Bachelor’s degree – an academic qualification awarded for completing an undergraduate course.

BA or Bachelor of Art – a Bachelor’s degree qualification usually in a liberal arts-based academic subject, such as English, Politics or History. Offered by Cambridge, Oxford and Dublin universities as a qualification in science-based academic subjects also.

BMAT or BioMedical Admissions Test - an entrance exam used by some Medicine schools to assess applicants.
    
BS/BSc or Bachelor of Science – a Bachelor’s degree qualification in a science based academic subject, such as Biology, Mathematics or Psychology.

BMedSci or Bachelor of Medical Science – a Bachelor’s degree qualification in the biomedical sciences.

BPTC/BVC or Bar Professional training Course/Bar Vocational Course – a postgraduate course allowing graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Law or a GDL or CPE to train to become a Barrister, by preparing them for pupillage.

Covering Letter - an introductory letter sent by job applicants with their CV to a potential employer, generally to explain briefly their suitability for a job vacancy.

CV or Curriculum Vitae - an overview of a person's life and qualifications, used by employers to gauge the suitability of job applicants for a position.

CPE or Common Professional Examination - a postgraduate qualification allowing graduates who do not have a Bachelor’s degree in Law to take a LPC or BPTC.

Degree - an academic qualification confered by a college or university to show a student has completed a course of study.

Diploma - a qualification that is offered at different levels of education for different courses of study.

Foundation degree – an academic qualification awarded for completing a Foundation course. The qualification is of a lower level than a Bachelor’s degree, and generally leads on to undergraduate-level study or employment.

Foundation year/course – a course which provides a broad introductory level of knowledge in a subject, allowing students to go on to further study in that field.

GAMSAT or Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test - an entrance exam used by some Medicine schools to assess applicants.

GDL/PDL/PgDL or Graduate Diploma in Law – a postgraduate diploma allowing graduates who do not have a Bachelor’s degree in Law to take a LPC or BPTC.

Graduate – a person who has been awarded a degree by a university or other institution.

GTP or Graduate Teacher Programme – a postgraduate course allowing graduates to begin training as a teacher of children whilst employed in a school environment.

Hons or Honours degree – an academic qualification for completing an undergraduate course, and generally require a higher academic standard to achieve than a standard Bachelor’s degree or Integrated Master’s degree qualification.

Internship - a temporary period of work undertaken by a student in a professional setting, allowing them to gain "on-the-job" training and apply their academic knowledge to practical workplace skills. Generally taken by college or university students studying at degree level or higher.

LPC or Legal Practice Course – a postgraduate course allowing graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Law or a GDL or CPE to train to become a Solicitor.

Master’s degree – an academic qualification generally awarded for completing a level of study beyond that of a Bachelor’s degree course.

MA or Master of Arts – a postgraduate Master’s degree qualification in a specialized field of a liberal arts-based academic subject, achieved by studying after gaining a Bachelor’s degree qualification. Also offered to graduates from Cambridge, Oxford or Dublin several years after they have received a BA, with no examinations required.

MBA or Master of Business Administration – a postgraduate Master’s degree qualification in business administration and management, achieved by studying after gaining a Bachelor’s degree qualification and sometimes completing several years of work experience.  

MBioChem or Integrated Master in Biological Chemistry - a Master’s degree qualification in biological chemistry, achieved by studying to a higher academic standard whilst an undergraduate.

MBiolSci or Integrated Master in Biological Sciences - a Master’s degree qualification in the biological sciences, achieved by studying to a higher academic standard whilst an undergraduate.

MChem or Integrated Master of Chemistry - a Master’s degree qualification in chemistry, achieved by studying to a higher academic standard whilst an undergraduate.

MEng or Integrated Master of Engineering - a Master’s degree qualification in engineering, achieved by studying to a higher academic standard whilst an undergraduate.

MSc or Master of Science – a postgraduate Master’s degree qualification in a specialized field of a science based academic subject, achieved by studying after gaining a Bachelor’s degree qualification.

MSci or Integrated Master of Science – a Master’s degree qualification in a science based academic subject, achieved by studying to a higher academic standard whilst an undergraduate.

PGCE or Postgraduate Certificate in Education – a postgraduate qualification in teaching allowing students to begin training as a teacher of children, achieved by studying after gaining a Bachelor’s degree qualification.

PhD or Doctor of Philosophy – an advanced postgraduate academic qualification, in which students receive the title of Doctor after several years completing a thesis based on their own research.

Postgraduate – a student continuing their studies after gaining their first degree.

QTS or Qualified Teacher Status – a status required to become a teacher of children in schools in the UK. Can be achieved by gaining one of several teaching qualifications.  

Sandwich Year – a year spent working in a professional discipline whilst studying for a degree, generally taken between the second and third years of studying for a Bachelor’s degree.

SCITT or School Centred Initial Teacher Training – a postgraduate course allowing graduates to train to become teachers of children in a school environment.

Undergraduate – a student studying for their first degree.

UKCAT or UK Clinical Admissions Test – an entrance exam used by some Medicine schools to assess applicants.

Vocational education - a period of study taken in a professional environment, generally involving hands-on, practical tasks relating to a single profession.

Year in Industry – a year spent working in a professional discipline whilst studying for a degree, generally taken between the second and third years of studying for a Bachelor’s degree.