Joint Honours Degree

A joint honours degree is a degree designed to let university students study two courses in one big degree. A joint honours degree is a good way of being able to fast-track your learning in multiple subjects and is particularly favoured by employers looking to upskill their staff.

What is a joint honours degree?

A joint honours degree is a degree that allows you to study more than one subject and then amalgamate them into one single qualification.

There are plenty of joint honours degree pros and cons and the decision you make should take them into account prior to making your decision and make sure you’ve taken them into account before you fill in your joint honours degree UCAS application.

A master’s degree can be combined with another postgraduate degree, however, you cannot combine a postgraduate subject with an undergraduate course.

How do I choose a joint degree?

It’s usually best to find a course that complements the other one, but the choice is entirely up to you. Finding something you're passionate about is very important, but it’s always valuable to have the two courses support your career goals and each other.

That’s not to say that you can’t just study one degree you love and one you're curious about even if they don’t fit together, you can do study what you like, but we recommend picking courses that are more likely to benefit your future career.

You can select the subjects you want to study, however, you won’t be able to select the modules as the modules are already pre-selected by the university.

What is a flexible combined honours degree?

A flexible joint honours degree (sometimes referred to as an FCH) is a degree that allows you to study a wider range of subjects (even if they’re not related) in a more flexible manner.

Flexible joint honours degrees are generally studied by older students who have to balance their work-life around their study life or their home life, but students of all ages can study an FCH if they need to.

It’s usually best to find a course that complements the other one, but it’s always valuable to have the two courses support your career goals and each other.

Does a joint degree count as two degrees?

A joint honours degree is just one degree. As the two subjects are combined, it will mean, for instance, that you have a degree in Maths and Science, rather than a degree in Maths and a degree in Science.

Can you become a teacher with a joint honours degree?

You can still become a teacher with a joint honours degree, however, you will still need to have studied a PGCE degree prior to applying.

When becoming a teacher, the subjects are important for what you want to study, but the most important thing is to study your PGCE degree as well. This can be studied at the same time as your joint honours degree, before or after.

How long does a joint degree take to complete?

This depends on the degree. For instance, a Law degree has been known to take seven years to complete, and if you were to add a Mathematics degree alongside, it then you would find it extended further.

A joint honours degree is a degree that allows you to study more than one subject and then amalgamate them into one single qualification.

Do all universities offer joint degrees?

This depends on the university. Some universities such as UCFB, who specialise in Sports degrees, may not necessarily offer joint degrees as all of the degrees will focus on the same area, however, they may offer additional modules, that otherwise wouldn’t be the main module elsewhere.

Can I do a joint master’s degree?

Yes, but this will need to be studied as a postgraduate degree. A master’s degree can be combined with another postgraduate degree, however, you cannot combine a postgraduate subject with an undergraduate course and vice versa.