A Bachelor of Science (Bc., B.S., BS, B.Sc. or BSc; less commonly, S.B., SB, 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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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.
Many universities in Europe are changing their systems into the BA/MA system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc. or M.Sc.
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 of secondary education, degree courses have a foundation year (simply known as the First year) making the total course length four years. In 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, Mathematics, 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.
Universities in the Czech Republic are changing their systems into the Bachelor of Science / Master of Science system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc.(Bc.) or M.Sc.(Mgr.).
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia a Bachelor of Science places the pre-nominal letters Bc. before his name[2].
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 United States, a bachelor's 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, engineering, medicine, business, hospitality, or architecture.[3]
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.
Pakistan See above note.
Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada (Quebec (In this province, it is preceded by two years in college (CEGEP) following grade eleven-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 (Start to change to 4-years in 2012), Hungary, Iceland, India (three years for B.Sc. and four years for BE (engineering), Ireland (Ordinary), Israel (for most subjects), Italy, Jamaica (three or four years), Latvia (three or four years), Lebanon (three or four years, five years for Bachelor of Engineering), Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland (Ordinary), Singapore (honours degree takes 4 years), Slovakia, South Africa (honours degree takes 4 years), Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda (mostly three years, sometimes four), United Arab Emirates, Wales and Zimbabwe.
Armenia (four or five years), Albania (four or five years), Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (four or five years), Australia (honours degree), Bangladesh (three or four years), Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brunei, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada (except Quebec), Cyprus, Egypt (four or five years), Finland (engineering, practice in industry not included), Georgia, Guatemala, Greece (four or five years), India (four years (BS (engineering)), Indonesia, Iran (four or five years), Iran, 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 Pakistan (four or five years) , the Philippines (four or five years), Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland (Honours Degree), Serbia (three, four or five years), Slovenia (four or five years), South Africa (fourth year is elective - to obtain an Honours degree, which is normally a requirement for selection into a Masters degree programme), Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Korea Republic, 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), Sri Lanka (four or five years, medicine, management, engineering).
Cuba (five years), Greece (four or five years), Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (five years), 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). Slovenia (four or five years), Sudan (five years for BSc honours degree and four years for BSc ordinary degree).
Algeria, where the student presents a thesis in front of a Jury at the end of the fifth year. The Jury is usually composed by four or five Doctors and Professors who will ask different questions.
Family and friends are invited to attend the "soutenance", which is open for other students interested in the subject of the thesis. The Jury will then decide whether or not the student gets his diploma of Ingénieur (Engineer), and with which honours. (Excellent, Good, etc...)
Algeria is switching to a new system, though. From I.M.D (Ingénieur, Magister, Docteur) to L.M.D (Licence, Master, Docteur).
To get a Dr title in the old system, a student has to study a mimimum of 11 years in the University, whereas he can get his Dr title in 7 years in the new system. (Numbers are in a best case scenario, where the student doesn't "fail" any year and every administrative formality goes smoothly.)
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