Diplomas? Degrees? Foundation?

SideWinder · 20 Nov 2006 at 20:13

Hey.

Something i don't exactly understand. Looking at University courses and i am slightly confused in the courses and what type they are.

I mean, is there some sort of tier structure? Is a Diploma "better" than a Foundation Degree? What about Honours? Masters i assume are quite "high up"?

Silly post i know...

shadow4509 · 20 Nov 2006 at 20:24

ok if you are a mature student the usual route would be:

access to HE (higher education), foundation degree, top up year for hons and then i guess you can top up again for masters but not sure!

SideWinder · 20 Nov 2006 at 20:28

Hmm.

Well i am 18 and looking to apply to University to study a Degree. So is a Diploma a step up from A-Levels? Or not? Same "level" as a Degree?

Burnsy2023 · 20 Nov 2006 at 20:32

The HND generally is thought to be on the same level as a foundation degree.

Above that you have a normal honour degree and then masters.....and then a PHD

Burnsy

shadow4509 · 20 Nov 2006 at 20:36

If you have a levels there is no need for the access to he, but you can still do a foundation degree at a local college and then the top up year!

DAVEM · 20 Nov 2006 at 21:14

SideWinder said:
Hey.

Something i don't exactly understand. Looking at University courses and i am slightly confused in the courses and what type they are.

I mean, is there some sort of tier structure? Is a Diploma "better" than a Foundation Degree? What about Honours? Masters i assume are quite "high up"?

Silly post i know...

Foundation
HND
Undergraduate Diploma
BSc/BA (ORD)
BSc / BA (HONS)
MSc / MA / MBA
MSc/MA Research
PhD / DBA etc..

cleanbluesky · 20 Nov 2006 at 21:27

Foundation Course

Not neccessarily academic, not neccessarily worth anything but can be useful within industry... can involve practical skills

Diploma

Diplomas do not require a dissertation and many can be accessed by those without previous academic background (as long as they meet other requirements).
There are even post-graduate diplomas, so the status and value of a diploma CAN be ambiguous, and can be a "practical" qualification.

BSc/BA

This is a degree, without completion of dissertation

BSc / BA (HONS)

This is a degree, with completion of dissertation

MSc / MA / MRes/ MSt

A Masters degree. Usually more specific than a degree, these are generally only accessible to those who already have degrees. Generally the MSc and MA are the most common, the MRes is new and the MSt is archiaic.

PhD and other doctorates

Doctoral degree AKA Doctorate AKA Doctor of Philosophy AKA Professional Doctorate.

Generally involves a full-scale research project to establish the person within the scientific field. A Professional Doctorate generally includes clinical components as well as academic.

There are a few deviations with doctorates, for example - medical Doctorates involve an incredible amount of practical work.

SideWinder · 20 Nov 2006 at 21:42

Thankyou, just what i was looking for. <3

NicktheNorse · 20 Nov 2006 at 21:52

MSc / MA / MRes/ MSt

Let's add MEng to that list

Arcade Fire · 20 Nov 2006 at 23:23

cleanbluesky said:
[BA/BSc (Hons)] is a degree, with completion of dissertation

I don't know about that - I'm pretty certain that I didn't do any dissertation in my degree! That didn't come until the Masters year.

Dave · 20 Nov 2006 at 23:31

NicktheNorse said:
Let's add MEng to that list

Agreed, it's the most important one

clv101 · 20 Nov 2006 at 23:51

And MPhys.

Regarding diplomas, the "level" of an undergraduate diploma is the same as a normal degree, just the syllabus is reduced to ~1/3. A postgraduate diploma is the same level as an MSc/MA but again reduced syllabus.

cleanbluesky · 21 Nov 2006 at 00:10

Arcade Fire said:
I don't know about that - I'm pretty certain that I didn't do any dissertation in my degree! That didn't come until the Masters year.

If you went Oxbridge or Edinburgh, then thats entirely possible as they are aincient universities and their qualifications reflect that, I also think Scotland has different policies...

Neoni · 21 Nov 2006 at 00:45

I did Gcse's > National Diploma MA > BA Hons Degree in CMT

Psyk · 21 Nov 2006 at 00:56

NicktheNorse said:
Let's add MEng to that list

Actually MEng is slightly different. MSc / MA / MRes/ MSt I think are all post-grad degrees. So you have to do a bachelors degree first. MEng is an undergraduate masters. Basically you skip the bachelors and go straight for the masters. It's a subtle difference because both routes take 4 years (generally speaking for England) but it's still not quite the same thing. I hear employers don't consider them the same way they would consider a post-grad masters. But obviously still higher than a bachelors.

Lagz · 21 Nov 2006 at 01:02

cleanbluesky said:
This is a degree, with completion of dissertation

Not any more it isn't (if it ever was). I know loads of people who have Hons without a dissertation. It doesn't make sense for instance to make someone do a dissertation if their subject is Mathematics, but they still get Hons.

KaHn · 21 Nov 2006 at 01:20

Arcade Fire said:
I don't know about that - I'm pretty certain that I didn't do any dissertation in my degree! That didn't come until the Masters year.

If you were already accepted on to your Masters, then you don't have to do your dissertation untill your 4th yr.

KaHn

KaHn · 21 Nov 2006 at 01:21

Psyk said:
Actually MEng is slightly different. MSc / MA / MRes/ MSt I think are all post-grad degrees. So you have to do a bachelors degree first. MEng is an undergraduate masters. Basically you skip the bachelors and go straight for the masters. It's a subtle difference because both routes take 4 years (generally speaking for England) but it's still not quite the same thing. I hear employers don't consider them the same way they would consider a post-grad masters. But obviously still higher than a bachelors.

MEng is a taught masters degree, where a MSc is normally a research masters, but as DAVEM pointed out they are two types, both equally important just within different fields.

KaHn

Arcade Fire · 21 Nov 2006 at 01:22

I wasn't, though, because technically my Masters isn't an actual Masters (as I I don't have MA after my name, despite having done an equivalent qualification).

I think that the only sensible answer is that it varies somewhat from university to university, but in general PhD > Masters > Batchelor's > Diploma.

badgermonkey · 21 Nov 2006 at 04:25

Sorry not read past the original post.

If you have a Diploma or A-levels you can apply straight off. A foundation year is done simply if you don't have the grades to get into a proper course.

A Diploma is not much of a step up from cellege level, a degree is an actual degree (generally you would aim for an honours degree). For example i'm doing a BSc hon. in Computer Games Development.

A masters is done AFTER you have completed an honours degree. I think a PHd come after that again... not entirely sure.