One country, two Bachelor degrees
UK ENIC’s Research, Data and Insights team have expert knowledge that helps ensure the information in our database of over 4,000 international qualifications remains up-to-date for members.
It covers secondary to postgraduate levels from 210 countries and territories including Australia – which is the focus of this piece from our Research Manager, Emma Kirby.
Like many countries, Australia has retained a distinction between a ‘standard’ Bachelor degree on the one hand and an Honours degree on the other.
Both are categorised as ‘undergraduate’, and both may grant access to postgraduate study. So, what distinguishes them?
Research
First and foremost, the Bachelor is aligned to level 7 on the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF), while Honours is pitched at level 8. The AQF explains that:
“The defining difference between the Bachelor Honours Degree and the Bachelor Degree is the development of advanced knowledge and the requirement for research in the former.”
Research assignments and/or project work often form part of the level-7 Bachelor programme, but a thesis is not generally required. By contrast, research is a defining characteristic of the level-8 Honours degree.
Progression
Another key difference relates to progression. While both awards grant access to a Master’s in-country, those in possession of an Honours degree can pursue a research Master’s specifically.
Honours degree holders may also be able to complete their Master’s in a reduced timeframe – or even advance directly to doctoral study.
Selectivity
It is important to highlight as well that Honours isn’t the ‘standard’ or ‘default’ undergraduate degree in Australia.
Australian Honours is an optional extra, typically involving one year of additional study. Crucially, Honours programmes are only open to particularly high-achieving students.
The selective nature of Australian Honours distinguishes it from the level-7 Bachelor - and from UK Honours.
Requesting an Australian Honours degree for access to a UK postgraduate course isn’t quite the same as requesting a UK Honours degree.
UK ENIC comparisons
Despite some differences, UK ENIC compares the Australian Honours degree to UK Bachelor (Honours). This partly reflects the fact that learning outcomes compare very favourably.
It also takes into account the mandatory research component associated with Australian Honours, which closely mirrors typical UK degree requirements. In addition, both the Australian and UK Honours degrees can allow for direct access to PhD study.
But that’s not to say that the Australian level-7 Bachelor isn’t suitable preparation for UK Master’s study as well.
As we’ve seen, this is the main undergraduate qualification in Australia – not the Honours degree. And learning outcomes aren’t dissimilar to those of the UK Bachelor.
UK ENIC compares the level-7 Bachelor to a UK Bachelor degree, implying that admitting institutions should consider awards on a case-by-case basis.
Admissions officers may like to consider factors such as whether a final-year project (or similar) was completed; specific course content; and/or the extent to which the first degree relates to the postgraduate course in question.