Degree Equivalency UK - US

Good Day The Student Room,

I ask this because a BSc in the US will generally take 4 years whereas in the UK it only takes 3. Are the qualifications equivalent? If I did a BSc (3 years) in Computer Science and then an MSc (1 year) in computer science totaling 4 years how would my qualification be equivocated into a US qualification.

Thanks

Good Day The Student Room,

I ask this because a BSc in the US will generally take 4 years whereas in the UK it only takes 3. Are the qualifications equivalent? If I did a BSc (3 years) in Computer Science and then an MSc (1 year) in computer science totaling 4 years how would my qualification be equivocated into a US qualification.

Thanks

I think they are equivalent, however the first year of most American uni's is spent doing random courses and not contributing towards an actual degree. Then in your second year you will usually declare your major (BSc subject).

There are some courses in some universities that have a combined BSc and MSc that takes 4 years, but I've only found these at Yale and Harvard (not Stanford).

It's 2 years, but can be completed in less time if they are satisfied by AP courses or something equivalent. And they are not random courses...the purpose of GE's is to give students a well-rounded education and expose them to material outside their major. So science majors take social science/humanity courses and vice versa.

Actually, if you are looking for BSc/MSc combined degree most UC schools offer them, mine does as well.

Ah, but it can be declared at the start of the Sophomore year?

Maybe "random" is a bit harsh, but what I meant was that they don't contribute to an actual degree, whereas the first 2 years in an English uni would...

No, in fact, you can declare your major when you apply to the university, even before you get accepted. Actually, they want you in advance to know the route of your study so they can help you organize your schedule for the next 4 years.

Hmmmm, what I've been saying is just from what I've understood from the websites of universities such as Harvard and Yale.

Seems they need to make things clearer