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. In the United States, students of higher degrees are known as graduates.
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[edit] Programs
[edit] British system
In the United Kingdom undergraduate refers to those who studied toward a bachelor's degree (which usually takes three years or four in Scotland) or the first two years of an "extended and enhanced"[1] course leading directly to a master's degree (which usually takes four years or five in Scotland). The three-year bachelor system applies to most arts, humanities and social sciences degrees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whereas many engineering and natural sciences students take master's degrees which require four years or five in Scotland, with the older three-year bachelor degrees decreasing in popularity.It should be noted that the extended master's degree programs cover both bachelor's level and postgraduate level education. Hence someone with an "extended and enhanced" Master's degree does not receive a Bachelor's degree they simply continue studying past Bachelor's degree level and on to postgraduate level (despite a graduation ceremony not technically having taken place).
The discrepancy in length between Scotland and the rest of Britain is due to Scottish secondary education ending at the age of 17 as compared to 18 in the rest of the UK
It should be noted that the historic Scottish MA which is equivalent to a BA at other institutions and has now been phased out except at 6 institutions. This is to avoid confusion with other Master's degrees that are obviously at Master's degree level (MA from other universities, MPhil, MRes, MBA, MSc, MEng, MSci, MMath, MComp etc)
See undergraduate degree
Degree programs in England,Wales and Northern Ireland are shorter than those in North America due to the more specialised nature of A-levels (conceived to be preparatory for university entrance,academic,deep in nature and based on academic attainment as determined by national exam boards rather than on credit) as compared to the more general High School Diploma in North America,(designed for all students regardless of their career plans,a mix of the academic and vocational,broad in nature and based on credit).
A-levels are equivalent to a high school diploma plus Advanced Placement Program while a high school diploma by itself is equivalent to GCSEs.[2]
[edit] Irish system
In Eire's Higher Education system the system is similar to that of the United Kingdom, reflecting the shared origins of undergraduate education for both countries.The bachelor degree typically lasts for four years as in Scotland.
[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.
If there is a separate undergraduate degree, higher degrees (Master, Licentiate, Doctor) can be gained after completing the undergraduate degree. In the traditional German system, there were no undergraduate degrees in some fields, such as engineering: students continued to Master's level education without any administrative breakpoint, and employers would not consider half-finished Master's degrees. In many countries, the English distinction between a bachelor's and master's degree is only now being introduced by the Bologna process. Under the new Bologna reform, universities in Central Europe are introducing the Bachelor level (BA or BS) degree, often by dividing a 5-year Master-level program into two parts (3-year Bachelor's + 2-year Master's), where students are not obligated to continue with the second Master's-degree part. These new Bachelor's degrees are similar in structure to British Bachelor's degrees.
In the traditional German system, there is a vocational degree (Fachhochschule degree) that is similar in length, and is also considered an academic degree, though it is designed as a specialist degree, in contrast to the more generalist university Master's degree. Germany itself, however, is currently abolishing the legal distinction between Fachhochschule and university.
[edit] Indian system
In India it takes three or four years to complete a "graduate" 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, undergraduate degrees may be either bachelor's degrees, which usually take 4 or, in the case of law, 5 years to complete, or professional diplomas, which normally require 5 or, in the case of medicine, 6 years to complete. Bachelor's degrees are awarded in most fields of study in the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. Professional diplomas on the other hand are awarded in state-regulated professions such as architecture, engineering, psychology, pharmacy, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, and medicine properly. One of the main differences from the American system is that students must choose their majors before joining the university, when taking the competitive entrance exam known as Vestibular.
[edit] South African system
The South African system usually 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] Nigerian system
In Nigeria, an undergradute degree (excluding Medicine, Engineering, Law and Architecture) are four-year based courses. Medicine (MBBS)and Architecture normally take 6 years to complete studies while Law and Engineering courses take five years to complete studies.
[edit] See also
