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{{Short description|Variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{distinguish|Honorary degree|Latin honors}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}

'''Honours degree''' has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the [[Undergraduate education|undergraduate]] [[bachelor's degree]] containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or both, rather than an "ordinary", "general" or "pass" bachelor's degree. Honours degrees are sometimes indicated by "'''Hons'''" after the degree abbreviation, with various punctuation according to local custom, e.g. "BA (Hons)", "B.A., Hons", etc. In Canada, honours degrees may be indicated with an "H" preceding the degree abbreviation, e.g. "HBA" for Honours Bachelor of Arts<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-27|title=Undergraduate Programs: Bachelor of Arts degree|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/programs/bachelor-of-arts|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-12|website=[[University of Waterloo]]|language=en|quote=What is the abbreviation for an honours Bachelor of Arts? The common abbreviations are BA or HBA.}}</ref> or Honours Business Administration.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Ivey HBA Program Brochure|url=https://online.flippingbook.com/view/439134/?sharedOn=|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-12|website=|publisher=[[Ivey Business School]] at the [[University of Western Ontario]]}}</ref>

Examples of honours degree include the ''honors bachelor's degree'' in the [[United States]];<ref name=US>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/bachelor.doc|title=Structure of the U.S. Education System: Bachelor's Degrees|publisher=[[U.S. Department of Education]]|access-date=14 July 2016|date=February 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823135936/http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/bachelor.doc|archive-date=23 August 2016}}</ref> the ''bachelor's degree with honours'' in the [[United Kingdom]],<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|title=The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|date=November 2014|page=17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013061809/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|archive-date=2016-10-13|access-date=2016-07-14}}</ref> [[Bangladesh]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=IUB at a glance {{!}} Independent University, Bangladesh|url=http://www.iub.edu.bd/AboutIUB/glance|access-date=2021-07-17|website=www.iub.edu.bd}}</ref> [[Hong Kong]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/wcsprd/Satellite?c=C_ETPU&cid=1385184758919&d=Touch&lang=eng&pagename=OUHK%2FtcGenericPage2010&status=1|title=Bachelor's Degree with Honours|publisher=[[Open University of Hong Kong]]|access-date=23 August 2018}}</ref> and [[India]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Bangalore-University-rolls-out-honours-scheme-for-UG-course/articleshow/34399225.cms|work=[[Times of India]]|title=Bangalore University rolls out honours scheme for UG course|date=30 April 2014|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212040050/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Bangalore-University-rolls-out-honours-scheme-for-UG-course/articleshow/34399225.cms|archive-date=12 February 2017}}</ref> the ''honours bachelor's degree'' in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfq-qqi.com|title=National Framework of Qualifications|publisher=Quality and Qualifications Ireland|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328024601/http://www.nfq-qqi.com/|archive-date=28 March 2017}}</ref> the ''bachelor with honours'' and ''bachelor honours degree'' in [[New Zealand]]; the ''bachelor with honours'' and ''honours bachelor's degree'' in [[Canada]];<ref name=Canada>{{cite web|url=http://futurestudents.yorku.ca/thinking/def-bachelor|title=Bachelors Degree|publisher=[[York University]]|access-date=15 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621115648/http://futurestudents.yorku.ca/thinking/def-bachelor|archive-date=21 June 2016}}</ref> and the ''bachelor honours degree'' in [[Australia]].<ref name=Australia>{{cite web|url=https://www.aqf.edu.au/sites/aqf/files/bachelor-honours-degree-explanation.pdf|title=Bachelor Honours Degree: An Explanation|publisher=Australian Qualifications Framework Council|date=November 2012|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218210550/https://www.aqf.edu.au/sites/aqf/files/bachelor-honours-degree-explanation.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2018}}</ref> In [[South Africa]] the ''bachelor honours degree'' is a postgraduate degree that follows on from the completion of a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saqa.org.za/docs/pol/2007/not0928.pdf|page=25|title=The Higher Education Qualifications Framework|publisher=[[South African Qualifications Authority]]|access-date=15 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706034947/http://www.saqa.org.za/docs/pol/2007/not0928.pdf|archive-date=6 July 2016}}</ref> The undergraduate [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|master of arts]] degree awarded by the [[ancient universities of Scotland]] in place of the bachelor of arts may be awarded as an honours or non-honours degree; these are at the same level as equivalent bachelor's degrees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/choosingyourdegree/artssciencesocialsciences/arts/ |title=Studying for a degree in Arts |access-date=2015-02-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219140537/http://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/choosingyourdegree/artssciencesocialsciences/arts/ |archive-date=2015-02-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|title=The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|date=November 2014|page=29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013061809/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|archive-date=2016-10-13|access-date=2016-07-14}}</ref> At master's level, the integrated master's degrees in British universities, which students enter at the same level as bachelor's degrees, are also honours degrees.<ref name=durfaq>{{cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/faculty.handbook/faqs/?faqno=548|work=Faculty Handbook|title=Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=Durham University|at=What do I need to pass to get a degree?|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916201158/https://www.dur.ac.uk/faculty.handbook/faqs/?faqno=548|archive-date=16 September 2016}}</ref>

Many [[university|universities]] and [[college]]s offer both honours and non-honours bachelor's degrees. In most countries where honours degrees are granted, they imply a higher level of achievement than a non-honours degree.
In some countries (e.g. Australia), an honours degree may also involve a longer period of study than a non-honours degree.<ref name=Australia/> Students who complete all the requirements for a non-honours bachelor's degree but do not receive sufficient merit to be awarded an honours degree would normally be awarded a non-honours degree (sometimes known as a "pass", "general" or "ordinary" degree), although students who do not complete the requirements for an integrated master's honours degree may receive a bachelor's honours degree.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/credit-framework/creditinfoannex5.html|title=Alternative Exit Awards|publisher=[[University of Kent]]|access-date=20 February 2019}}</ref> In [[England]], [[Northern Ireland]] and [[Wales]], almost all bachelor's degrees are awarded as honours degrees; in contrast, honours degrees are rarely awarded in the United States.

The current [[British undergraduate degree classification]] system, with its division into first, upper and lower second, and third class honours, was developed in 1918 to distinguish between students on the basis of their academic achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/oct/14/administration.highereducation |title=Tear up the class system |date=14 October 2003 |access-date=2013-12-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000647/http://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/oct/14/administration.highereducation |archive-date=2013-12-31 }}</ref> The concept of an "honours" degree goes back much further than this, however, as there were examinations for honours in the original regulations of the [[University of London]] in 1839,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UZxeAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA9|page=9|title=Regulations of the University of London on the subject of the examinations for degrees in Arts|date=March 1839}}</ref> and [[Nevil Maskelyne]] being recorded as taking a bachelor's degree with honours at Cambridge in 1754.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yI4MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA224 |chapter=Maskelyne |title= The Gallery of Portraits with Memoirs |volume=VI |date=1836 |publisher= [[Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge]] |page=20 |author= Arthur Thomas Malkin}}</ref> Other countries influenced by this system include Australia, Brunei, Canada, New Zealand, Malta, Singapore, South Africa and Hong Kong.

==Australia==
The consecutive [[Australia]]n with-honours degree is usually a one to two-year research program, after the completion of a [[bachelor's degree]] in the same field. It can also be started as a concurrent program in the fourth year of a four-year bachelor's degree. It is generally considered a postgraduate year because a bachelor's degree can be completed without it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/CareerPlanningandResources/PostgraduateStudy/ |title=Postgraduate Study |access-date=2015-04-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414000513/http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/CareerPlanningandResources/PostgraduateStudy/ |archive-date=2015-04-14 }}</ref> Entry to an honours degree generally requires proven abilities and a distinction (75% or greater average) in the relevant area or the final-year units, and even then is quite competitive.

In the regular (standalone) honours, the student will complete selected courses within a supervised program of research (field, laboratory, or secondary), and produce a long, high-quality research [[thesis]]. This is usually accompanied by a seminar or presentation of the findings to an academic board for marking. In the case of a quality thesis being produced, its findings may be published in a peer-reviewed [[academic journal]] or similar publication. Students receiving high marks in their honours program have the option of continuing to candidature of a doctoral program, such as [[Doctor of Philosophy]], without having to complete a master's degree.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rmit.edu.au/graduateresearch/pathwaystophd |title=Pathways to PhD for Honours, Final year and Masters Coursework students |publisher=RMIT University |access-date=2013-12-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233424/http://www.rmit.edu.au/graduateresearch/pathwaystophd |archive-date=2013-12-30 }}</ref> Honours can be awarded at up to five levels, depending on the awarding institution, and may be indicated in [[Post-nominal letters|post-nominals]] in general as "(Hons)":
* Honours, Class 1, with a University Medal, sometimes indicated in post-nominals as (Hons IM), (Hons 1M), or (H1M)
* Honours, Class 1, sometimes indicated in post-nominals as (Hons I), (Hons 1), or (H1)
* Honours, Class 2, Division 1, sometimes indicated in post-nominals as (Hons II), (Hons II(1)), (Hons 2(1)), or (H21)
* Honours, Class 2, Division 2, sometimes indicated in post-nominals as (Hons II), (Hons II(2)), (Hons 2(2)), or (H22)
* Honours, Class 3, sometimes indicated in post-nominals as (Hons III), (Hons 3), or (H3)

At the master's level, Monash University has a ''Master of Business with Honours'' program in which students can be awarded an honours classification upon completion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monash.edu.au/study/coursefinder/course/4416/?courseview=domestic |title=Master of Business (Honours) for 2014 |publisher=Monash |access-date=2013-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230235016/http://www.monash.edu.au/study/coursefinder/course/4416/?courseview=domestic |archive-date=2013-12-30 }}</ref>

==Canada==
In Canada there are two type of honours degree. Some universities, especially in [[Ontario]], award honours after four years of undergraduate study, instead of the three years of a 'general' bachelor's degree. The degree Examples include [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/think-and-apply/degrees-at-a-glance|title=Degrees at a glance|publisher=Queen's University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref> and [[York University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://futurestudents.yorku.ca/thinking/def-bachelor|title= Bachelors Degree: What is a Bachelor's degree? What is an Honours Bachelor's degree?|publisher=York University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref> In those universities, honours students may undertake an honours thesis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psyc.info.yorku.ca/undergraduate-program/degree-requirements-by-program/honours-babsc/ |title=Honours BA/BSc|publisher=York University|website=Department of Psychology|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.queensu.ca/politics/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.polswww/files/files/POLS590%20Honours%20Thesis.pdf|title= Honours Thesis – Questions and Answers |publisher= Queen's University Department of Political Science}}</ref>

Some other universities, such as [[McGill University]], [[University of Ottawa]], [[University of Western Ontario]], [[University of British Columbia]], [[Concordia University]] and [[Dalhousie University]], require students to undertake an honours project in order to graduate ''with'' honours ([[New Latin|Latin]] ''cum honore'', [[French language|French]] ''spécialisé''). In those universities, honours programmes also require a higher degree of specialization than non-honours '[[major (academic)|major]]' degrees, including a supervised research project or thesis, and students are required to maintain a high academic standard.<ref name=Mcgill>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/science/prospective/type|title= Program types: Major, Honours, Liberal|publisher= Mcgill University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://med.uottawa.ca/translational-molecular/education/curriculum|title= Curriculum - COMPULSORY COURSES for students in the BSc with Honours |publisher=University of Ottawa|access-date=19 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/Archive/2017/2017/pg83.html|title= The degree structure| publisher=Western University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://politics.ubc.ca/undergraduate/degree-requirements/ |title= Degree Requirements |publisher=UBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concordia.ca/academics/undergraduate.html|title= Undergraduate programs|at=Legend: Degree abbreviations and definitions|publisher=Concordia University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/programs/AcademicPrograms/DegreeOptions.html|title=Undergraduate degree options|publisher=Dalhousie University|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref>

Thesis-based honours degrees prepare students for research-based postgraduate study, and may sometimes allow direct entry into doctoral programs.<ref name=Mcgill/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.universityguideonline.org/en/InternationalPathways/degree-options-in-canada|title=Degree Options in Canada|publisher=[[Berlitz Corporation|Berlitz]]|work=University Guide Online|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126064600/https://www.universityguideonline.org/en/InternationalPathways/degree-options-in-canada|archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref> A four-year bachelor's degree is required for entry to most postgraduate courses in Canada.<ref>[https://www.dal.ca/faculty/gradstudies/graduate-programs-admissions/admission_requirements.html ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS] ''Dalhousie University''</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/english/undergrad/handbook/honours/faq|title= Honours Program: Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=Mcgill University|access-date=26 February 2016}}</ref>
==England, Wales and Northern Ireland==
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bachelor's degrees are normally awarded "with honours" after three years of study.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|title=The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|date=November 2014|page=15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013061809/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|archive-date=2016-10-13|access-date=2016-07-14}}</ref> The bachelor's degree with honours meets the requirements for a higher education qualification at level 6 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in full,<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|title=The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|date=November 2014|page=25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013061809/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.V4JIDegXZSA|archive-date=2016-10-13|access-date=2016-07-14}}</ref> and is a first-cycle, end-of-cycle award on the [[QF-EHEA|Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area]] established by the [[Bologna process]].
Students can be awarded an "ordinary" degree if they achieve the required learning outcomes over a smaller volume of studies than is required for an honours degree, e.g. only passing 300 credits rather than the 360 usually required for an honours degree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/about-us/glossary?Category=M-O#239|title=Glossary|at=Ordinary degree|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812042600/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/about-us/glossary?Category=M-O#239|archive-date=12 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/faculty.handbook/studentsurvivalguide/2015_Level_1-3_Progression.pdf|work=Faculty Handbook|title=Flowchart of Progression Regulations for Bachelors Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates|publisher=Durham University|at=How does the Ordinary degree work?|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> In addition to bachelor's degrees, four-year [[Master's degree in Europe#Integrated Master's degrees|integrated master's]] degrees, which combine study at the bachelor's and master's levels, are also awarded with honours.<ref name=durfaq/>

The [[University of Oxford]] does not award honours with its standard [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] degree, but considers students who gain a third class degree or better to have "achieved honours status".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/graduation/verification?wssl=1|title=Verifying qualifications|publisher=University of Oxford|access-date=18 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817140956/https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/graduation/verification?wssl=1|archive-date=17 August 2016}}</ref>

==Hong Kong==
Universities in [[Hong Kong]] have four degree classifications: first class, second class upper division (or second class division one/I), second class lower division (or second class division two/II), and third class. Bachelor degrees issued in Hong Kong are honour degrees and are abbreviated as B.Sc. (Hons), B.Eng. (Hons), B.B.A. (Hons), etc. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University follow a GPA scale of 4.3, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong follows a GPA scale of 4.0.

==Malta==
A number of honours degrees are offered by the [[University of Malta]], and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), usually indicating an extra year of study with an undergraduate dissertation or a specialisation within a three-year programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/217424/UGProspectus.pdf |title=Prospectus for year 2015 |access-date=2016-01-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009214102/http://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/217424/UGProspectus.pdf |archive-date=2015-10-09 }}</ref>

==New Zealand==
The ''bachelor honours degree'' is a separate level on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework from the bachelor's degree without honours, as in Australia and Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/understand-nz-quals/|title=Understanding New Zealand qualifications|publisher=[[New Zealand Qualifications Authority]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119005328/http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/understand-nz-quals/|archive-date=19 November 2016}}</ref> It may either be a 4-year (480 credit) course or a single-year (120 credit) course following on from a bachelor's degree, and it prepares students for postgraduate study.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/understand-nz-quals/bachelor-honours-degree/|title=Bachelor honours degree|publisher=[[New Zealand Qualifications Authority]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126071319/http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/understand-nz-quals/bachelor-honours-degree/|archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref> Bachelor's degrees issued are abbreviated as B.Com (Hons), B.Sc (Hons), etc. The award of honours recognises outstanding achievement, meritorious achievement or a pass; these may be termed first class honours, second class honours: first or second divisions, and third class honours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/understanding-nzqf/bachelor-honours-degree/|title=Bachelor Honours Degree|publisher=[[New Zealand Qualifications Authority]]|access-date=3 May 2022}}</ref>

==Scotland==
In Scotland, all undergraduate degrees with honours must be of four-year duration. Students can choose to do the honours degree or the general (or pass/ordinary) degree. The first two years of both types of degrees are the same; however, after that, students who pursue the honours route will complete more advanced subjects and a dissertation in their last year, while students who choose to do the general degree will complete their third year at a lower level of specialisation.<ref name="The General Degree">{{cite web|url=http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/choosing/degreestructures/generaldegree/ |title=The General Degree |publisher=University of St Andrews |access-date=2013-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026093544/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/choosing/degreestructures/generaldegree/ |archive-date=2013-10-26 }}</ref>

Entry into the honours year in Scotland is generally not restricted and students are encouraged to take the honours year as the general/ordinary/pass degree does not provide the same level of depth and specialisation.<ref name="The General Degree"/>

Students enrolling in the honours program but failing to achieve the required academic merit for honours are awarded a pass/ordinary/general degree.

==Ireland==
In Ireland, honours bachelor's degrees are at level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications and are [[Bologna process|Bologna]] first cycle degrees. They normally follow a three or four year (180-240 [[ECTS credits]]) course. The [[higher diploma]] may be awarded at the same level following a single year of study (60 ECTS credits) and is normally taken following an honours degree as a conversion course. Ordinary (non-honours) bachelor's degrees are at level 7 of the framework and take three years (180 EFTS credits) to complete.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfq-qqi.com|title=National Framework of Qualifications|access-date=20 February 2019|publisher=[[Quality and Qualifications Ireland]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328024601/http://www.nfq-qqi.com/|archive-date=28 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==South Africa==
In [[South Africa]], non-professional bachelor's degrees (BA, BSc, BCom) are three-year degrees (professional degrees such as law or medicine are longer). Students with a 3-year degree may register for honours degree, a one-year qualification required to register for a Master's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sociology.uct.ac.za/honours-and-masters-sociology|title=Honours and Master's in Sociology | Department of Sociology}}</ref> Usually the honours degree specialises in one subject matter (e.g., [[mathematics]], [[English studies|English]]). Intake into the honours degree is often highly selective. The bachelor's degree is at level 7 and the honours degree at level 8 on the [[National Qualifications Framework]] of the [[South African Qualifications Authority]]. The honours degree typically consists of taught courses and research components (at least 25% of the honours degree).<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Government Gazette|publisher=Republic of South Africa|title=National Qualifications Act (67/2008): Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework|volume=592|issue=38116|pages=3–42|author=Department of Higher Education and Training|date=17 October 2014}}</ref>

==United States==
In the [[United States]], an honours degree (or honors degree in US spelling) requires a thesis or project work beyond that needed for the normal bachelor's program.<ref name=US/> Honours programs in the US are taken alongside the rest of the degree and often have a minimum GPA requirement for entry, which can vary between institutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.physics.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/major-minor-honors/major/honors-degree.html|title=Honors Degree|website=Department of Physics and Astronomy|publisher=[[Northwestern University]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126131021/http://www.physics.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/major-minor-honors/major/honors-degree.html|archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sites.udel.edu/honors/honors-degree-faqs/|title=Honors Degree FAQs|publisher=[[University of Delaware]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126064557/http://sites.udel.edu/honors/honors-degree-faqs/|archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref> Some institutions do not have a separate honours program, but instead refer to bachelor's degrees awarded with [[Latin honors|Latin honours]], which may be based either on GPA or class position, as honours degrees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/honors_requirements.html|title=Requirements for Honors Degrees|publisher=[[Harvard University]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014131105/http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/honors_requirements.html|archive-date=14 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oneonta.edu/undergradcatalog/honors-degree.asp|title=Honors Degree|publisher=[[State University of New York at Oneonta]]|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624034022/http://www.oneonta.edu/undergradcatalog/honors-degree.asp|archive-date=24 June 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bachelor's degree]]
*[[Master's degree]]
*[[Doctorate]]
*[[Doctor of Philosophy]] (PhD)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Academic degrees}}

[[Category:Academic degrees]]

Honours degree - Revision history

UpdateBot at 17:52, 3 May 2022