April 23, 2024 What’s the difference between an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree? How do I know if I should get a major or a minor? What does having an honours degree mean? All of these are questions that you may have had while exploring post-secondary and thinking about your future. Below you will find some common terms that you may encounter throughout your UCalgary journey. .png) Credentials: Bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate degree that is around 4 to 5 years in length. Many bachelor’s degrees are direct entry from high school and range in topics from science to arts and engineering. If you are entering straight from high school, your admission will be based on your grade 12 marks. There are some degrees that require previous post-secondary study such as Social Work, Law and Medicine, these will require some length of time in a different undergraduate degree to gain admission. Honours degree: An honours degree is a specialization that you can add into your bachelor’s degree that requires high academic standing and, typically, a thesis project (i.e. an original research idea that students present at the end of their degree). For most students interested in an honours degree, there are a few different ways to gain admission. Some programs at UCalgary, such as Health Sciences, only offer their degree as an honours degree. Other programs offer honours as an option to apply for straight out of high school alongside the normal bachelor’s degree. Other programs have an honours option, but students are only able to add them in their upper years. If you have any questions about the honours system in a specific program you can check out the UCalgary academic calendar here. Combined degree: A combined degree is when a student is taking a combination of two degrees (including honours degrees) and then graduates from both degrees at the same time. These degree combinations typically take around 5 years to complete and must be approved by the faculties. UCalgary offers many different combined degrees to choose from and you can apply for a combined degree in your initial application. Professional undergraduate degree: When you hear the term "professional undergraduate degree" think doctors, lawyers and veterinarians. This degree is one that will lead to a professional doctor degree, examples include a Doctor of Medicine, Juris Doctor and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Typically, these programs require students to have previous post-secondary studies ranging from 2 years to a full degree. Graduate Studies: Graduate studies are the further study and education available to students once they graduate from an undergraduate program. Typical graduate studies programs include master's and PhD programs. These programs will allow students to continue their studies in a specific topic. To learn more about graduate studies you can click here. Common terms: Major: Your major is your main area of focus throughout your degree. Courses in the field of your major will typically take up around one-third of your program. The other two-thirds will be open options, minor courses or other graduation requirements. Double major: Different from a combined degree, a double major is when a student registers in an undergraduate degree with two distinct majors. These two majors must exist in the same faculty as you will be graduating with only one degree at the end. By adding in a double major, you can expect to see 12-16 additional courses added into your graduate requirements. Minor: If you have an additional secondary area of study that you are interested in but are not looking to add a double major or combined degree, a minor is a great option for you. A minor is an additional area of study that can be added into your undergraduate degree in your upper years. Taking a minor will add additional required classes for graduation but should not extend the length of your degree. Embedded Certificate: Embedded certificates are embedded into your degree and are completed alongside your normal bachelor’s program at no extra cost. Our embedded certificates are designed to focus on a specific thematic area and are available to students across faculties. Some examples of embedded certificates that you would be able to add into your degree include Sustainability Studies or Entrepreneurial Thinking. Academic Calendar: The academic calendar is your one stop shop for information about UCalgary policies and admission requirements as well as course descriptions and academic regulations. The academic calendar is a great resource for students to use while they are making their first-year schedule and planning their degree. Academic Communication Certificate (ACC): The Academic Communication Certificate is an English pathway program provided UCalgary. Students who are enrolled in the ACC program may be able to receive conditional admission to a degree program after completing this 4-11 month certificate. 6 units from this certificate may also be eligible as transfer credit towards a UCalgary undergraduate degree! Conditional Offer: When you first receive an offer to UCalgary it may be considered a conditional offer. This is an offer of admission with additional requirements that need to be met by students who have coursework in progress. It is common to see a conditional offer if you are still completing grade 12 courses, transfer courses, or academic upgrading. The requirements need to be met before your conditional offer becomes an official offer. The requirements for your conditional offer will be outlined in your Student Centre (my.ucalgary.ca). First Year Degree Guide: The online guide will help first-year students build their recommended first-year schedule to prepare them well for the following years of your degree. Each program provides students with a specific guide for their degree, explore the different guides here.
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