Different name on degree certificate to the one signed up for

[KatyMac]

DD's friend signed up for a dual subject degree - double honours
& has graduated with a certificate saying single subject and nothing about double honours

They have paperwork talking about the dual subjects (& have studied 2) and the double honours & that's what their student loan and everything were for; but the certificate says single subject no double honours

The university are saying they can do 'nothing'

What, if anything, they can do to rectify this?

I think we need to know exactly what the certificate says and what the UCAS course code/description was. Joint honours is one degree (about 50% of each subject which is why some people prefer just one full subject done) and you would expect both to be named for the one degree.

The ucas code links to Modern Languages (Double Honours)

The certificate says "Modern Language"

There are several universities offering modern languages but the one I looked at after googling had two courses

BA Modern Language (with a year abroad) or BA Modern Languages (double honours with a year abroad).

They are different courses so if that's the case they should definitely make a formal complaint.

If it's the one I looked up it definitely does say 'double honours' rather than joint honours. I'd say that's misleading.

@Comefromaway

There are several universities offering modern languages but the one I looked at after googling had two courses

BA Modern Language (with a year abroad) or BA Modern Languages (double honours with a year abroad).

They are different courses so if that's the case they should definitely make a formal complaint.

So the “double honours” in that case means qualifications issued from both the home university and the one overseas, does it?

Courses with an overseas placement do sometimes offer dual awards. Which is a separate thing from joint honours @KatyMac Joint honours would be something like “French and Spanish (Joint hons), or “Economics with Law“.

It's the same number of credits though regardless of the 'double' which is the same as 'joint'. I don't think in this specific case it's significant as Language degrees will typically have the graduate stating the languages chosen on their CV, particularly when they don't routinely name them on the award as UEA (I assume?) don't seem to.

Not according to the course outline Arrietty. One refers to studying a language, the other to your chosen languages.

But it's not a course area I am familiar with.

@Comefromaway

Not according to the course outline Arrietty. One refers to studying a language, the other to your chosen languages.

But it's not a course area I am familiar with.

Oh I’m confused now. Not what?

"So the “double honours” in that case means qualifications issued from both the home university and the one overseas, does it?"

This bit. In fact it says that the year abroad may be split between two partner universities in different countries.

Ah okay. Odd because “double honours” isn’t a usual phrase. A mystery then.

@KatyMac

The ucas code links to Modern Languages (Double Honours)

The certificate says "Modern Language"

Ok so this is clearly just a typo and has nothing to do with whether or not the course was joint or single honours!

As someone with a Modern LanguageS degree, I would be annoyed by the typo and want the certificate reissued. That being said, my degree certificate (Oxbridge) says nothing useful at all. But I've not had a problem with it since.

My first degree certificate says only "Bachelor of Arts" - no subject, no classification, not even honours (it was). I don't even have a transcript, so for years I've been working in a job that requires a degree in a relevant subject without my employer ever having seen proof!
My other ugrad degree certificate does give subject and "first class honours".

In practice, application forms will often ask not only the name of the degree, but the subjects studied as part of it. I don't think anyone is going to worry exactly what the degree certificate says. Singular or plural, it wouldn't tell the employer whether the candidate has studied the language they're actually interested in.

The student union are helping with a complaint because the name is so similar to another course run by the same organisation

No idea how a complaint works but fingers crossed

Thanks everyone