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Difference between masters and bachelor? :-s
I'm looking at Medical Biochemistry and am not sure about the difference between BSc and MSci.
What is better?
Can you do an honours in both BSc and MSci?
What exactly is an honours.
I'm really confused and would appreciate help.
-----------------------------------------------
N.B.
This is for a 5th choice for medicine, and I am deciding between Pharmacy, Medical Biochemistry, Joint honours in pharmacology and biochemistry, and biomedical sciences. Any ideas which has best career prospects, etc?
What is better?
Can you do an honours in both BSc and MSci?
What exactly is an honours.
I'm really confused and would appreciate help.
-----------------------------------------------
N.B.
This is for a 5th choice for medicine, and I am deciding between Pharmacy, Medical Biochemistry, Joint honours in pharmacology and biochemistry, and biomedical sciences. Any ideas which has best career prospects, etc?
I assume with the example you've given there, the MSci would mean tagging another year on the end of the BSc to turn your degree into a Masters. Masters is basically the next logical step after an undergrad bachelors education-wise, and then logically you'd possibly consider a doctorate.
Afaik honours used to be a way of differentiating between degrees with more academic rigour compared to 'mickey mouse' degress, although I think pretty much all degrees are honours now and the 'pass degrees' or 'ordinary degrees' are very few and far between.
Afaik honours used to be a way of differentiating between degrees with more academic rigour compared to 'mickey mouse' degress, although I think pretty much all degrees are honours now and the 'pass degrees' or 'ordinary degrees' are very few and far between.
a degree without honours is pretty worthless. it means you got less than 50%. in psychology for example you had to do an empirical experiment and write it up - if you didn't, even if you got 100% in all your other exams and essays, you'd get a degree without honours. i think the honours part is where it is split in to 1st, 2.1, 2.1, 3rd etc.
At Reading the grading system is this:
First
2.1
2.2
3rd
Pass without honours
Fail
So, assuming that this is the standard, a degree without honours is lower than a degree with.
It is possible to get honours in both. For example I did an MChem and my degree certificate reads "been awarded honours in the first class" and then says "Master of Chemistry" for the qualification.
For my course a MChem was the same as a BSc up until the end of the second year. Then in the third year the BSc students did a project whereas the MChem did more lab classes. We then did a 4th year with an extended project and more advanced chemistry modules. I would imagine this to be similar in other degree courses.
An MSci is a higher course than a BSc. We were told that typically, where the choice was available, a MChem was done by those aiming to go into research or a Chemistry related area whereas a BSc was more appropriate for those going into teaching or non-chemistry related careers.
In practice you dont lose anything by getting a MSci but, and I can only speak for chemistry, if you get a BSc and want to do a PhD or go into research you may have to do a masters first.
Hope this helps!
First
2.1
2.2
3rd
Pass without honours
Fail
So, assuming that this is the standard, a degree without honours is lower than a degree with.
It is possible to get honours in both. For example I did an MChem and my degree certificate reads "been awarded honours in the first class" and then says "Master of Chemistry" for the qualification.
For my course a MChem was the same as a BSc up until the end of the second year. Then in the third year the BSc students did a project whereas the MChem did more lab classes. We then did a 4th year with an extended project and more advanced chemistry modules. I would imagine this to be similar in other degree courses.
An MSci is a higher course than a BSc. We were told that typically, where the choice was available, a MChem was done by those aiming to go into research or a Chemistry related area whereas a BSc was more appropriate for those going into teaching or non-chemistry related careers.
In practice you dont lose anything by getting a MSci but, and I can only speak for chemistry, if you get a BSc and want to do a PhD or go into research you may have to do a masters first.
Hope this helps!
garlicbreadman
I'm looking at Medical Biochemistry and am not sure about the difference between BSc and MSci.
What is better?
Can you do an honours in both BSc and MSci?
What exactly is an honours.
I'm really confused and would appreciate help.
-----------------------------------------------
N.B.
This is for a 5th choice for medicine, and I am deciding between Pharmacy, Medical Biochemistry, Joint honours in pharmacology and biochemistry, and biomedical sciences. Any ideas which has best career prospects, etc?
What is better?
Can you do an honours in both BSc and MSci?
What exactly is an honours.
I'm really confused and would appreciate help.
-----------------------------------------------
N.B.
This is for a 5th choice for medicine, and I am deciding between Pharmacy, Medical Biochemistry, Joint honours in pharmacology and biochemistry, and biomedical sciences. Any ideas which has best career prospects, etc?
I was under the impression that when it's a "medical" science, it's called MSci, nothing to do with masters. :/ Since it's generally the same length course, etc.
"MChem." or something, whenever I was rolling through UCAS anyway.Honors just means that you haven't resat any modules, etc doesn't it?
Mayden
I was under the impression that when it's a "medical" science, it's called MSci, nothing to do with masters. :/ Since it's generally the same length course, etc. "MChem." or something, whenever I was rolling through UCAS anyway.
Honors just means that you haven't resat any modules, etc doesn't it?
"MChem." or something, whenever I was rolling through UCAS anyway.Honors just means that you haven't resat any modules, etc doesn't it?
No.
No.
And no.
Masters is generally an extra year on top of a Bachelors. But 'masters' refers to the entire degree, not just the final year.
For honours, some unis require that you do a dissertation, some don't, others have other requirements. Really it depends, but most degrees you get now are honours.
So you could do a BSc, get a classification (first, 2.2 so on) with honours, then continue for another year and get a classification for the masters instead.
For honours, some unis require that you do a dissertation, some don't, others have other requirements. Really it depends, but most degrees you get now are honours.
So you could do a BSc, get a classification (first, 2.2 so on) with honours, then continue for another year and get a classification for the masters instead.
Mayden
Alright, since you were so quick to jump on my back and tell me I'm wrong, why don't you explain? I'm pretty sure I said "I think" or that I don't actually know but it was the impression I was under.
Try typing less and reading more, you might not look like quite such an idiot then.
Quoted from wiki, not the best source but seems to agree with what I thought and what most people here think:
BSc - Bachelor of Science
MSci - Master in Science (Master of Natural Science at Cambridge University)
MSci - Integrated Master in Science
BMSc - Bachelor of Medical Science
This may be what you were thinking of
In general any masters is at least 1 extra year, it is a higher qualification.
Also I know for a fact that honours is what you get if you pass all your modules first time above the given rate (usually 40%), depending on the Uni you are allowed to fail so many modules and still pass the degree but you then get it without honours.
Within the honours degree you get graded 1st, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3rd depending on how well you do % wise.
Different Uni's have different rules regarding how many resits (sometimes 0) and how many modules you can fail, and at what % the pass rate is set so getting honours is harder/easier depending where you study.
(At the 2 Unis I attended it will be based on the credit system, with modules being worth 5-40 credits and you can fail 10 credits of final year, some modules you must -not- fail though)
Also worth knowing, if you do the MSc all in one go, as in apply for it through UCAS as a part of the undergraduate BSc, then it will have the possiblity to have hons.
Masters done after you already graduated from the BSc as a separate or additional year/course are a postgraduate masters and not the sort that get hons
Doesn't make either better or worse, the way I see it is the hons part of it refers to the BSc part.
BSc - Bachelor of Science
MSci - Master in Science (Master of Natural Science at Cambridge University)
MSci - Integrated Master in Science
BMSc - Bachelor of Medical Science
This may be what you were thinking of
In general any masters is at least 1 extra year, it is a higher qualification.
Also I know for a fact that honours is what you get if you pass all your modules first time above the given rate (usually 40%), depending on the Uni you are allowed to fail so many modules and still pass the degree but you then get it without honours.
Within the honours degree you get graded 1st, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3rd depending on how well you do % wise.
Different Uni's have different rules regarding how many resits (sometimes 0) and how many modules you can fail, and at what % the pass rate is set so getting honours is harder/easier depending where you study.
(At the 2 Unis I attended it will be based on the credit system, with modules being worth 5-40 credits and you can fail 10 credits of final year, some modules you must -not- fail though)
Also worth knowing, if you do the MSc all in one go, as in apply for it through UCAS as a part of the undergraduate BSc, then it will have the possiblity to have hons.
Masters done after you already graduated from the BSc as a separate or additional year/course are a postgraduate masters and not the sort that get hons
Doesn't make either better or worse, the way I see it is the hons part of it refers to the BSc part.
(edited 13 years ago)
Renal
Then why are you trying to offer an answer, especially when the answer has already been clearly provided.
Try typing less and reading more, you might not look like quite such an idiot then.
Try typing less and reading more, you might not look like quite such an idiot then.
Pretty sure I was writing on the board to say what I thought, what I had been told, or what I had gathered. I wanted someone to explain why I was wrong, "etc doesn't it?" so I asked a question.
Why don't you try and be helpful, instead of just branding me an idiot?
princessmarisa
Quoted from wiki, not the best source but seems to agree with what I thought and what most people here think:
BSc - Bachelor of Science
MSci - Master in Science (Master of Natural Science at Cambridge University)
MSci - Integrated Master in Science
BMSc - Bachelor of Medical Science
This may be what you were thinking of
In general any masters is at least 1 extra year, it is a higher qualification.
Also I know for a fact that honours is what you get if you pass all your modules first time above the given rate (usually 40%), depending on the Uni you are allowed to fail so many modules and still pass the degree but you then get it without honours.
Within the honours degree you get graded 1st, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3rd depending on how well you do % wise.
Different Uni's have different rules regarding how many resits (sometimes 0) and how many modules you can fail, and at what % the pass rate is set so getting honours is harder/easier depending where you study.
(At the 2 Unis I attended it will be based on the credit system, with modules being worth 5-40 credits and you can fail 10 credits of final year, some modules you must -not- fail though)
Also worth knowing, if you do the MSc all in one go, as in apply for it through UCAS as a part of the undergraduate BSc, then it will have the possiblity to have hons.
Masters done after you already graduated from the BSc as a separate or additional year/course are a postgraduate masters and not the sort that get hons
Doesn't make either better or worse, the way I see it is the hons part of it refers to the BSc part.
BSc - Bachelor of Science
MSci - Master in Science (Master of Natural Science at Cambridge University)
MSci - Integrated Master in Science
BMSc - Bachelor of Medical Science
This may be what you were thinking of
In general any masters is at least 1 extra year, it is a higher qualification.
Also I know for a fact that honours is what you get if you pass all your modules first time above the given rate (usually 40%), depending on the Uni you are allowed to fail so many modules and still pass the degree but you then get it without honours.
Within the honours degree you get graded 1st, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3rd depending on how well you do % wise.
Different Uni's have different rules regarding how many resits (sometimes 0) and how many modules you can fail, and at what % the pass rate is set so getting honours is harder/easier depending where you study.
(At the 2 Unis I attended it will be based on the credit system, with modules being worth 5-40 credits and you can fail 10 credits of final year, some modules you must -not- fail though)
Also worth knowing, if you do the MSc all in one go, as in apply for it through UCAS as a part of the undergraduate BSc, then it will have the possiblity to have hons.
Masters done after you already graduated from the BSc as a separate or additional year/course are a postgraduate masters and not the sort that get hons
Doesn't make either better or worse, the way I see it is the hons part of it refers to the BSc part.
So to clarify on the honours part. Generally, (different with each uni) if you have to resit a module (or X amount), then you won't get your honours?
Mayden
So to clarify on the honours part. Generally, (different with each uni) if you have to resit a module (or X amount), then you won't get your honours?
It seems from the wiki article, and my experience that some Uni's care about resits others don't.
Some care about the % pass rate
Some care about how many credits (ie how many modules) you pass, and which ones.
It is not something to worry about as the Uni will explain it to you when you get there, infact is is probably on each Uni's website individually somewhere.
You automatically start on the honours degree, then if you get to the situation where you may not get the honours they explain to you the circumstance. In some cases you can resit a whole year to get the honours, or just resit one module to get an ordinary pass without.
princessmarisa
It seems from the wiki article, and my experience that some Uni's care about resits others don't.
Some care about the % pass rate
Some care about how many credits (ie how many modules) you pass, and which ones.
It is not something to worry about as the Uni will explain it to you when you get there, infact is is probably on each Uni's website individually somewhere.
You automatically start on the honours degree, then if you get to the situation where you may not get the honours they explain to you the circumstance. In some cases you can resit a whole year to get the honours, or just resit one module to get an ordinary pass without.
Some care about the % pass rate
Some care about how many credits (ie how many modules) you pass, and which ones.
It is not something to worry about as the Uni will explain it to you when you get there, infact is is probably on each Uni's website individually somewhere.
You automatically start on the honours degree, then if you get to the situation where you may not get the honours they explain to you the circumstance. In some cases you can resit a whole year to get the honours, or just resit one module to get an ordinary pass without.
My boyfriend was worried he was going to lose his Honours (as most people would prefer a BSc Hons, over BSc) because he thought he might have had to resit... he didn't, so I didn't find out much more about it. Thanks for the heads up anyways.
Oh, and just as a "
" To Renal, looks like I was correct about something. 
One other thing that makes an undergraduate masters quite attractive is that you get funding as a part of the undergraduate loans system. From what I have seen you are very lucky if you manage to find funding for a postgraduate masters and many people have to pay for it themselves.
At Reading you have to pass (40%+) your final year project to get an honours degree (in Chemistry).
At Reading you have to pass (40%+) your final year project to get an honours degree (in Chemistry).
Mayden
My boyfriend was worried he was going to lose his Honours (as most people would prefer a BSc Hons, over BSc) because he thought he might have had to resit... he didn't, so I didn't find out much more about it. Thanks for the heads up anyways.
Oh, and just as a " " To Renal, looks like I was correct about something.
Oh, and just as a "
" To Renal, looks like I was correct about something. Anyway so in short: resits not a problem, failing resits is.
modgepodge
a degree without honours is pretty worthless. it means you got less than 50%.
You can still get less that 50% but receive an honours degree.
Or achieve higher than 50% and not get an honours (ie. receive an ordinary degree).
Degree classifications and how grades work varies from one university to the next.
MSci is equivalent in knowledge to doing a BSc and then an MSc on top of it. Except it's cheaper. The MSci is preferable to those going into research or careers related to their degree, whereas the BSc is for those who want to go into teaching or a career not related to their degree.
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