What's the difference between a major and an honors major? And what's a module?

[equus]

I'm in grade 11, researching undergraduate programs at different universities, and I've come across a few terms that I don't completely understand:

 

What's the difference between a major and an honors major?

 

And what's a module? If a Major in Physiology module at Western requires 6.0 courses, what does that mean?

[Renin]

A major = you do x number of credit hours in a course (depends on your university).

 

A major + honours = you do an honours project (usually research-based, including a thesis) that has something to do with your major.

 

 

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your other question.

[thatonekid]

Most Honours degrees are 4 years, which is generally what medical schools expect you to be registered in. General degrees are mostly 3 years.

 

I have no clue what a module is.

[Monopoly]

Most Honours degrees are 4 years, which is generally what medical schools expect you to be registered in. General degrees are mostly 3 years.

 

I have no clue what a module is.

 

The OP isn't talking about general programs.

 

Major's and Major's with Honors are both 4 year degrees. Both are acceptable at medical schools. With Hons you do research with a faculty member in the field you are Majoring in and complete an undergraduate thesis.

[w8kg6]

I'm not sure what you mean by module... But I'll take a guess. I'm doing Chemical Engineering, and there aare a lot of different 'options' that a person can do. I'm doing the biomedical option, but there are others like 'nuclear' and 'environmental'. It's basically just a specialized honors that's course based instead of research based, and the main difference is that your electives are traded in for required courses.

 

I'm not sue if that's what you mean by 'module', but it's the closest I can think of.

[waterluv]

I'm just guessing but 'Module' probably is used to distinguish all the possible combinations of major, monor, honors something etc.

[epyfathom]

I believe in med school... modules are the different parts of the curriculum?

[smilee]

I'm in grade 11, researching undergraduate programs at different universities, and I've come across a few terms that I don't completely understand:

 

What's the difference between a major and an honors major?

 

And what's a module? If a Major in Physiology module at Western requires 6.0 courses, what does that mean?

 

Modules is where Western gets confusing lol. But for example, say that you are in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Within that faculty, you can choose to be in different modules (e.g. Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Pathology & Toxicology, Medical Biophysics, etc.) So modules is kind of like your program

 

So say that you have picked your module (e.g. Physiology). Now within your module you can do different types of degrees. Western offers four different ways to get a degree:

- an Honours Specialization (4-year program with research project)

- a Specialization (4-year program without research project)

- a Major (4-year program with less courses than a Specialization)

- a Minor (just a few courses)

 

To get an "honours degree" you must do either an Honours Specialization in your module OR a double major. As you said, a major in Physiology has 6.0 courses (that means 6.0 module-based courses, so ones that you have to take for your Physiology degree). Specializations and Honours Specializations would have a greater number of module-based courses than the majors, with the Honours Specialization programs involving a fourth year thesis (the Specialization programs do not).

 

Either way, whether you complete an honours specialization, a specialization, or a major you will get a degree. It just depends on how "specialized" you want your degree to be.. i.e. if you do a major, you will have more electives, but won't have the opportunity to do a thesis project.

 

Hopefully this isn't too confusing.. basically it goes (in hierarchical order):

 

Faculty (e.g. Medical Science) --> Module (e.g. Physiology) --> Number of courses you are going to take from your module to get your degree (e.g. Honours specialization, specialization, major, or minor)

[equus]

Thanks for the information. I was also confused about Western's med school, if you (or anyone else) knows the answer to this.

I was looking at their requirements to be accepted into their med school, and it said that you need a 4-year honors degree or an equivalent that would allow you to do a master's degree in that area. Would a major in Physiology fit this criteria? I know it's not an honors degree, but would I be able to do a master's degree after getting the major in physiology degree? I'd prefer to do the major instead of honors specialization in physiology because I want more electives, and I plan on completing the Certificat de francais pratique program that Western has as well.

[xi88]

I dont think that the physiology would count as an honours-equivalent. I'm not too sure about Western's specific rules, but it sounds like you might have to do an actual honours.