EXPLORING TYPES OF QUALIFICATIONS...  GCE A/S AND A/2 LEVEL  BTEC  (Business & technology Education Council – now part of Edexcel)- example:  Construction  Engineering  HND & HNC  FOUNDATION DEGREE  DEGREE

BTEC NATIONAL DIPLOMAS/CERTIFICATES & AWARDS…  AWARD – This is level 3 qualification equivalent to a 6 unit 1 A-Level; can be combined with a National Certificate or with 2 A-Levels;  CERTIFICATE – This is level 3 qualification covering 12 units. It is equivalent to a 2 A – Levels. Eg Construction in the Abbey. It prepares learners for employment in the sector and will be suitable for 16/19 year olds who have already decided that they wish to enter this area of work.  DIPLOMA – This is a Level 3 practical qualification which is both a route to Higher Education ( HND’s; Foundation degrees & Degrees) and a preparation for employment in a vocational area. 2 years FT and consists of 18 units of study. It is equal to 3 A-Levels.

HIGHER NATIONAL S…  HND & HNC – these are nationally recognised qualifications, well known and well regarded in industry, as they tend to have a more vocational focus than degrees.  HNDs - They are full time over 2 years and you may progress to a degree.  HNCs are of the same standard as HNDs. HND’s allow entry to a 3rd year of a degree; HNC’s allow entry to a 2nd year of a degree.

HIGHER NATIONALS eg’s.  FINE & APPLIED ARTS  PHOTOGRAPHY  BUSINESS & FINANCE  LEGAL STUDIES  MUSIC PRODUCTION  SPORT & LEISURE  CONSTRUCTION  ENGINEERING: CIVIL / MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL / MANUFACTURING;  HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

A question of which degree ???????  Foundation Degree – is an innovative degree course, which focuses on developing the work related skills that employers require. It is developed in partnership with employers and a university and is delivered in an FE College –SRC:Southern Regional College. It can be taken PT or FT(2 years) and includes work experience.  This is a qualification in its own right, but graduates may then ‘top-up’ to a relevant honours degree course through 1 more year of study.

FOUNDATION DEGREES…eg’s  SPORT, EXERCISE, FITNESS;  ICT –SOFTWARE ENGINEERING;  COMPUTING;  EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES;  CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING;  ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY;  APPLIED & MEDICAL SCIENCE.

DEGREES ….  A first degree takes 3 years if studied on a F/T basis. Some degrees are more vocational than others. The type of qualification you get depends on the subject:Eg Bachelor of Science BSc; Bachelor of Education Bed. There are 5 main types of degree:  SINGLE HONOURS – You will graduate in one subject. In 2 nd and 3 rd year you will be able to choose subject options depending on your special interests.  JOINT HONOURS – involves the study of 2 subjects. In some cases the subjects may be related eg Maths & Physics, but can also be quite different.

Types of degrees cont’d..  COMBINED HONOURS – involves 2 or 3 subjects, each of which is studied equally within the framework of the same faculty.  MAJOR / MINOR HONOURS – you choose 2 subjects to study, one of which is studied over a longer period than the other.  SANDWICH – these involve alternative periods of study and work related experience over a 4 employability prospects !!

And finally……  POSTGRADUATE – Certificates or Diplomas offer vocational training or a professional qualification. Courses usually last for 1 or 2 years full time and may be integrated into Master degree programmes.  A MASTERs degree can be obtained by pure research or by a course of instruction – including a short research project and an exam  DOCTORATES – are normally awarded after 3 years of supervised research.