I'm in the UK and graduated with 1st class honours. Should I write my name as:
- FirstName Surname Bsc(Hons) (1st class)
- FirstName Surname Bsc(Hons)
or something else when writing a CV and on business cards?
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Sign up to join this communityI'm in the UK and graduated with 1st class honours. Should I write my name as:
or something else when writing a CV and on business cards?
No. The class of a degree is not written in your post-nominal qualifications. You can add it in he educational details on your CV.
Here is a slightly different answer, you shouldn't write anything (even if you are very proud of your achievement) in most fields. Your education is for your CV. Normally people put their doctorate and if they have it, habilitation. Any titles, such as Professor go before the name. Most people do not put masters of bachelors titles after their name, check if it is normal for your area of work.
Edit: taking into account comments
When writing it in full, you should write whatever your university specifies you should write. This should be specified on a letter sent to you when you completed your course, or you can probably find it somewhere on their website. It would be unusual, to say the least, for the grade to be included like that.
However, in general, I would prefer either not including them or including only the most minimal form, e.g. J Smith, BSc rather than including the full length post-nominals as, for most purposes, it comes across as pretentious.
Say it... be proud of it. BSc (Hons) "Disipline" (1st class). You've worked hard so put it where you like. Well done.
In the UK a degree with hons requires 360 credits, whereas a degree without hons only requires 300 credits of modules, that's equivalent to a deficit of one half of a full time year of study (120 credits).
The class system is a convoluted but comprehensible method of determining the level of excellence you have achieved in said 360 credit hons level of BSc/BA undergraduate degree undertaken.
The first years studies don't count towards the class system. The second year counts but only by a fraction that I cannot recall at present. 50% or something. The third years classes contribute 100% to the resulting class level. If I remember correctly its a golfing type system, whereas the lesser points achieved results in the higher class of honours.
Again if my mind serves me well (and it usually doesn't) you need approximately 65%+ in second year classes and 90%+ in third year examinations.
This was at the Open University where the level for top marks in an exam was 85%+ whereas in brick uni's its 75%+.
I achieved a first in molecular biology based largely on my excellent year 2 grades which offset my mediocre (but sufficiently passable) year 3 examination results.
I'm doing a double major (to use US vernacular), 180 credits in mol. Bio. which involves every module of that subject available, and 180 in classical chemistry, which also covers all available classes in the subject.
I would add that I am intensely proud of my first class achievement, I worked above and beyond to achieve it and earned the right to be proud of said achievement.
I'd include it on a CV/resume but not a business card, letter, email or on a first date...!