Question About Degree Classifications

The Lovely Muffin

I know this may seem like a silly question, but I'll ask anyway, I won't get an answer otherwise.

Can anyone here tell me, what do the "2:12, "2:2" degree classifcations mean/do? For Irish uni's.

What are they? What do they mean? What are they for?

I have looked around but cannot find anything to help me with Irish universities, only UK universities.

Thank you.

DublinWriter

1st - First Class
2nd - Second Class, 2.1 2.2 2.3 are the various levels within that.
3rd - Third Class, or Pass Degree.

I'm not sure all Uni's have a standard scheme, when I was in TCD I think a 1st was anything above 80% combined exam and thesis total.

pathway33

generally a 'first' or '1' or 'I' is over 70% and called first class honours.

a '2.1' or 'II.I' or 'II.1' is 60 to 69% and called higher second class honours

a '2.2' or 'II.II' or 'II.2' is 50 to 59% and called lower second class honours

a '3' OR 'III' is 40 to 49% and called third class honours.

It also gets more complicated because you can have an ordinary degree (level 7) or an honours degree (level 8) so someone might have got 65% in the final year of their level 7 degree so they would have got higher second class honours in their degree but they wouldn't have an honours degree

The Lovely Muffin

Thank you.

However, I don't understand the following:

you can have an ordinary degree (level 7) or an honours degree (level 8) so someone might have got 65% in the final year of their level 7 degree so they would have got higher second class honours in their degree but they wouldn't have an honours degree

Can anyone explain please?:o

Thank you.

TirNaNog.

you can have an ordinary degree (level 7) or an honours degree (level 8) so someone might have got 65% in the final year of their level 7 degree so they would have got higher second class honours in their degree but they wouldn't have an honours degree
Can anyone explain please?

They mean if you get over 65% in the score they will get a higher second class level 7 degree.

To do an honours degree its Level 8 on the national framework of qualifications

randylonghorn

-Orlaith- wrote: »

However, I don't understand the following:

Can anyone explain please?:o

Thank you.

This diagram illustrates the different levels on the National Qualifications Framework.

Notice there are two types of degrees listed ... the Ordinary Bachelor Degree at Level 7 and the Honours Bachelor Degree at Level 8.

Before the Framework, the Ordinary Bachelor Degree was known as the National Diploma, and typically took 3 years to complete in an Institute of Technology. It was renamed as part of the rationalisation of the Irish qualifications structure to bring it into line with European norms.

This degree at Level 7 is never an Honours degree ... though you might get an "honours" level grade in your final degree, in much the same way that someone will (incorrectly) speak of having achieved "honours" in Pass Irish or Maths in the Leaving Cert because they got an A / B / C in the pass paper.

The Lovely Muffin

Thank you very much.

randylonghorn That diagram is very helpful.