The current British undergraduate degree classification system, with its division into first, upper and lower second, and third class honours, was developed in 1918 to distinguish between students on the basis of their academic achievement.
[19] Other countries and territories influenced by this system include Australia, Brunei, Canada, New Zealand, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, The Netherlands and Hong Kong.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bachelor's degrees are normally awarded "with honours" after three years of study.
It lasts the same length of time as the general bachelor's degree, but requires a higher level of study.
[27] A number of honours degrees are offered by the University of Malta, and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), usually indicating an extra year of study with an undergraduate dissertation or a specialisation within a three-year programme.
In most universities, this programme offers an interdisciplinary approach, blending teachings from social and medical sciences, as well as knowledge from the fields of business and economics, art and law to all honours students.
[29][30] To gain access to this programme, prospective students must demonstrate outstanding academic performance, and average a GPA of minimum 7.5/10 at the end of their studies to graduate with Honours.
Ordinary (non-honours) bachelor's degrees are at level 7 of the framework and take three years (180 EFTS credits) to complete.
[35][36] University of Toronto previously had a similar differentiation between three- and four-year degrees, additionally imposing a higher cGPA minimum of 1.85 for the honours option instead of the 1.5 required for ordinary.
[37] As of the 2022-23 academic year,[ref] students taking a four-year degree may still elect to receive an ordinary B.A.
In those universities, honours programmes also require a higher degree of specialization than non-honours "major" degrees, including a supervised research project or thesis, and students are required to maintain a high academic standard.
[39][40][41][42][43][44] Thesis-based honours degrees prepare students for research-based postgraduate study, and may sometimes allow direct entry into doctoral programmes.
[3] Honours programmes in the US are taken alongside the rest of the degree and often have a minimum GPA requirement for entry or college-entrance exam score, which can vary between institutions.
[52] Entry to an honours degree generally requires proven abilities and a distinction (75% or greater average) in the relevant area or the final-year units.
In the case of a quality thesis being produced, its findings may be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal or similar publication.
[61] The programme typically consists of taught courses, coupled with a research component (at least 25% of the degree).