Dictionary Definition
undergraduate n : a university student who has
not yet received a first degree [syn: undergrad]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Noun
undergraduate (plural undergraduates)- A student at a university who has not yet received a degree.
Translations
- Finnish: ylioppilas
Adjective
undergraduate- Of, relating to, or being an undergraduate.
- undergraduate studies
See also
Extensive Definition
In some educational systems,
undergraduate education is post-secondary
education up to the level of a bachelor's
degree. In the United States, students of higher degrees are
known as graduates.
Programs
British system
In the United Kingdom undergraduate refers to those who are studying towards either:- a bachelor's degree (see NQF Level 6) which usually takes three years, or four in Scotland
- those on an "extended and enhanced" course leading directly to a Master's degree (see NQF Level 7) which usually takes four years, or five in Scotland .
Note:The discrepancy in length between Scotland
and the rest of Britain is due to Scottish secondary education
ending at the age of 17 as compared to 18 in the rest of the UK.
Note:Degree programs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are
shorter than those in North America due to the more specialized
nature of A-levels. According
to the British
Council,A-levels are equivalent to an American high school
diploma plus the Advanced
Placement Program.
Irish system
In Eire's Higher Education system the system is similar to that of the United Kingdom, reflecting the shared origins of undergraduate education for both countries. The bachelor degree generally lasts three years.Other European systems
In many other, particularly continental European systems, something like an "undergraduate" degree in the American sense does not exist. Unlike in the US, where students engage in general studies during the first years of tertiary education and only specialize in a "major" during the last years of college, European students enroll in a specific course of studies they wish to pursue right from the beginning, as they are expected to have received a sound general education already in the secondary level, in a school such as a gymnasium or lycée. At university, which they can enter at an age as early as 18 or even 17 in many countries, they specialize in a subject field which they pursue in a curriculum of, in most cases, four or five years of studies. The fields available include those which are only taught as graduate degrees in the US, such as law or medicine.If there is a separate undergraduate degree,
higher degrees (Master, Licentiate, Doctor) can be gained after
completing the undergraduate degree. In the traditional German
system, there were no undergraduate degrees in some fields, such as
engineering: students continued to Master's level education without
any administrative breakpoint, and employers would not consider
half-finished Master's degrees. In many countries, the English
distinction between a bachelor's
and master's
degree is only now being introduced by the Bologna
process. Under the new Bologna reform, universities in Central
Europe are introducing the Bachelor level (BA or BS) degree, often
by dividing a 5-year Master-level program into two parts (3-year
Bachelor's + 2-year Master's), where students are not obligated to
continue with the second Master's-degree part. These new Bachelor's
degrees are similar in structure to British Bachelor's
degrees.
In the traditional German system, there is a
vocational degree (Diplom FH) that is
similar in length, and is also considered an academic degree.
Though it is designed as a specialist degree, in contrast to the
Diplom degree at Universität, which claims to be more generalist.
Germany itself, however, is currently abolishing the legal
distinction between Fachhochschule and Universität. They are both
translated as university and they both provide bologna-compliant
and equivalent postgraduate degrees.
American System
In the United States of America undergraduate refers to those who are studying towards a bachelor's degree. The most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelor's degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.)Unlike in the British model, degrees in law and
medicine are not offered at the undergraduate level and are
completed as graduate study after earning a bachelor's degree.
Neither field specifies or prefers any undergraduate major, though
medicine has set prerequisite courses that must be taken before
enrollment.
Some students choose to attend a community
college for two years prior to further study at another college or
university. In most states, community colleges are operated either
by a division of the state university or by local special districts
subject to guidance from a state agency. Community colleges may
award Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree
after two years. Those seeking to continue their education may
transfer to a four-year college or university (after applying
through a similar admissions process as those applying directly to
the four-year institution, see articulation). Some community
colleges have automatic enrollment agreements with a local
four-year college, where the community college provides the first
two years of study and the university provides the remaining years
of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community college awards
the associate's degree, and the university awards the bachelor's
and master's degrees.
Indian system
In India it takes three or four years to complete a "graduate" degree. The three year undergraduate programs are mostly in the fields of arts, humanities, science etc, and the four year programs are mostly in the fields of technology, engineering, medicine, etc.Pakistan system
In Pakistan it takes two years to complete a "graduate" degree after completion of undergraduate degree. The four year undergraduate programs are mostly in the fields of arts, humanities, science, technology, engineering, medicine, etc.Brazilian system
In Brazil, undergraduate degrees may be either bachelor's degrees, which usually take 4 or, in the case of law, 5 years to complete, or professional diplomas, which normally require 5 or, in the case of medicine, 6 years to complete. Bachelor's degrees are awarded in most fields of study in the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. Professional diplomas on the other hand are awarded in state-regulated professions such as architecture, engineering, psychology, pharmacy, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, and medicine properly. One of the main differences from the American system is that students must choose their majors before joining the university, when taking the competitive entrance exam known as Vestibular.South African system
The South African system usually has a 3-year undergraduate Bachelor’s degree, with one or two majors. (There are exceptions, such as the medical qualification (MBChB) which is six years.) A fourth year, known as an Honours year, is considered a post-graduate degree. It is usually course-driven, although may include a project or thesis.Nigerian system
In Nigeria, an undergradute degree (excluding Medicine, Engineering, Law and Architecture) are four-year based courses. Medicine (MBBS)and Architecture normally take 6 years to complete studies while Law and Engineering courses take five years to complete studies.References
See also
undergraduate in German: Undergraduate
studies
undergraduate in Spanish: Pregrado
undergraduate in French: Undergraduate
undergraduate in Portuguese: Graduação
undergraduate in Simple English:
Undergraduate
undergraduate in Chinese: 大學部
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
autodidactic, bookish, cadet, college-bred, collegiate, freshman, graduate, junior, learned, midshipman, plebe, postgraduate, schoolboyish, schoolgirlish, senior, soph, sophomore, sophomoric, studentlike, studious, undergrad, upperclassman