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{{Refimprove|date=June 2009}}
A '''bachelor's Degree''' is usually an [[academic degree]] awarded for an [[undergraduate]] course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world. It may also be the name of a "postgraduate" degree, such as a [[Bachelor of Civil Law]], the [[Bachelor of Music]], or the [[Bachelor of Philosophy]].
 
==Honors degrees and academic distinctions {{anchor|Hons}}==<!-- This section is linked from [[Keele University]] and from [[Tan Teck Meng]]. The anchor is linked to from [[Hons]]. -->
Under the new [[United Kingdom|British]] system, and those influenced by it, such as the [[Canada|Canadian]], [[Ireland|Irish]], [[Jordan]]ian, [[India]]n, [[Malaysia]]n, [[Malta|Maltese]],[[Nigeria]]n, [[Sri Lanka]]n, [[Singapore]]an, [[Hong Kong]] and [[Australia]]n systems, undergraduate degrees are differentiated either as ''pass degrees'' (also known in some areas as ''ordinary'' degrees) or as ''honours degrees'', the latter sometimes denoted by the appearance of "(Hons)" after the degree abbreviation.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}
 
An honours degree generally requires a higher academic standard than a pass degree, and in [[Malta|Maltese]], [[Singapore]]an, [[Australia]]n, [[New Zealand]], [[Scotland|Scottish]], [[Sri Lanka]]n, [[Malaysia]]n, [[South Africa]]n and some Canadian universities an extra year of study.
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===Canada===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2008}}
Depending on the province, a bachelor's degree takes either three or four years to complete. Traditionally, a three-year degree is also called a ''pass degree'' or ''general degree'', and a four-year degree is also called an ''honours degree''. In provinces that grant three-year bachelor's degrees, a student may choose to complete an additional year of studies to obtain a four-year honours degree.
 
Some Canadian universities no longer offer three-year pass degrees, and have started to grant four-year honours degrees exclusively. In general, obtaining a bachelor's honours degree requires completion of a number of full year credits, completion of one or more majors or a specialist program, and maintaining a grade point average above a certain minimum.
 
An honours bachelor's degree is generally a prerequisite for admission into graduate studies in Canada.
 
===England, Wales and Northern Ireland===
The degrees awarded carry a designation related to the broad subject area such as BA, BSc, BEng etc. The majority of Bachelor's degrees are now honours degrees. Prior to the mid 20th century some candidates (but not, for example, at Oxford or Cambridge) would take an Ordinary degree, and then be selected to go on for a final year for the Honours degree. A first degree course is usually three years, but it might be reduced to two either by direct second year entry (for people who have done [[foundation degree]]s or changed subject or similar) or by doing compressed courses (which are being piloted by several newer universities).<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4918652.stm "Two-year Honours Degrees Offered:] The 'fast-track' Degrees Will Be Piloted at Five Universities". ''[[BBC News]]'', [[April 18]], [[2006]], accessed [[October 8]], [[2007]]: "Students in England can do honours degrees in two years, under new 'fast track' plans to save time and money."</ref> For funding reasons (funding for undergraduate programs is automatic, funding for postgraduate programs is not) it is becoming increasingly common to skip the Bachelor's stage entirely and go straight to [[Masters degree|Masters]] level on a four year (five year if with industrial experience) course (which often shares the first two years with the equivalent Bachelor's course).
 
''Honours degrees'' are of a superior academic standard. An Honours degree is always awarded in one of four classes depending upon the marks gained in the final assessments and examinations. The top students are awarded a first class degree, the next best, an upper second class degree (usually referred to as a 2:1), the next a lower second class degree (usually referred to as a 2:2), and those with the lowest marks gain a third class degree. An ''Ordinary'' or ''unclassified'' degree (which does not give the graduate the right to add ''(Hons)'') may be awarded if a student has completed the full honours degree course but has not obtained the total required passes sufficient to merit a third-class honours degree. Alternatively a student may be denied honours if he/she has had to retake courses. An ordinary degree usually requires 300 UCAS points whereas an honours degree requires 360 Ucas points. It is possible to be awarded an ordinary degree with distinction if the average of the 300 Ucas points is 70%+.{{main|British undergraduate degree classification}}
 
''Ordinary degrees'' are unclassified degrees awarded to all students who have completed the course and obtained sufficient marks to pass the final assessments and examinations. Ordinary degree courses usually have lower entry requirements than Honours degree courses. Although Ordinary degree courses are often considered to be easier than Honours degree courses, this is not always the case, and much depends on the university attended and the subject being studied. Some modern universities offer the opportunity for Ordinary degree students to transfer to an Honours degree course in the same subject if an acceptable standard is reached after the first or second year of study.
 
The Graduateship (post-nominal GCGI) and Associateship (post-nominal ACGI) awarded by the City & Guilds of London Institute are mapped to a British Honours degree.
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