Degree Dilemma: Is Pursuing An Honors Year Worth It

Year after year, the job market continues to become more competitive, and students are trying to find ways to stand out among prospective employers.

We all know how taking up multiple internships and expanding your network can increase one’s chances of securing career prospects.

But an underrated one that’s often unheard of is pursuing an honors year.

What Is An Honor’s Degree?

You’ve probably heard the term ‘graduating with honors’ at least once. But do you know what it actually means?

Pursuing an honors year in your degree program grants you a higher level of qualification compared to a general Bachelor’s Degree.

In an Honours program, students are tasked to complete a supervised independent research project related to the nature of their study.

This additional academic qualification can either be done simultaneously with your current Bachelor’s Degree or as a standalone year-long course upon completing your undergraduate degree.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, here are 6 reasons why pursuing an Honours can be the next best step in your academic journey!

6 Reasons To Pursue An Honours Year

1. Meet The Prerequisite For Many Hiring Companies

Today, hiring companies are more likely to employ applicants who have completed an honors year compared to those who didn’t.

Since their curriculum is far more demanding and advanced, it shows prospective employers that these students have a better capacity to achieve more complex goals and thrive in a workplace environment.

2. Improve Your Skillsets, From Critical Thinking To Independent Research

Instead of just a general subject, honors programs are designed to tackle more in-depth concepts that would drastically enhance your skillsets as a student.

Since it is positioned to be more advanced than the standard Bachelor’s degree, the curriculum also covers more extensive skills as well.

Some of these include enhanced research skills, strategic problem solving, critical thinking, and report analysis and writing, among many others.

While these also be addressed in general degree courses, they may not be as comprehensive.

3. Fast Track Any Further Studies

For those looking to continue their studies beyond a Bachelor’s Degree, you’ll be glad to know that attaining honors can be of great help to you in the process.

Many students use their honors year as a steppingstone into the world of academic research and further studies such as a master’s degree or PhD.

Certain schools allow students to apply directly for their PhD program just with their honors degree, depending on the admission criteria. This is an opportunity not offered to non-honors degree holders.

Not only would this accelerate your academic journey, but it also gives you a glimpse into what it would be like before deciding to commit to a master’s or PhD program.

4. Gain Professional Certification

Apart from your actual degree, students may also attain professional certification for specific skills and course completions as part of their honors.

These certifications are granted depending on your chosen course or area of specialization.

Let’s take engineering, for example. Some certifications that engineering students can attain include programming foundations, Python, JavaScript, and AI and machine learning.

When presented along with your honors degree at a job interview, you’ll stand a higher chance among your counterparts during the hiring process.

5. Become A Subject Matter Expert

An honors degree is a great way to go beyond your foundational knowledge and delve into more skills-based learning.

Nowadays, employers and companies are on the lookout for candidates with a deep understanding of a particular subject or specialized area.

Instead of taking up general electives, honors programs dive deeper into specific skills such as research and report writing, which is can be extremely useful for those looking to pursue a career in academia.

On top of that, being a subject matter expert also helps students find their niche and opens them up to collaboration opportunities for multidisciplinary research.

6. Further Build Your Professional & Academic Networks

Being a part of an honors program can help build your connections in both your academic and professional networks.

Students will be able to tap into their school’s esteemed list of alumni and faculty members and have the privilege to learn from them firsthand.

Apart from being mentored by these acclaimed academics themselves, simply being connected to them could also open doors for your future employment at the same time.

Whether it’s an on-campus position, being recommended to your dream company, or even finding a co-founder to build a startup with, the opportunities are endless.

Pursue Your Honours Confidently with IDP

Think you need advice from a skilled professional on whether an honors year is the way to go? Our IDP education counselors are here to help.

From going through all the available program options to making sure the necessary requirements are in place, our job is to ensure that the application process goes nothing but smoothly.

Get in touch with us by booking a free counseling session today to have all your questions answered!