Hi

I wanted to write a post about the difference between what a  honours degree means in different countries .Having recently competed a Honours Bachelor of Science in computer games development in Ireland I am looking to start my career in the industry.My main search for work is in Ireland and the UK, the thing is my degree means different things in each countries.

I wanted to write this post to clear up a few things for employers and follow graduates.

While all Course’s will have different subjects In Ireland and Scotland an honors degree is 4 years and in England and wales it is 3 years.Similarly a ordinary degree  is 3 years and two years.

In Ireland  the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is used to compare and contrast the   level and standard of different qualifications. For example in Ireland a honours bachelor degree is a level eight , in Scotland it is a level 10 and in England , Wales and northern Ireland it is a level 6 so it’s important to be aware of the different levels used to measure qualifications.

I got this information  from a leaflet by  the UK and Ireland qualifications authorities to help cross reference the qualifications frameworks in the UK and Ireland . It  is really useful and can be found in PDF form here.

As for grading of degrees it is very similar with 1st , 2:1 and 2:2 all meaning the same thing except in Ireland between 40% and 50% of a Honours Degree is a known as a Pass while in the UK it is a 3rd.

I hope this was helpfully, please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions to make this post better.

cheers

Katie