What is an honours degree?

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I've been really confused as to what an honours degree is. What does it actually mean when it says "BSc Hons"?

It's more common in the sciences.

You don’t get awarded “honours” for getting a First or a 2:1. Honours is just the title of your chosen course

Ah so we got a free ‘Hons’? 😉

That's true, you can graduate with an Ordinary on an Hons course though. As someone above said, it's often to do with credits accrued (300 vs 360)

Who do I send my complaint to?!

Yours, a disgruntled Life Scientist 😉

A pass degree is awarded when the candidate has achieved the bare minimum it takes to pass according to the university regulations. They’re slightly different for different institutions but, for example, if you fail an individual subject but it’s not ‘core’ so you pass with a ‘compensatable’ fail if you get over 35.

A person with a pass degree with typically have an overall average of about 40-45. In almost every subject these days you will do some form of dissertation, project, portfolio or performance - a significant piece of largely independent work - that typically accounts for about a quarter or a third of the credits of the final year, and these days you can’t usually complete your degree without it.

@BalladOfBarryAndFreda Ps. A Victoria Wood fan I see ❤️

National Treasure

Indeed x

My first degree is in law, and I have an LLB Hons. We didn’t have to do a dissertation.

I have a BA Hons in French, no dissertation required

Science Honour here without a dissertation.

BSc Hons 2:1

Our two have hons. Both did dissertations.

Yep, hence why I said 'more common', not 'mandatory'

What does the Hons mean then?

University professor here: It's nothing to do with a dissertation. It's to do with the number of credit points passed at a certain level.

An English/Welsh Honours degree is 360 credit points, with a specified number at Levels 3 (Final Year) passed with an average of 40% or higher.

This is the UK QAA (Quality Assurance Authority) framework. Have fun!
www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/qualifications-frameworks

I always thought it was 1st, 2:1 and 2:2 grades that got honours and below that you didnt. I have a BA Hons and did a dissertation but no exams as it was a creative degree.

When I did my 3 year BA Hons, you didn’t get the honours bit if you took longer than 3 years to complete the degree, if you failed and re-sat any module more than once, or if you got less than a 2:2.

It means that you got a 2 2 or above in every year (for my degree anyway)

UK: The honours part is additional points therefore additional time taken.

So a standard degree is 300 points, with honours is 360 points.

It's usually an extra year and takes the form of a dissertation paper, coursework or a year out ie for language a year in that country at their university and working.

To achieve any of those degrees you need 360 credits.
If you only achieve 300 credits universities will either award you an 'ordinary ' degree ie without honours, or a Diploma in Higher Education (240 credits) with 60 additional credits for your achievements at level 6/year 3. It harks back to when a lot of degrees had a 60 credit final year dissertation.

Another BSc (Hons) here too without a dissertation to do, mine was a 3yr course with no year abroad/industry or whatever.

According to Wikipedia, it is:

"a variant of the 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."

"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."

Just I know some have bsc Hons in their name?

Does that mean almost all English degrees are honours degree?

What is 'a standard degree'?

I did none of those things you mentioned and have BSc (Hons). Mine was a 3yr degree in the UK.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/certificates-results/uk-honours-degree-system-undergraduates