Skip to navigation | Skip to main content | Skip to footer

Types of degree

Undergraduate

An undergraduate degree normally takes three years to complete but can take longer if they include an industrial placement, an additional subject or a year abroad. They are also specialised from Year One.

Types of undergraduate degree include:

  • BSc (Bachelor of Science) - a science degree
  • BA (Bachelor of Arts) - an arts degree
  • BEng (Bachelor of Engineering) - an engineering degree
  • Undergraduate Masters degree (e.g. MEng) - an enhanced four year undergraduate degree including extra subjects studied at a deeper level

Postgraduate

Students who receive good grades in their undergraduate degrees may choose to take a Masters degree, which takes a minimum of one year to complete.

Types of Masters degree include:

  • MSc (Master of Science)
  • MA (Master of Arts)
  • MEd (Master of Education)
  • LLM (Master of Law)
  • MBA (Master of Business Administration)

Taught Masters degrees
Taught Masters usually involve six months of intensive tuition followed by six months of project work which ends with a dissertation.

Masters degrees by research (MPhil)
Research degrees involve at least one year, sometimes more, of full-time research resulting in an examined thesis.

PhD
If you would like to continue to study for a PhD, you will have to conduct a minimum of two years' research after the award of your MSc.

In some subject areas, a student may transfer from BSc/BA/BEng to PhD so that they follow a three year research programme for PhD without first obtaining a Masters degree.