Foundation Degrees
- These are a new type of degree, introduced in 2001 as new vocational
qualifications that are employer-demand led. Employers lead in the design
through their Sectors Skills Council to ensure that they provide the skills
and knowledge to meet their current needs, while academic rigour is ensured
by validation by a university.
- They have a much higher requirement for workplace competence than honours
degree courses and contain workplace assignments to put the theoretical
content into practice. The workplace is considered to be a learning environment
just as much as the lecture theatre. In that respect they are distinctive
to other qualifications in which work-based learning or placements are
a peripheral requirement.
- They have an equivalent standard to the second year of an honours degree
course and attract a minimum of 240 credits.
- All Foundation Degrees are degrees in their own right but are also required
to offer progression to an honours degree course by further study.
- They offer an ideal progression for those who have undertaken an Apprenticeship
or NVQ level 3 courses.
- Foundation degrees are delivered in innovative and flexible ways, often
designed around the requirements of the workplace and the commitments of
the employee. They can be studied full-time or part-time. They can involve
day release, block release at agreed points or they can be delivered entirely
by distance learning with support from tutors and workplace mentors agreed
between the employers and educational institutions.
- The Foundation Degree better prepares you for work in a relevant occupation
through personal and professional development, and because of the vocationally
specific curricula. Consequently you gain better employability skills,
giving you better career prospects and increased job satisfaction.
- Both universities and colleges offer Foundation Degrees. For a list of
those currently available, the UCAS website has a special Foundation Degrees
section. To access this, click
here.
- To apply you will need to go through UCAS if you are under 21 and want
to study full time, or you can apply direct to the institution if you are
21 or over or want to study on a part-time basis.
- Further information on Foundation Degrees can be found at Foundation
Degree Forward. For more information click
here.
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