Honours Versus General Degree: What Graduate Schools Actually Require
By Muntasir • Published May 27, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Education Planning, Canadian Universities & Colleges
An honours bachelor's degree in Canada requires more credits in your major, usually a higher minimum GPA, and often a thesis or research project, compared to a general or pass degree in the same subject. Most graduate schools and professional programs require an honours degree, or ask you to complete a qualifying year first if you only hold a general degree.
🎓 An honours degree needs more concentrated credits in your major than a general degree in the same subject.
Honours programs commonly set a higher minimum GPA to stay enrolled and to graduate.
Many honours programs require a thesis, major research paper or capstone project in fourth year.
Graduate schools list an honours degree, or its equivalent, as a direct admission requirement for most master's programs.
A general degree holder often adds a qualifying year of extra courses to meet honours-equivalent admission requirements.
What separates honours from general
An honours bachelor's degree requires more courses concentrated in your major subject than a general or pass degree in the same field, plus a higher minimum grade average to stay in the program and to graduate with honours standing. Many honours programs also require a thesis, a major research paper, or a capstone project in the final year, which a general degree in the same subject usually does not.
A general or pass degree spreads your courses across more subjects with fewer required credits in any single major, and sets a lower minimum average. It still counts as a full bachelor's degree, and still qualifies you for many jobs and further study paths, though not automatically for research-focused graduate admission.
| Feature | Honours degree | General or pass degree |
|---|---|---|
| Credits concentrated in your major | Higher, often the largest share of your total | Lower, spread across more subjects |
| Minimum GPA to stay enrolled | Higher, set by each program | Lower, set by each program |
| Thesis or capstone requirement | Common in the final year | Uncommon |
| Direct graduate school admission | Usually meets the requirement | Often needs a qualifying year |
| Typical length | Four years full-time | Three or four years, depending on the school |
Why this distinction still matters
Canadian universities inherited the honours and general degree structure from the British academic system, and most still use it, though the exact naming and requirements sit with each individual university and vary by province . Some newer or smaller programs moved toward a single combined degree structure without a separate general stream, so check whether your specific school still offers both.
What graduate schools ask for
Most Canadian master's programs list an honours bachelor's degree, or its recognized equivalent, as a direct admission requirement, along with a minimum grade average calculated over your final two years of full-time study. Check the specific graduate program's admission requirements page at the university you apply to , since the exact GPA threshold and how it is calculated differs between schools and even between departments at the same school.
If you hold a general or pass degree instead of honours, many graduate schools accept a qualifying year, an additional year of upper-level courses in your intended field, as a path into the master's program. Some graduate programs accept a general degree directly when your grades run strong enough and your coursework already covers enough upper-level content in the discipline, so check the exact policy rather than assuming a qualifying year applies everywhere.
Professional programs and the honours question
Professional and specialized graduate programs, including law, teacher education and many health science graduate programs, generally require a completed four-year honours-equivalent bachelor's degree as a baseline, then layer their own subject-specific and grade requirements on top. Confirm the exact undergraduate degree requirement directly on each professional program's admission page, since requirements differ by school and by profession. Psychology is a clear case of this layering. Some provinces require a doctorate before you can legally use the title psychologist, well beyond the honours-level entry point most students start from.
If you started in general and want to switch to honours
Ask your registrar or academic advisor about switching from a general to an honours stream within your current major. Most schools allow this switch when you meet the honours program's minimum GPA at the time you apply to switch, usually checked at the end of second year.
Switching later than second year stays possible at some schools, but it means adding required honours-level courses on a tighter timeline, and extends your program by a term or a full year depending on how many honours-specific courses you still need.
Why some students choose general on purpose
A general or pass degree suits students who want breadth across multiple subjects rather than depth in one, or students who plan to go straight into the workforce or into further study that does not require an honours-level credential. It also suits students who want a lighter course load in their major to leave room for a double minor or a wide set of electives.
A general degree still opens paths into many graduate programs, professional programs and careers. The honours-only requirement applies most strictly to research-focused academic graduate programs, so check your specific target program rather than assuming honours applies everywhere.
If your school does not separate the streams
Some Canadian universities no longer offer a separate general stream and instead award every bachelor's graduate an honours-equivalent degree by default, as long as they meet the standard graduation GPA. Check your specific school's degree structure directly, since assuming the honours and general split exists everywhere leads to confusion when it does not apply to your school.
What to check before your final year
Whether your specific graduate program of interest requires honours, accepts general with a qualifying year, or accepts either with a strong enough GPA.
Whether your current GPA meets your school's honours program requirement to stay in the stream through graduation.
Whether your honours program requires a thesis or major paper, and how early you need a faculty supervisor for it.
Whether switching streams late in your degree changes your expected graduation date.
Confirm all of this directly with the graduate program's admissions page and your own registrar, since requirements sit at the institution level and change between admission cycles.