Surviving the World's Toughest Degree Program 

It's the subject of much debate (and not all of it civil) - who offers, or has completed, the toughest degree program? Recent discord arose on social media earlier this year when it was claimed that the Guinness Book of World Records had recognised the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as the world's toughest degree program. It was claimed that the course contained 64 university exams, in addition to 164 series exams and 174 assignments within two years. No contextual information was offered, and it was not made clear which nursing degree these requirements described (the program differs between countries and universities, in terms of duration and content). In addition to the lively discussion the comment prompted, Guinness also stated that it did not acknowledge a "toughest degree" category, so the claims were erroneous.

The lack of any official recognition has not stopped a slew of online platforms publishing lists of the "most difficult" degrees. Many of the same contenders appear across these lists. Medicine, Law, Engineering and Architecture feature repeatedly, and this would indicate that "difficult" is synonymous with competition, although the content of each course is also rigorous. Ivy League, Russell Group and other highly selective universities derive at least some of their social, intellectual and economic kudos from their elite nature. Such institutions wouldn'-t feel quite so prestigious if these was room for everyone. Cambridge University claims an undergraduate acceptance rate of around 18%, as does Oxford. As of 2021, Harvard cited an acceptance rate of just 4%, while Yale claimed 5.3%, Stanford 3.9% and MIT 6.7%.

These figures are themselves self-selecting - for the most part, only students who believe they have a chance of admission will apply or be allowed to apply. Figures like this are widely circulated on student forums and occasionally official university platforms. There are also an average across each institution as some programs remain more in-demand than others. For example at Columbia, recent trends have shown that Computer Science is significantly more oversubscribed than the Visual Arts. Capacity also has an impact. For example, those hoping to study medicine in the UK or Hong Kong receive part of their training from a public health system, meaning that the annual number of places available is capped.

Other courses have self-selecting candidates as a result of pure difficulty. For many years, the Cambridge Math Tripos was argued to be the most difficult program in the world. Undoubtedly, those who undertake such programs have impressive abilities, but they are also niche. Perhaps the initial example of nursing should not be discounted. Programs like nursing and medicine require shift-work alongside full-time studies, adding to the relentless nature of the course. Despite claims made by universities - and those proud of their admission to or completion of "tough" programs - there is no sensible measure of difficulty. Such discussions are little more than an opportunity to brag.

For students who want to hone their reading comprehension skills, here are some questions to test your inference skills.

Comprehension Questions:

1: Which is one of Columbia University’s least popular majors?

2: As a percentage, what is the University of Oxford’s admissions rate?

3: What has been claimed to be the “most difficult” degree program on the planet?

4: What is one of the reasons why places to study medicine in Hong Kong limited?

5: Is there any officially recognised list of “toughest degrees”? 

1: Which is one of Columbia University’s least popular majors?

Visual Arts.

2: As a percentage, what is the University of Oxford’s admissions rate?

Around 18%

3: What has been claimed to be the “most difficult” degree program on the planet?

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

4: What is one of the reasons why places to study medicine in Hong Kong limited?

Capacity – public medical systems only have the space and ability to train so many candidates.

5: Is there any officially recognised list of “toughest degrees”?

No, there is no universal measure.

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