Bachelors Degree - Honours Degree - Masters Degree - PHD
Would that be the right sequence ? that the most basic
'achievement' in uni would be bachelors degree? Or is there a
'simple' degree before proceeding to bachelors degree ?
In Singapore education system, the bachelor degree is the
'basic' tertiary degree. Typically it is a three-year programme,
though some may stretch to four years or more (e.g. engineering,
architecture, etc). If your grades are good, the university may
offer you to do your honours for one extra year. Some degree
programmes are direct honours, i.e. you are able to do honours
without the need to wait till your final year to know if you are
selected.
After bachelor degree, you can opt for post-graduate studies,
which are your masters and doctorate level programmes. Some
programmes allow you to go matriculate directly into a PhD
programme, after graduating with a bachelor. But you are not saving
much time, as PhD programmes are typically five years or more in
duration. Masters programmes are generally between 1-3 years.
Post-graduate programmes, in particular masters, have two
tracks: coursework or research.
Coursework programmes are similar to your bachelor degree
programme where you take subjects/modules and rack up credits to
graduate. Research programmes are well, research-based where you
perform field research and write up papers on topics relevant to
your discipline, under the mentorship of a (associate) professor. I
believe most, if not all, PhD programmes are research-based. Please
correct me if I'm wrong on this point.
Hope this helps.
