7.A Read the text about degrees awarded by uk universities and colleges and do the tasks that follow. Degrees awarded at higher educational establishments

Degrees are awarded by universities, polytechnics, colleges and institutes of higher education. Universities have the right to award their own degrees; polytechnic and college degrees have to be validated (i.e. approved and underwritten), usually by the Council for National Academic Awards but occasionally by universities.

Awarded degrees include "first degrees" and "higher degrees". First degrees (also called undergraduate degrees) are now required for entry into a wide range of careers in the UK and other countries. Most undergraduate programmes in the UK lead to Bachelor's degrees, such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Education (BEd), Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Medicine (MB). A few lead to a Master's qualification instead, such as Master of Engineering (MEng).

Labels such as "arts" and "science" do not necessarily indicate the content of a course: some institutions award a Bachelor of Arts in almost every discipline, including science and engineering.

First degrees are normally awarded at honours and ordinary (or pass) levels, with honours degrees further divided into First Class, Second Class (upper and lower) and Third Class.

Most Bachelor honours degrees take just three years to complete. 'Sandwich' degrees (involving a period of work experience) and Scottish honours degrees usually take four years, while some professional degrees take longer (e.g. five years for medicine or dentistry).

Higher degrees (postgraduate degrees) are available to those who already hold a first degree (especially a first-class or upper-second-class honours). Higher degrees are of two basic kinds – taught degrees (for which one normally sits an examination) and research degrees (for which one normally submits a thesis) – and of three basic levels.

The lowest level – usually, but not always called 'masters' degrees – may be conferred through either teaching or research, and may require one or two years of full-time study (or the equivalent in part-time study). There is no uniformity if terminology between institutions; such degrees include: Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Master of Education (MEd) etc. However, the word 'master' does not always appear in the name of a postgraduate degree: BPhil, BLitt and even sometimes BSc can be postgraduate degrees.

The next level – called 'Doctor of Philosophy' (PhD or occasionally DPhil) regardless of the subject of study – is a more advanced qualification requiring the submission of a thesis based on original research, and usually assumed to take three years of full-time study.

Finally, 'higher doctorates' (such as Doctor of Letters(DLitt) and Doctor of Science (DSc) are awarded for distinguished contribution to an academic field, actually on the basis of books or other publications over a period of years.

7.b Explain the following concepts from the text.

to award a degree; polytechnic; institute of higher education; to be validated; the Council for National Academic Awards; first degree; honours level; pass level; upper-second-class honours; sandwich degree; Scottish honours degree; postgraduate degree; taught degree; research degree; thesis; full-time study; higher doctorates; doctor of letters.

7.c Decipher the following acronyms from the text.

BA; BSc; BEd; BEng; LLB; MB; MEng; MA; MSc; MBA; LLM; MPhil; MEd; BPhil; BLitt; BSc; PhD; DPhil; DLitt; DSc.

7.d Draw a UK degrees hierarchy chart and discuss with your partner the similarities and differences between UK and Ukrainian academic degrees.

8.a You will hear two people, Martin and Wendy, talking about how useful a degree in Media Studies can be. Before you listen, discuss the questions below with a partner.

1. What do you think a 'useful' university degree is? Are there any 'useless' university degrees?

2. How important are the following in university education?

a) acquiring thorough knowledge of your major

b) developing skills that will be useful in the workplace (interpersonal skills, research skills, IT skills etc.)

c) networking

d) getting a degree that will offer you professional security (such as a degree in Medicine)

3 Do you know of anyone who is in a job that is completely unrelated to what they studied at university or college? How do they feel about their job?