CEGEP) following grade twelve-thus it takes a total of five years), Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia (mostly three years, sometimes four), Czech Republic (mostly three years, sometimes four), Denmark, England (three or four years with a one-year placement in industry), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany (mostly three years, but can be up to four years), Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India(three years for B.sc and four years for BS(engineering), Ireland (Ordinary), Israel (for most subjects) Italy, Jamaica (three or four years), Latvia (three or four years), Lebanon (three or four years), Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland (Ordinary), Singapore (honours degree takes 4 years), Slovenia (three, four or five years), Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda(mostly three years, sometimes four),Wales and Zimbabwe.
Four years
Albania, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Australia (honours degree), Bangladesh (three or four years), Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brunei, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada (except Quebec), Cyprus, Egypt (four or five years), Guatemala, Greece (four or five years), Indonesia, Iran (four or five years), Iraq, Ireland (Honours Degree),Israel, Japan, Jordan (four to five years)], Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Libya, Malawi (four or five years), Malta, Macedonia (three, four or five years), Montenegro (three, four or five years), Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand (honours degree), People's Republic of China, the Philippines (four or five years), Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland (Honour Degree), Serbia (three, four or five years), South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Sri Lanka (three, four or five (specialized) years), Haiti (three or four years), Ukraine (four or five years), United States, Yemen, Zambia (four or five years).India {four years(BS (engineering)}
Five years
Cuba (five years), Greece (four or five years), Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Brazil (four or five years), Colombia, Mexico (4.5 years), Chile (usually four years dedicated to coursework plus one year of research thesis), Egypt(four or five years), Haiti (four or five years), Nigeria (four to five years), 6 months dedicated to SIWES (Students Industrial Work Exchange Scheme) but for most sciences and all engineering courses only. A semester for project work/thesis not excluding course work during the bachelor thesis. Excluding 1 year for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), para-military and civil service, Syria, Macedonia and Sierra Leone (four years dedicated to coursework). Sudan (five years, BSc honours degree),(four years, BSc ordinary degree)
See also
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor's degree
- Master of Science
- Bologna process
- British undergraduate degree classification
- British degree abbreviations
- List of tagged degrees
References
- ↑ page xiii of The University of London and the World of Learning, 1836–1986 By Francis Michael Longstreth Thompson Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990 ISBN 978-1-85285-032-6
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