Bachelor of Science

 

 

"B.S." redirects here. For other uses of "BS", see BS.

A Bachelor of Science (Bc., B.S., BS, B.Sc. or BSc; less commonly, S.B., SB, or Sc.B. from the Latin Scientiæ Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years (see below).

Whether a subject is considered a science or an art can vary between universities. For example, an economics degree may be given as a B.A. by one university but as a B.Sc. by another. Biology, Biochemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Social science, General science, Earth science and Computer Science are almost universally considered to be sciences. Even in cases of near-unilateral consensus across a country as to whether a subject is a science or an art, there are exceptions. The London School of Economics offers B.Sc. degrees in practically all subject areas, even those normally associated with arts degrees, while the Oxbridge universities award arts qualifications almost exclusively. In both instances, this is generally for historical and traditional reasons.

The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of London in 1860. Prior to this science subjects were included in the B.A. bracket, notably in the cases of mathematics, physics, physiology and botany.

International differences

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

In Australia, the B.Sc. is a three year degree, offered from first year on. A fourth (Honours) year or an M.Sc. is then required to progress on to Ph.D. In New Zealand, in some cases the Honours degree comprises an additional postgraduate qualification. In other cases, students with strong performance in their second or third year, are invited to extend their degree to an additional year, with a focus on research, granting access to doctoral programs. In South Africa, the B.Sc. is taken over three years, while the "postgraduate" B.Sc. (Hons) entails an additional year of study. Admission to the honours degree is on the basis of a sufficiently high average in the B.Sc. major; an honours degree is required for M.Sc. level study; and admission to a Doctorate is via the M.Sc.

Britain and Ireland

Commonly in the Commonwealth and Ireland graduands are admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science after having completed a programme in one or more of the sciences. These programmes may take different lengths of time to complete.

A Bachelor of Science receives the designation B.Sc. or B.S. for a major/pass degree and B.Sc. (Hons) or B.S. (Hons) for an honours degree. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland an honours degree is typically completed over a three year period, though there are a few intensified two year courses (with less vacation time). In Scotland, where access to university is possible after one less year of secondary education, degree courses have a foundation year (simply known as the First year) making the total course length four years. In Ireland the former B.Sc. was changed to B.Sc. (Hons.) which is awarded after four years. The B.Sc. (Ord.) is awarded after three years^{[citation needed]}. Formerly at the University of Oxford, the degree of B.Sc. was a postgraduate degree; this former degree, still actively granted, has since been renamed M.Sc.

Continental Europe

Many universities in Europe are changing their systems into the BA/MA system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc. or M.Sc.

Czech Republic

Universities in the Czech Republic are changing their systems into the Bachelor of Science / Master of Science system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc.(Bc.) or M.Sc.(Mgr./Ing.)

Germany

In Germany you can find two kinds of universities: Universitäten and Fachhochschulen (which are also called University of Applied Sciences). Universitäten and Fachhochschulen – both as well called Hochschulen - are legally equal, but Fachhochschulen have the reputation of being more related to practice.
The B.Sc. in Germany was equivalent to a B.Sc. (Hons.). Many universities in German-speaking countries are changing their systems to the BA/MA system, and in doing so also offering the full equivalent of a B.Sc.
In Germany the B.A. normally lasts between three and three and a half years – six to seven semester - and 180 ECTS must be earned.

United States

In the United States, a bachelor's degree in science is generally a four-year undergraduate degree more typically used in engineering, computer science, mathematics, economics, and the natural sciences. In some cases it is used in professional studies of areas involving law, medicine, business, hospitality, or architecture.

Other countries

In Brazil, a Bachelor of Science degree is a graduate degree and is also more specific, usually containing a one-year mandatory probation period by the end of the course, followed by relatively elaborate written and oral evaluations^{[citation needed]}.

Typical completion period

  Three years

  Four years

  Five years

Two years

See above note.

Three years

Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada (Quebec (In this province, it is preceded by two years in college (CEGEP) following grade eleven; thus it takes a total of five years), Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia (mostly three years, sometimes four), Czech Republic (mostly three years, sometimes four), Denmark, England (three or four years with a one-year placement in industry), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany (mostly three years, but can be up to four years), Hong Kong (Starting to change to 4 years in 2012), Hungary, Iceland, India (three years for B.Sc. and four years for BE (engineering), Ireland (Ordinary), Israel (for most subjects), Italy, Jamaica (three or four years), Latvia (three or four years), Lebanon (three or four years, five years for Bachelor of Engineering), Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland (Ordinary), Singapore (honours degree takes 4 years), Slovakia, South Africa (honours degree takes 4 years), Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda (mostly three years, sometimes four), United Arab Emirates, Wales and Zimbabwe.

Four years

Armenia (four or five years), Albania (four or five years), Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (four or five years), Australia (honours degree), Bangladesh (three or four years), Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brunei, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada (except Quebec), Cyprus, Egypt (four or five years), Finland (engineering, practice in industry not included), Georgia, Guatemala, Greece (four or five years), India (four years (BS (engineering)), Indonesia, Iran (four or five years), Iran, Iraq, Ireland (Honours Degree), Israel, Japan, Jordan (four to five years), Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Libya, Malawi (four or five years), Malta, Macedonia (three, four or five years), Montenegro (three, four or five years), Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand (honours degree), People's Republic of China, Pakistan (four or five years), the Philippines (four or five years), Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland (Honours Degree), Serbia (three, four or five years), Slovenia (four or five years), South Africa (fourth year is elective - to obtain an Honours degree, which is normally a requirement for selection into a Masters degree programme), Sri Lanka(three four or five(specialized) years), Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Korea Republic, Haiti (three or four years), Ukraine, United States,Yemen, Zambia (four or five years).

Five years

Cuba (five years), Greece (four or five years), Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (five years), Mexico (4.5 years), Chile (usually four years dedicated to coursework plus one year of research thesis), Egypt (four or five years), Haiti (four or five years).

Nigeria (four to five years), 6 months dedicated to SIWES (Students Industrial Work Exchange Scheme) but for most sciences and all engineering courses only. A semester for project work/thesis not excluding course work during the bachelor thesis. Excluding 1 year for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), para-military and civil service.

Syria, Macedonia and Sierra Leone (four years dedicated to coursework). Slovenia (four or five years), Sudan (five years for BSc honours degree and four years for BSc ordinary degree).

In Algeria, the student presents a thesis in front of a Jury at the end of the fifth year.

See also

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor's degree
• Master of Science
• Bologna process
• British undergraduate degree classification
• British degree abbreviations
• List of tagged degrees