The Student Room Group

Honours

Evening all :smile:.

Don't be shocked.....I am for once asking a relevant question :p:, although I do realise that it isn't specific to Durham, but seeing as I know quite a few of you helpful lot, I thought I'd post it here....

I just wondered what the 'with honours' part of a degree title meant?

Someone once told me that it meant that you hadn't failed any of your modules (before resits).....is this true? If it is, then I'm most probably going to have that bit of my degree title removed when I graduate! :frown:

Thanks! :smile:
Honours are what makes your degree worth doing. If you lose your honours, it's like getting less than a 3rd class degree, and essentially worthless.
If you don't pass a year with 6 modules, you lose your honours (i.e. if you fail more than 2 modules in your 2nd year or any in your third (final) year).
EDIT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_undergraduate_degree_classification
Reply 2
1st year is formative so I'm assuming failing modules doesn't count towards your degree anyway. Hopefully.

So you can still fail up to two in your second year without losing honours?
Reply 3
Heavs

So you can still fail up to two in your second year without losing honours?

yes
Reply 4
Aah, thanks Matt :smile:

Though does failing modules mean before resits? And it definitely doesn't count in first year yeh? :rolleyes:

Edit: Why do you have to fail more than 2 in your second year to lose your honours? Surely if you fail one you don't pass with all 6 modules...? :confused: Sorry if I'm being very slow here....
Right, as long as you pass all modules, you get honours, no matter when you pass them (May or August).
In your first year, you're allowed to sit 6 exams in August
In your second (and presumably 3rd-non-final) you're allowed to resit 2, so if you fail 3 in y2, you can only resit 2 and hence only pass 5 in total, losing your honours; this also happens if you fail resits.
You can regain your honours by doing very well in your next year, but I think it's pretty hard to do.
Reply 6
Rightyo, thankyou, I understand now! :smile:
Knew I could rely on your wealth of knowledge!
Reply 7
So if you fail modules you're not chucked out? Excellent...
if you fail enough you are, after first year if you fail more than 3 you are gone
Reply 9
In first year if you have still failed them after the resits you are chucked out aren't you?
you might be able to get away with failing one after resits, think it depends on prerequisites. You might be able to get away with failing an elective for example, but not a module that is a prerequisite for a core second year module