Is there any "Honor" system in US Degree?

In UK's system, the Degree always bear a Honor, ie: BA(Hons)/BSc(Hons)/BEng(Hons).

I just want to know, is there any "Honor" system in US Degree?

Many admission requirment in UK's Master Degree require a good "Honor Degree". Are those degrees in US without "Honor" eligible to apply those Master Degree? Any experience in this?

Thanks.

 

No. In the U.S., there is only one level of bachelor's degree. Students may graduate with honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude), but that just signifies academic excellence. The degree is the same.

 

Interesting!!

Then, where is the "Honor" located? In the title, in the transcript or in the Bachelor Degree Certificate?

Is there any "Honor" in the DL Degree? Will any Bachelor Degree without "Honor"?

Thanks!!!

 

There is not any honor level of degree in the USA.

 

What about "cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude"? What are they? Do you mean "Honor" is another level?

 

There are non-honor degrees in the UK -- my daughter is taking one.

 

Elsewhere on the board,
us degree holder have wondered about the Uk honors degree system and how the US system would comport with it.

Grade Point Average (GPA) is the closest denominator. A US degree with 3.8 or higher would approximate a First Class Honours UK degree, and 3.5 to 3.7 with Second Class Honors; and so on.

(Of course, this assumes a Charter Oak State College US degree is the same as a Yale University degree - which it is not. But among imperfect equations, this is about as close as we can come.

Try a "search" of the board if you want more details; I hope my memory is not wrong on the above score!

Good luck, Muji.

--Orson

 

I got this through a google search:

First Class Honours: A (4.0)

Second Class Honours, Upper (1st) Division (also known as a 2.1 honurs degree): B+/A- (3.3-3.7)

Second Class Honours, Lower (2nd) Division (also known as a 2.2 honours degree): B (3.0)

Pass C: (2.0)




The grade points are based what the university that I am attending in the US. I am thinking of applying to a DL MSc program in the UK and want to know if this is accurate. What do you guys think???

 

Re: I got this through a google search:

You mean those University in UK or elsewhere will consider the GPA if their degrees are come from US and without an Honor?

 

Degree classification system

It is very confused when we look at the degree classification systems around the world.

In the US, there is no honor classification for its four-year degree, the same as that of the Canadian counterpart (?).

In Australia, three-year degree is an ordinary degree, one more year full-time (or equivalent) studies leads to honor degree (for those want to study research degrees, e.g PhD).

In South Africa, three-year degree is an ordinary degree, one more year full-time (or equivelant) studies leads to honor degree (even though the SA education system is in the UK model).

In China, four-year degree is just a degree.

In Hong Kong (similar to the UK), the academic result determines the honor classification. However, ordinary degree will be granted for those with marginal result. There is an exception, The Open University of Hong Kong grants ordinary degree for those with 120 credits and honor degree for those with 160 credits.

How about German and French degrees?

It seems that the admission office needs a conversion table of the world's degree classification to help them understand it.

 

Re: Degree classification system

The Warwick internal graduate admissions manual has an extensive section on this. It's quite blunt -- e.g. classifying undergraduate degrees from certain countries as being equivalent to high school level. Unfortunately, I never made a copy of the manual and the version that was accessible on the internet has now been hidden from public view.

 

Re: Re: I got this through a google search:

That's been my experience of graduate admissions de facto policies at all UK and Oz universities to which I applied during research for "Accelerated Master Degrees by Distance Learning". The going rate of exchange varies quite widely, but often the minimum threshold for entry into a UK master's will be set at whatever the customary threshold is in the US - i.e. GPA of 3.0 = a 2:2, or even 2:1; 3.5 = 2:1 more often. Some set different standards - 3.3 minimum and up, but they seemed to me to be outliers. At the extreme, if memory serves, some UK universities require that graduates of American schools complete a preparatory year, before entering the master’s proper.

With respect to a "First", the issue only came up once (only had relevance once - on all other occasions the equivalent of a 2:1 proved adequate), where a summa cum laude - >= 3.90 GPA was deemed on a par with the top honors degree.



Is it in any way meaningful or fair to compare or equate US honors awarded for superior performance at or about UK pass degree level, with the British and Commonwealth honours degrees awarded as evidence of academic achievement at least one further year beyond that?

No, but it’s a great deal for US-degreed graduates, and with respect to UK and Commonwealth institutions flogging online and other DL graduate degrees to the colonies, it is a (marketing) necessity.




Rough US v UK equivalencies in terms of required level of academic attainment :-

. US high school diploma ~ the old UK O-level

. US associates degree with major / 2 years community college ~ A-level or OND/HNC (the old A-level – not the current limp-wristed namby-pamby “A-level equivalents”)

. US bachelor degree ~ UK pass degree or HND (the original HND - in Electrical Engineering or Applied Mathematics, etc. – not the current lot - Needle Point and Basket Weaving, et al)

. US master degree ~ UK honors degree 2:2 and up

 

I thought this was interesting.

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business

International Degree Equivalents
Students are required to have the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Minimum degree equivalents for some countries are listed below. These are general guidelines. Requirements may vary between universities within a country.

Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Four-year bachelor's degree or a master's degree following a three-year bachelor's degree. One year of a two-year master's program is not sufficient; students must have completed the master's program.

British-patterned Education Systems (including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom)
Honors bachelor's degree.

Canada
Three-year bachelor's degree in Quebec. Four-year bachelor's degree from all other provinces.

French-patterned Education Systems
A maitrise or other degrees representing completion of at least four years of university level study or completion of the second cycle.

Germany
Completion of intermediate examinations (Vordiplom/Zwischenpruefung) with two additional semesters of study in Haupstudium (main studies). Graduates of Fachhochschulen are not eligible.

Greece
Ptychion.

India
Three-year bachelor's degree plus a one-year post-graduate diploma from an AIU or an AICTE approved instituion.

Indonesia
Sarjana strata 1.

Italy
Laurea.

Mexico, Spain, Central and South America
Completion of all courses and thesis or professional exams required for the titulo or degree of licenciatura or bacharel.

The Netherlands
Doctorandus, ingenieur or meester. Higher technical schools (HTS) diplomas are not eligible for admission, but may be considered for transfer credit.

Russia
Four-year first degree or a two-year magistr following a three-year bakalvar.


http://www.bus.wisc.edu/graduateprograms/fulltime/prospective/admissions/international.asp

 

Re: Re: Re: I got this through a google search:

Then, is a DL US Bachelor Degree enough for an further study in UK?? (I mean study an Master Degree in UK....)

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: I got this through a google search:

The answer is yes, absolutely. I've been admitted to every graduate program to which I have applied, (both here (US) and abroad, to include the UK), on the basis of US bachelor degrees earned by examination.

See also Peter Glaeser's story at:

http://bain4weeks.com/peterglaeser.html

.

 

In answer to Muji - yes.

In answer to all: thanks for a lively and interesting thread! It's a subject worth revisiting from time-to-time.

--Orson

 

Yes, That's interesting!

Please forgive me if I am under a bias toward the Educational System in US and that in Hong Kong.

I think the education system in UK/HK is admirable because a 3 years study can earn a Honor Degree (which is equals to a 4 years degree in most countries). It is also an advantage for further study too! Of course, It is not comparable to the DL Degree stated in BAin4Weeks !

Haha.... I really want a BA in 4 weeks, however, in Hong Kong, there is no CLEP and DANTES examination centre so that I cannot complete those examiniations and complete the BA/BS stated in BAin4Weeks ... So poor....

 

Re: Degree classification system

Not a correct assumption. In Canada there are both 4-year Honours (or Honors, if you prefer) and 4-year non-Honours degrees. Additionally, there are 3-year Pass degrees. Some 4-year degrees that are not specified as Honours are equivalent to Honours. The main difference between Honours degrees and non-Honours degrees is the amount of major-specific coursework in them. Also, the Honours program will require the student to maintain a higher GPA, and complete a thesis or dissertation.

As far as academic excellence goes, Canada does not use the Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude system. Instead, "with Distinction" and "with Great Distinction" would be used.

 

Re: Re: Degree classification system

That's why I said the system in Hong Kong is good. All 3 year degree in Hong Kong is a Honor Degree except one's GPA is extreme low. (Actually, the majority is 2nd class division II Honor)

Casing:
My friend said that Honor Degree in Canada need "Strict A" in all course, is that right? or it just the case in some program?

 

Re: Re: Re: Degree classification system

Each faculty outlines its own requirements that must be met. For Honours programs, they will almost always outline a minimum GPA, but I have never heard of one that requires all 'A' grades. Doesn't mean they don't exist, just that I haven't come across one. Requiring a 'B' average is quite common, but it can range anywhere from a 'C+' upwards. Also, they might stipulate that you cannot get any marks lower than, say, a 'B' on major-specific courses. The faculty might make the minimum GPA requirements based upon grades achieved only in major-specific courses.

Often, a driving force behind how high of a GPA is required is how popular the program is. Faculties in different schools will have different rules, but assumptions can typically be made about generally accepted qualifiers for Honours programs.

If you are really interested, just take a look at the academic calendars for a few Universities. You can likely find all of them online. Here is a list of Colleges and Universities in Canada.