Compare your Academic Qualification
Details of how the University compares international qualifications to those from the UK, and therefore how any qualification that you may hold compares to the published academic entry requirements, can be found below
Please note that these listing ares subject to constant review and are subject to change.
The University's comparability statements are derived from UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC), the UK National Information Centre for global qualifications and skills, and additional information from the Postgraduate Admissions Office. They are are provided for general guidance purposes only.
Aberystwyth University is only able to recognise qualifications awarded by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that are listed as recognised degree awarding bodies by UK ENIC.
Africa |
European Union |
Americas |
Middle East |
Asia (Central & Pacific) |
other European |
Australasia |
South Asia |
Mature Applicants
Mature applicants, who hold a minimum of 24 months relevant work experience, may be considered for entry to taught Masters Programmes. Even if an applicant's academic qualifications are not comparable to a UK Bachelor's degree, their work experience may supplement their overall profile and could be a deciding factor in determining whether or not they are suitable for the relevant taught Master's, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate course.
The UK Higher Education System
The information below provides background on the UK Higher Education System which may be useful for those looking to compare an international qualification.
UK Bachelors Honours Degree
A UK Bachelor's degree is usually studied over a period 3 years in which students accumulate 360 CATS credits at Levels 1, 2 and 3. Some students in the sciences may study for an additional year, at Level M, in order to obtain an undergraduate Masters degree (e.g. MEng, MPhys, or MMath) that consist of a total of 480 CATS credits and are recognised as appropriate research training for these subject areas.
| Degree Classification | Mark Range |
Percentage of Students obtaining Class/ Division |
|---|---|---|
| First [1] Honours | 70% to 100% | 18.39% |
| Upper Second [IIi] | 60% to 69% | 49.49% |
| Lower Second [IIii] | 50% to 59% | 25.92% |
| Third [III] | 40% to 49% | 6.20% |
UK Masters Degree
UK Masters Degrees are usually studied on a full-time basis for 12 months. Part-time Masters students usually study for 24 months. Masters programmes may be specialist courses leading on from a Bachelor's degree in that subject area; Research Training or Research Preparation Masters that specifically prepare students for PhD; or conversion courses that condense the essential elements of the final 2 years of a Bachelor's degree and a Masters dissertation into a 12 month period. All taught Masters programmes and consist of 180 CATS Credits. An MPhil is a research degree with no taught element. An MRes includes a taught element (1/3) and a research element (2/3). Entry requirements to Masters Degrees are usually either a 2i or a 2ii Honours degree. Some vocational Masters courses also require relevant work experience.
N.B. 180 CATS credits = 90 ECTS credits
UK PhD
This is a pure research programme conducted under the supervision of a specialist in the field. Where relevant, students will follow research training modules during their first year to support their research project. The final assessment will be based on the doctoral thesis and a viva-voce examination in the presence of a (non-Aberystwyth University) External Examiner and a (Aberystwyth University) Internal Examiner. A full-time PhD programme takes at least 3 years, whilst a part-time PhD programme will take at least 5 years. Entry requirements are usually a 2i Honours degree and in some cases a relevant Masters degree.