Degree Classification

Undergraduate degree classification information and other exit qualifications.

Classifications

University regulations mean that results from Year 3 (Junior Honours) and Year 4 (Senior Honours) contribute 1:2 for your final degree classification.  

For students who spent Year 3 abroad, and for students on the intercalated Bachelor of Medical Sciences with Honours and Bachelor of Science with Honours in Veterinary Sciences degree programmes, the degree classification is based on the Senior Honours year only.  

 

Borderline Classifications

Boards of Examiners consider marks that are borderline for classification. Borderline marks are defined as marks from two percentage points below the class boundary up to the boundary itself.

The overall proportion of credits in the higher class will be calculated using the same weighting that is used to calculate the overall average mark in the degree. The higher degree will be awarded where the greater proportion of marks falls into the higher class (e.g. 50% or above). In practice, this is interpreted as follows:

  • Borderline classification is based on the proportion of credits with marks at a class above that indicated by the mean mark. This proportion is derived from a weighted average across the Honours years.
  • For Biological Sciences degrees, the proportion of credits in each honours year are weighted one third from Year 3 and two thirds from Year 4.
  • Where 50% or more of the weighted credits are in a class above that indicated by the mean mark, the higher class will be awarded.
  • Where more than 50% of the weighted credits are within or below the class indicated by the mean mark, the class indicated by the mean mark will be awarded.

 

Disregarding Credits

  • Some students will have had courses in their honours years flagged as a result of Exceptional Circumstances, such that the final Board of Examiners will consider whether these course marks should be discounted from the final classification calculation.
  • The School of Biological Sciences has a threshold for the maximum number of credits that can be disregarded in this way.
  • For an undergraduate honours degree in which 240 credits are considered for classification: the Board of Examiners may classify based on a minimum of 120 out of the 240 credits taken in Years 3 and 4. A minimum of 80 credits counting towards classification must be from Year 4.
  • For an undergraduate honours degree in which 120 credits are considered for classification (i.e. if students spent Year 3 abroad or are taking an intercalated degree in Biological Sciences): the Board of Examiners may classify based on a minimum of 80 credits.

Degree Information

The Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website is the University’s definitive record of degree programme and course information which govern a student’s academic career.  

To see the full structure of our degrees through viewing our Degree Programme Tables (DPTs), use the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website;  

  • Select the correct academic year.
  • Select 'Browse Degree Programme Tables (DPTs)'- which can be found under the Degree Programmes heading on the Index Page.
  • The School of Biological Sciences DPTs can be found within the College of Science and Engineering. You can find out more about the courses taken within our programmes through selecting the programme name.
  • The 'DPS' icon next to each programme name provides information on the Degree Programme Specification. Courses within programmes for future academic years have not been finalised yet and are subject to change. 

Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS)

Exit Qualifications

Students who obtain a minimum of 120 credits from passes in courses at the University of Edinburgh. 


Students who obtain a minimum of 240 credits, where at least 120 credits are from passes in courses at the University of Edinburgh, and at least 80 points are from courses at level 8 or above. 


Students must have obtained 360 credits.

Where 240 credits must be from courses listed in: 

  • Science and Engineering Schedules K-Q
  • Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Schedule T
  • Psychology in Schedule I

200 credits must be at level 8, 9 or 10. Including 80 credits at level 9 or 10 in the designated discipline in courses listed in: 

  • Science and Engineering Schedules K-Q
  • Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Schedule T
  • Language Sciences and Psychology Schedule I

Visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website for details. 

DRPS


Visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website for details. 

DRPS


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