Willing to challenge yourself with some of the hardest undergraduate degrees in the world?
Well, if you have just got done with your intermediate or A Levels, you have landed at the right place. This the perfect guide for you to start your degree hunt according to your likings and skills.
Let’s have a look at the top 10 hardest undergraduate degrees in the world.
What Determines the Difficulty Level of a Degree?
Although there is no such thing as a “hard study” because if your passion lies in a specific field, it’s toughness won’t matter as long as you are interested in the degree.
What basically makes a degree difficult is how a student perceives it. For instance, if you are into arts, you will find a degree that involves mathematics difficult.
Likewise, if you are into mathematics, you will find an arts degree difficult. But with hard work and determination, even the hardest degree can become easy.
Pro Tip:
Do not choose a degree because of its popularity. Rather choose a degree based on your interests and liking.
Always remember that when choosing a degree, consider three main factors: your interests, capabilities, and career interests.
What’s the use of doing a degree and then pursuing a career in something else?
List of Hardest Undergraduate Degrees
1. Architecture
What is the degree about?
Architectural studies involve learning to design and build structures. Have you ever been fascinated with beautiful buildings and homes and wondered who actually thought turning an empty space into something this amazing? Well that’s an architect’s work.
What makes this degree the hardest?
The hours required to complete this degree makes it one of the hardest i.e., 22.05 hours per week.
What are the subjects involved?
- Design processes;
- Physics;
- Engineering drawing;
- Calculus;
- History of architecture and arts;
- Design theory;
- Urban design.
What skills are required?
- Math and science skills;
- Design skills;
- Analytical and problem-solving skills;
- Team-building skills;
- Communication skills.
What is the job scope and growth?
An architect can easily earn $80,750 per year. The job growth is almost 3% from 2020 to 2030.
2. Chemical Engineering
What is the degree about?
This degree is about understanding the design, production, use, and transportation of chemicals along with understanding how certain chemicals react with each other as well as on a human body.
What makes this degree the hardest?
The combination of chemistry and mathematics as well as the requirement for 19.66 hour/week is what makes this degree the hardest. Remembering the formulas, equations, and step by step methods is a little challenging yet important because one wrong step and everything goes wrong.
What are the subjects involved?
- Chemistry;
- Physics;
- Kinetics;
- Material science;
- Transport processes;
- Calculus;
- Biology.
What skills are required?
- problem solving;
- time management;
- Organisation;
- written and oral communication;
- Monitoring and maintaining records;
- research;
- IT and technology.
What is the job scope and growth?
A chemist can easily earn $108540 per year. The job growth is almost 6% from 2020 to 2030.
3. Aeronautical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering
What is the degree about?
This degree involves two aerospace engineering: aeronautical and astronautical engineering. A student studies the development of aircraft within as well as outside of the earth.
What makes this degree the hardest?
With a required time of 19.05 hours per week, aeronautical and astronautical engineering involves a lot of spacecraft development that is not only complex but also confusing.
What are the subjects involved?
- Engineering Drawing;
- Computer-Aided Drafting;
- Dynamics of Rigid Bodies;
- Engineering Management;
- Safety Management;
What skills are required?
- Analytical skills;
- Business skills;
- Critical-thinking skills;
- Mathematical skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Writing skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $72,543 per year. The job growth is almost 8% from 2020 to 2030.
4. Biomedical Engineering
What is the degree about?
This degree revolves around principles of biology and engineering and likewise using them for creating products that can help the medical industry. A student studies the development of aircraft within as well as outside of the earth.
What makes this degree the hardest?
From putting 18.90 hours per week to studying the combination of biology and engineering, this degree can give a student with no interest, a really hard time.
What are the subjects involved?
- Chemistry;
- Biology;
- Physics;
- Thermodynamics;
- Engineering design;
- Statistics
- Electric circuits;
- Calculus;
What skills are required?
- Analytical skills;
- Communication skills;
- Listening skills;
- Math skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $70,448 per year. The job growth is almost 6% from 2020 to 2030.
5. Cell and Molecular Biology
What is the degree about?
This study is a combination of chemistry and biology to understand the function and structure of how cellular processes work.
What makes this degree the hardest?
From putting 18.70 hours per week to studying the combination of biology and chemistry, is what makes this degree the hardest.
What are the subjects involved?
- Biology;
- Chemistry;
- Biochemistry;
- Mathematics;
- Immunology;
- Marine molecular ecology;
- Ecology;
What skills are required?
- knowledge of biology;
- pay attention to detail;
- Mathematical skills;
- communication skills;
- analytical thinking skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $98,797 per hour. The job growth is almost 2.44% from 2020 to 2030.
6. Physics
What is the degree about?
This degree revolves around studying the movement and property of matter through space and time along with the concepts of force and energy.
What makes this degree the hardest?
From putting 18.70 hours per week to studying the combination of different experiments, calculations, formulas, and graphs is what makes this degree the hardest.
What are the subjects involved?
- Electricity;
- Quantum physics;
- Materials science;
- Magnetism;
- Waves and vibrations;
- Gravity;
- Thermodynamics;
What skills are required?
- knowledge of physics;
- engineering science and technology;
- pay attention to detail;
- Mathematical skills;
- communication skills;
- analytical thinking skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $129,850 per year. The job growth is almost 8% from 2020 to 2030.
7. Astronomy
What is the degree about?
This degree revolves around studying different portents like black hole and celestial bodies like stars, planets, and steroids.
What makes this degree the hardest?
Astronomy involves a combination of physics, math, and chemistry making it a tough degree. The hours per week required at 18.06
What are the subjects involved?
- Calculus;
- Physics;
- Astrophysics;
- Computer science;
- Planetary geology;
- Cosmology.
What skills are required?
- knowledge of physics;
- Statistical skills
- Mathematical skills;
- communication skills;
- analytical thinking skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $114,590 per year. The job growth is almost 8% from 2020 to 2030.
8. Biochemistry and Biophysics
What is the degree about?
This degree revolves around understanding and studying substances living in organisms and different chemical processes.
What makes this degree the hardest?
With a total of 18 and a half hours spent every week and a combination of several mathematical and biological concepts, biochemistry and biophysics are the eight hardest undergraduate degrees in the world.
What are the subjects involved?
- Cell biology;
- Neurobiology;
- Computing;
- Evolutionary biology;
- Genetics
What skills are required?
- Interpersonal skills;
- Math skills;
- Analytical skills;
- Perseverance;
- Communication skills;
- Critical-thinking skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Time-management skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $94270 per year. The job growth is almost 5% from 2020 to 2030.
9. Bioengineering
What is the degree about?
Bioengineering this study that revolves around certain engineering and biological principals that help in creating medical devices and other products used in the healthcare field.
What makes this degree the hardest?
From putting 18.45 hours per week to studying the combination of chemistry, biology, and computer programming, this degree can give a student with no interest, a really hard time.
What are the subjects involved?
- Chemistry;
- Statistics;
- Computer programming;
- Biology;
- Science of materials;
What skills are required?
- Interpersonal skills;
- Design skills;
- Analytical skills;
- Creativity;
- Communication skills;
- Critical-thinking skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Time-management skills;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn $118,020 per year. The job growth is almost 6% from 2020 to 2030.
10. Petroleum Engineering
What is the degree about?
This degree revolves around understanding and studying the process of extraction and production of oil and natural gas.
What makes this degree the hardest?
With a total of 18.45 hours spent every week and a combination of several mathematical and physical concepts is the main reason why petroleum engineering ranks as the tenth hardest undergraduate degree.
What are the subjects involved?
- Energy and environment;
- Petroleum fluids;
- Calculus;
- Physics;
- Chemistry;
- Petro-physics;
- Geology;
- Reservoir geomechanics;
What skills are required?
- Strong technical skills;
- Team working skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Analytical skills;
- IT skills;
- Good health;
What is the job scope and growth?
This field person can easily earn an average of $193,430 per year. The job growth is almost 8% from 2020 to 2030.
Summing Up!
Remember that there is no such thing as a difficult degree as long as you have passion, skills, and interest in that field. Look up, move ahead, study hard, and you will be successful because there’s nothing hard work can’t achieve.