Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books such as Who's Who and on business cards. Many degree titles have more than one possible abbreviation, with the abbreviation used varying between different universities. In the UK it is normal not to punctuate abbreviations for degrees with full stops (e.g. "BSc" rather than "B.Sc."), although this is done at some universities.
Overview
The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies lays down five levels of qualification with the title of degree: foundation (not in Scotland), ordinary and honours bachelor's (only separate levels in Scotland), master's and doctoral. These relate to specific outcome-based level descriptors and are tied to the Bologna Process.
It is common to put the name of the awarding institute in brackets after the degree abbreviation, e.g. BA (Lond). A list of standard abbreviations for British universities can be found at .
Note that the lists below include historical degrees that may not currently be offered in British universities.
Anomalies
For historical reasons some universities (the ancient universities of England and Scotland) do not fully adhere to the Framework (particularly with respect to the title of Master of Arts), and degrees in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine are titled as bachelor's degrees despite being at master's level.
Undergraduate Master of Arts degrees
The usage in the ancient universities is not consistent with the Framework or the Bologna Process. The ancient universities of England (Oxford and Cambridge) grant an MA degree that is not a substantive qualification but reflects the ancient practice of these universities of promoting BAs to MAs (and thus full membership of the University) a few years after graduating (see Master of Arts (Oxbridge and Dublin)). The ancient universities of Scotland award an undergraduate MA (see Scottish MA) instead of a BA. For students to obtain a master's degree consistent with the framework in these ancient English universities, they have created the MSt (Master of Studies) to address this anomaly and differentiate between the degrees, both master's.
The MAs from Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews are considered bachelor's level qualifications on the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and first cycle qualifications under the Bologna Process, while the Oxbridge MAs are considered "not academic qualifications" (the actual qualification being the BA).
Master's level bachelor's degrees
Conversely, some bachelor's degrees in the "higher faculties" at the older universities in the UK (e.g. those other than arts at Oxford and Cambridge) are postgraduate qualifications (e.g. the BCL and BMus at Oxford). Many have been changed to the corresponding master's degree (e.g. BSc is now MSc at Oxford), but only within the last generation. The BD (Bachelor of Divinity) remains a higher degree at some universities (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and, until recently, Durham) but is an undergraduate degree at most (e.g. London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow).
Bachelor's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, while undergraduate degrees, are longer courses and are considered to be master's level qualifications in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and second cycle qualifications under the Bologna Process.
Bachelor/Master/Doctor of Philosophy
There is an international (but not universal) custom that certain degrees will be designated '.... of Philosophy'. Examples are the BPhil (Bachelor of Philosophy), MPhil (Master of Philosophy) and PhD or DPhil (Doctor of Philosophy). Most recipients of such degrees have not engaged in a specialised study of academic philosophy – the degree is available for almost the whole range of disciplines. The origins lie in the ancient practice of regarding all areas of study as elements of 'philosophy' with its Greek meaning, 'friend of wisdom'. Thus holders of an MPhil degree may have earned it in any academic discipline.
Foundation level qualifications
Foundation degree qualifications are at level 5 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. They are classified under the Bologna Process as short cycle (within or linked to the first cycle) qualifications.
The prepositions in the qualifications' names as awarded vary between institutions and are sometimes omitted.
FdA, FDA, FDArts – Foundation Degree [in/of/of the] Arts FdEd, FDEd – Foundation Degree [in/of] Education FdEng – Foundation Degree [in/of] Engineering FDS, FDSc – Foundation Degree [in/of] Science
Bachelor's level qualifications
These qualifications sit at level 6 (bachelor's level) of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and are first cycle (end of cycle) qualifications under the Bologna Process.
Most British bachelor's degrees are honours degrees and indicated by putting "(Hons)" after the degree abbreviation. A student achieving a pass grade, below honours standard, may be awarded an "ordinary degree" or a "pass degree" and may not add "(Hons)".
As noted above, the MAs of the ancient universities of Scotland are also at this level and may also add "(Hons)" after their acronyms. Both these and bachelor's degrees with honours at Scottish universities are four-year courses at level 10 of the Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education Institutes in Scotland. Scottish bachelor's degrees without honours (including non-honours MAs from the ancient universities of Scotland) are three-year course with less specialisation (an Ordinary Degree or a General Degree) at level 9 of the Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education Institutes in Scotland.
Some of the following are postgraduate degrees in a few universities, but generally bachelors are undergraduate degrees.
AgrB – Bachelor of Agriculture BA – Bachelor of Arts BA(Admin) – Bachelor of Arts in Administration BACom – Bachelor of Arts in Commerce BAEcon – Bachelor of Arts in Economics BA(Ed) – Bachelor of Arts in Education BA(FS) – Bachelor of Arts in Financial Studies BAI – Bachelor of Arts in Engineering (Arte Ingeniaria) BAI(Elect) – Bachelor of Arts in Electrical Engineering BAI(Mech) – Bachelor of Arts in Mechanical Engineering BALaw – Bachelor of Arts in Law BAO – Bachelor of Arts in Obstetrics (Arte Obstetricia) BARelSt – Bachelor of Arts on Religious Studies BASc – Bachelor of Arts and Science BASoc – Bachelor of Arts in Sociology BATheol – Bachelor of Arts in Theology BA/BSc – Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science BAcc – Bachelor of Accounting BAdmin – Bachelor of Administration BAgr – Bachelor of Agriculture BAH – Bachelor of Animal Health BArch – Bachelor of Architecture BArchSc – Bachelor of Architectural Science BBA – Bachelor of Business Administration BBLS – Bachelor of Business and Legal Studies BBS – Bachelor of Business Studies BBus – Bachelor of Business BChem – Bachelor of Chemistry BCL – Bachelor of Civil Law BCLD(SocSc) – Bachelor of Community Learning and Development in Social Sciences BClinSci – Bachelor of Clinical Science BCom – Bachelor of Commerce BCombSt – Bachelor of Combined Studies BCommEdCommDev – Bachelor of Community Education and Community Development BComSc – Bachelor of Commercial Science BD – Bachelor of Divinity BDes – Bachelor of Design BDiv – Bachelor of Divinity BEconSc – Bachelor of Economic Science BEconSci – Bachelor of Science in Economics BEd – Bachelor of Education BEng – Bachelor of Engineering BES – Bachelor of Engineering Studies BEng(Tech) – Bachelor of Engineering in Technology BEng/BSc – Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science BFA – Bachelor of Fine Art BFin – Bachelor of Finance BFLS – Bachelor of Financial and Legal Studies BFST – Bachelor of Food Science and Technology BH – Bachelor of Humanities BHealthSc – Bachelor of Health Sciences BHSc – Bachelor of Health Science BHy – Bachelor of Hygiene BIBA – Bachelor of International Business Administration BJur – Bachelor of Jurisprudence BL – Bachelor of Law BLE – Bachelor of Land Economy BLegSc – Bachelor of Legal Science BLib – Bachelor of Librarianship BLing – Bachelor of Linguistics BLitt – Bachelor of Letters or Bachelor of Literature BLittCelt – Bachelor of Celtic Letters BLS – Bachelor of Library Studies BM – Bachelor of Medicine BM – Bachelor of Midwifery BMedSc – Bachelor of Medical Science(s) BMedSci – Bachelor in Medical Science BMet – Bachelor of Metallurgy BMid – Bachelor of Midwifery BMidWif – Bachelor of Midwifery BMin – Bachelor of Ministry BMS – Bachelor of Midwifery Studies BMSc – Bachelor of Medical Science BMus – Bachelor of Music BMusEd – Bachelor of Music Education BMusPerf – Bachelor of Music Performance BN – Bachelor of Nursing BNatSci – Bachelor in Natural Science BNS – Bachelor of Nursing Studies BNurs – Bachelor of Nursing BOptom – Bachelor of Optometry BOst – Bachelor of Osteopathy BPA – Bachelor of Public Administration BPA – Bachelor of Performing Arts BPharm – Bachelor of Pharmacy BPhil – Bachelor of Philosophy BPhil(Ed) – Bachelor of Philosophy in Education BPhys – Bachelor of Physics BPhysio – Bachelor of Physiotherapy BPl – Bachelor of Planning BRadiog – Bachelor of Radiography BSc – Bachelor of Science BScAgr – Bachelor of Science in Agriculture BSc(Dairy) – Bachelor of Science in Dairying BScD – Bachelor of Science in Dentistry BSc(DomSc) – Bachelor of Science in Domestic Science BScEc – Bachelor of Science in Economic and Social Studies BScEcon – Bachelor of Science in Economic Science or Bachelor of Economic and Social Studies BSc(Econ) – Bachelor of Science in Economics BSc(Ed) – Bachelor of Science in Education BSc(Eng) – Bachelor of Science in Engineering BScFor – Bachelor of Science in Forestry BScHW – Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellbeing BSc(HealthSc) – Bachelor of Science in Health Science BSc(Hort) – Bachelor of Science in Horticulture BSc(MCRM) – Bachelor of Science in Marine and Coastal Reserve Management BSc(Med) – Bachelor of Science in Medicine BSc(Mid) – Bachelor of Science in Midwifery BSc(Min) – Bachelor of Science in Mining BSc(Psych) – Bachelor of Science in Psychology BScHSc – Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences BScPH – Bachelor of Science in Public Health BScTech – Bachelor of Science in Technology BSocSc – Bachelor of Social Sciences BSS – Bachelor of Social Studies BSt – Bachelor of Studies BStSu – Bachelor of Deaf Studies BSW – Bachelor of Social Work BTCP – Bachelor of Town and County Planning BTech – Bachelor of Technology (not to be confused with BTEC) BTechEd – Bachelor of Technological Education BTh – Bachelor of Theology BTheol – Bachelor of Theology BTS – Bachelor of Theatre Studies EdB – Bachelor of Education LittB – Bachelor of Literature or Bachelor of Letters LLB – Bachelor of Laws LLB(Eur) Bachelor of Laws (European) MA – Master of Arts (bachelor's level at some Scottish universities) MA(SocSci) – Master of Arts (Social Sciences) MusB – Bachelor of Music ScBTech – Bachelor of Science in Technology
Master's level qualifications
These qualifications sit at level 7 (master's level) of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and are second cycle qualifications under the Bologna Process.
Undergraduate-entry degrees
Undergraduate-entry "Integrated master's" degrees are offered with honours, and so may add (hons) after the degree abbreviation. These are substantive master's degrees integrating undergraduate and master's level study, with the final qualification being at the same level as postgraduate master's.