A university degree is widely considered as the final critical phase of an education journey. The successful completion of a degree program opens a graduate to a world of tremendous possibilities from the perspective of career and earning potential.
Quite simply, not all degrees are equal in terms of the ease of entry, ease of graduation and even employment prospects post-graduation.
Below is a surmised evaluation of the 10 most challenging degrees in the world as complied by studyinternational.com:
1. Aerospace Engineering
In these courses, you will build your knowledge of various mathematics principles, including calculus, trigonometry and algebra — skills needed to become an aerospace engineer.
To study aerospace engineering at the undergraduate level, the University of Bristol requires you to get A*AA or A*A (in any order) in Mathematics and any one of Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics or Computer Science for your A Levels examinations.
2. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering requires the analytical problem-solving skills of engineering to develop innovative technology and equipment that enhance human health.
Think pacemakers, insulin pumps, and printed organs. These are highly complex tools and machinery that must work precisely at all times — and are literally matters of life and death.
It’s no surprise then that this is a programme that will require to master several subjects.
These include biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, mathematics, and medical science.
You are not expected to be experts at all of these but at the very least, you are required to be well-versed in two challenging fields of study.
3. Law
Speak to any of your friends who are studying law, and they might share with you a common complaint: there’s too much to read.
From constitutional law to criminal law, it can be a steep learning curve for law students to grasp various legal principles that touch many aspects of our daily lives — especially if you’re not used to reading in what is usually highly complex English sentences.
That’s not the scariest part.
To become a lawyer, you would need to pass the Bar exams in the jurisdiction of the country you want to practice.
In some countries, the passing rate can be incredibly slim. A Malaysian news outlet reported that less than 20% of students passed the Certificate in Legal Practice, a professional exam applicable to Malaysian law graduates with a degree from a foreign uni.
4. Chartered Accountancy
Like law, students who pursue accounting would need to take on additional training to become chartered accountants.
Usually, it takes three years to complete a degree in accounting, followed by up to three more years of training. Sometimes, students do a longer degree accredited by the relevant professional bodies.
What’s more, you would need to be well-versed in mathematics, computer science, business management, and economics if you decide to study accounting.
Don’t forget about tax regulations concerning individuals and businesses too, as they will be an integral part of your programme and later, career.
5. Architecture
Architecture is more than sketching elaborate design plans.
To become an architect, you’ll need a good understanding of maths, geometry, trigonometry and algebra to plan the dimensions.
What makes the course tough? The substantial workload. As a result, sleep deprivation is common among those who are studying architecture.
“Some professors say that, as an architecture student, all-nighters should be common practice,” said one Instagram user Rafay Qazi, who shared that one professor told them that “sleep is for the weak.”
Ben Sweeting, an architecture course leader at Brighton University, shares: “It’s hard to do very well [at Architecture] and hard to pass. There are no perfect designs or ways of working, but wrong ways of working.
Sweeting adds: “It can also feel more personally challenging than other arts subjects, as your creative vision has to work in practice.”
5. Architecture
Architecture is more than sketching elaborate design plans.
To become an architect, you’ll need a good understanding of maths, geometry, trigonometry and algebra to plan the dimensions.
What makes the course tough? The substantial workload. As a result, sleep deprivation is common among those who are studying architecture.
“Some professors say that, as an architecture student, all-nighters should be common practice,” said one Instagram user Rafay Qazi, who shared that one professor told them that “sleep is for the weak.”
Ben Sweeting, an architecture course leader at Brighton University, shares: “It’s hard to do very well [at Architecture] and hard to pass. There are no perfect designs or ways of working, but wrong ways of working.
Sweeting adds: “It can also feel more personally challenging than other arts subjects, as your creative vision has to work in practice.”
6. Medicine
Let’s start with the course itself.
You need to grasp the complex science behind various medicines, drugs, and diseases. Through clinical practice, you’ll learn how to interact with patients appropriately.
The time it takes to become a doctor depends on where you are studying. But most countries require many, many years of training.
In the US, you will first attend a four-year undergraduate programme. Later, you’ll attend medical school for four years and get matched to a residency upon graduation.
Depending on your speciality, you will spend around three to seven years as a resident before taking a licensing exam for the state or province where you want to practise medicine.
7. Nursing
A nursing degree requires you to master both the practical skills of nursing and extensive background knowledge.
To succeed, you need to grasp the global context of environmental determinants of health, have a basic understanding of bioscience and apply it to nursing.
The tough part of this course is learning to work well with people — many of them.
From interacting with patients to collaborative work with colleagues across multiple disciplines, you’re constantly on your feet.
Practical study for aspiring nurses will expose student to plenty of blood, pain and suffering.
This is never easy, sometimes even for the most experienced nurses.
8. Dentistry
A dentistry degree teaches you all about preventing, detecting, and treating oral diseases.
In this, you can expect to learn about the theories behind dentistry, such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, human disease, pathology and epidemiology.
There’s also the chance to gain practical experience of orthodontics, sedation and minor oral surgeries.
As it is a relatively small organ, you need to be extremely precise — or risk causing pain to your patient.
Due to this technical nature, there is only a handful of universities worldwide for you to pursue dentistry with excellence.
King’s College London, for instance, is one of the best dental schools in the UK. It ranked ninth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 for dentistry.
The entry requirements to study dentistry here would be to achieve a grade A in Biology or Chemistry and a grade A in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology.
9. Psychology
If you thought studying the human mind was easy, think again.
This degree trains you to be skilled and interested in both scientific and social aspects of psychology, including biology and evolution, social anthropology, politics, philosophy, and sociology.
While this degree is flexible, you must know how to apply it in an appropriate situation. Some graduates have managed to link psychology with human resources.
What makes psychology one of the hardest degrees in the world is how little we still know about the human mind.
Unlike medicine, you can’t just amputate a gangrenous foot or let broken bones heal.
Yet, so many people want to have good mental health. There is great demand for good mental well-being, but you will have limited resources and tools to help your patients.
10. Artificial Intelligence
With the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT, unis have started to offer courses related to artificial intelligence.
Here, you’ll learn how to design, build, and apply AI systems to your chosen areas of specialisation.
To do this, a sound understanding of neuroscience, cognitive science, linguistics, and mathematics will help you in your academic journey of uncovering the full potential of AI applications.
A key reason this is considered one of the hardest degrees in the world is because we still know so little about what makes us human.
What separates humans from animals? Why are there tasks that robots just can’t do? These are big questions that AI tries to answer
