<P> In South Africa, non-professional bachelor's degrees (BA, BSc, BCom) are three year degrees (professional degrees such as engineering degrees or medicine are longer). The honours degree is an optional fourth - year and is an additional one - year qualification . Usually the honours degree specialises in one subject matter (e.g., mathematics, English). Intake into the honours degree is often highly selective . The bachelor's degree is at level 7 and the honours degree at level 8 on the National Qualifications Framework of the South African Qualifications Authority . Research components must comprise at least 25% of the honours degree . </P> <P> In the United States, an honours degree (or honors degree in US spelling) requires a thesis or project work beyond that needed for the normal bachelor's program . Honours programs in the US are taken alongside the rest of the degree and often have a minimum GPA requirement for entry, which can vary between institutions . Some institutions do not have a separate honours program, but instead refer to bachelor's degrees awarded with Latin honours, which may be based either on GPA or class position, as honours degrees . </P>

Ba (hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications