Scups accreditation

Just as a side note: Very most (continental) European Ph.D. programs require a Master's degree for entry. This relatively new requirement is one of the more important rearrangements of the so called Bologna Process.

mintaru.

 

It's true that traditional PhD programs routinely admit people with only bachelor's degrees. However, they typically do so on a conditional basis. In other words, there is no guarantee that the admitted BA or BS will actually get to pursue the PhD -- they aren't official PhD candidates at admission.

The admitted BA/BS initially takes 1-2 years of coursework, followed by some sort of qualifying exam. Some students will fail the exam and be deemed unsuited for further study; they have to leave the program, but are typically given an MA or MS degree. Others are allowed to continue on towards the PhD, and only then do they become official PhD candidates. The successful candidates are typically awarded an MA or MS degree at this point as well.

So in a traditional PhD program, you can start working towards the PhD with only a BA/BS degree. However, you won't be an official PhD candidate until you pass the qualifying exams, and at that point you will probably be awarded the MA/MS.