What are they?

The qualification is designed to give you a thorough understanding of a subject. It helps you develop your analytical, intellectual and essay or dissertation writing skills. You'll also have much more of a say about the direction your learning takes than you've had previously.

Bachelors degrees are at 'intermediate' and 'honours' levels on the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

What form do they take?

Bachelors degrees in some subjects can take longer; for example, medical courses usually take five or six years.

Bachelors degree courses start throughout the year, although most begin in September or October. Check individual prospectuses to find out about starting dates for particular courses.

You can study for a bachelors degree at universities, higher education colleges and via distance learning.

Different courses will assess you in different ways. Generally, bachelors degrees involve a mixture of exams and coursework. Some ask you for a written dissertation that you produce at the end of the course.

Bachelors degrees are graded: first, upper-second (2:1), lower second (2:2), third, pass, fail. A third or above means you get a bachelors degree with honours.

Who takes them?

Bachelors degrees are designed to give you a thorough understanding of a subject.

Studying towards one helps you develop your analytical, intellectual and essay or dissertation writing skills - skills increasingly demanded by employers. You'll also have much more of a say about the direction your learning takes than you've had previously.

What subjects are available?

Some subjects like medicine, law and architecture prepare you for a particular career. Others, like English or history can equip you with skills for a wide range of jobs.

Finding out more and applying

To study for a bachelors degree, you will need to have some previous qualifications.

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) operates a system called the UCAS tariff. Your previous qualifications can earn points on the tariff to get a place on a particular higher education course; different courses will ask for a different number of points.

Most bachelors degrees ask for at least two A-levels at grade E or above (or equivalent grades in other qualifications).

To find out entrance requirements for a particular course, you can do a search on the UCAS website, or read the course prospectus - most are now available from the universities' websites.

We welcome your comments and feedback on this article.