# How our degrees work

**Source**: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/how-degrees-work
**Parent**: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate

Find out more about the structure of our undergraduate degrees, what they are named and how they differ from those in other UK universities.

## [Names of our degrees](https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/how-degrees-work/names)

Depending on the subject, our undergraduate degrees may be called 'bachelors' or 'masters'. Our undergraduate masters is a different qualification from a postgraduate masters.

## [Degree structures](https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/how-degrees-work/structures)

Most of our undergraduate degree programmes consist of four years of study to give you a broad, flexible education and the best chance of success in your future career. Some degree programmes take three, five or six years.

This article was published on
2026-01-29