Undergraduate study usually leads to a first degree; postgraduate study normally follows it. Integrated master’s courses and Scottish MA titles explain why the award name alone can mislead.
The difference at a glance
Undergraduate study usually leads to a first degree; postgraduate study is advanced study normally taken after an undergraduate degree or equivalent experience. Bachelor’s degrees are the usual undergraduate example. Master’s degrees and doctorates are usual postgraduate examples, but an integrated master’s or a Scottish undergraduate MA needs a closer look. [1] [2] [5]
In the UK, the distinction describes a course’s place in the education pathway. It does not describe the student’s age, whether the course is full-time, or whether they have ever attended university before. Someone taking a second bachelor’s degree can still be an undergraduate.
| Question | Undergraduate | Postgraduate |
|---|---|---|
| Usual starting point | School/college qualifications or another accepted entry route | A relevant degree or accepted equivalent experience |
| Typical awards | BA, BSc and other bachelor’s degrees; some integrated master’s | MA or MSc, postgraduate certificates/diplomas, research degrees and doctorates |
| Learning focus | Building degree-level knowledge in a subject | More advanced specialisation, professional study or research |
| Typical full-time duration | Bachelor’s often three or four years; some longer | A taught master’s is often one year; research and doctoral routes vary |
| Do the words identify a fixed level number? | No: check the award and national framework | No: master’s and doctoral qualifications occupy different levels |
These are typical routes, not automatic entry entitlements. Postgraduate courses can accept relevant professional experience, and individual subjects can require particular previous study. An undergraduate degree does not make someone eligible for every postgraduate course. [1]
An integrated master’s starts with undergraduate study and continues to master’s-level work within one programme. An integrated MEng is one example. You apply to the undergraduate-entry course rather than treating its final award as proof that you already need a bachelor’s degree. [2] [3]
This separates two questions that are often muddled: how you enter the course and what level of award it eventually gives you. An integrated MEng can be an undergraduate-entry programme leading to a master’s-level qualification. A separate postgraduate MSc normally starts after a first degree or another accepted background.
| Example | Usual route | Final award level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| BSc honours | Undergraduate first degree | Level 6 |
| Integrated MEng | Undergraduate-entry programme | Level 7 |
| Separate MSc | Postgraduate programme | Level 7 |
| PhD or DPhil | Doctoral research programme | Level 8 |
The integrated MEng and separate MSc can share an award level while having different entry routes. A level number describes the qualification’s level, not an identical syllabus or interchangeable admissions requirements. [2] [3]
In Scotland, an honours degree is at SCQF level 10, a master’s or integrated master’s at level 11, and a doctorate at level 12. The level numbers used for equivalent stages in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are 6, 7 and 8. Do not compare a Scottish “10” with an English “7” as though they were marks on one scale. [3] [4]
There is also a naming exception. An undergraduate MA at the University of Edinburgh is equivalent to a BA and is not a postgraduate qualification. If an MA appears in an undergraduate course list, read the actual course description before assuming it requires a previous degree. [5]
Consider two fictional applicants. Maya is finishing school and choosing a first engineering degree. Ben already has a BSc and wants more specialised study. Neither applicant’s age determines the course category.
For Maya, an integrated MEng belongs among undergraduate-entry possibilities, subject to its entry conditions. For Ben, a separate MSc may be the next route, subject to its requirements. Both could eventually hold a master’s-level award, reached by different paths. [1] [2] [3]
Open the description that has caused confusion. The answers show what to check before you apply.
That is consistent with an integrated undergraduate-entry master’s. Check that the course explicitly identifies itself as integrated, then read its entry requirements and progression rules. The master’s title describes the final award. [2] [3]
That is the usual postgraduate route. Check the subject background and other conditions, including whether relevant experience is accepted. “I have a degree” is not the same as “I meet this course’s requirements”. [1]
Do not reclassify it from the letters alone. The undergraduate MA is equivalent to a BA; it is different from a postgraduate master’s. Confirm the particular programme’s category and entry requirements. [5]
Postgraduate study includes taught master’s programmes and research master’s programmes. A taught course can still include a research project; a research route puts more emphasis on building research experience. Doctorates involve substantial research, so “postgraduate” does not mean one fixed type of classroom course. [1] [5]
For a useful shortlist, record the programme title, study category, award, entry conditions, duration and national framework. Then compare courses with the same purpose. Fees and funding are separate questions: the words undergraduate and postgraduate alone cannot settle your entitlement.
A graduate is someone who has completed a degree. “Postgraduate” describes a further course or qualification category. A graduate starting a second bachelor’s degree is studying an undergraduate programme.
No. Integrated master’s programmes have undergraduate entry, and some Scottish undergraduate MA titles are a separate naming tradition. Check the programme, not only the letters. [2] [5]
Entry conditions vary by programme. Read the particular doctorate’s requirements rather than treating the general study pathway as a universal admission rule. [1] [5]
Sources reviewed on 6 October 2026. Worked examples and exercises were written for this article. AI assisted preparation; the featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.
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