What kind of qualification will you take at university?
Degrees
Degrees usually involve 3 years of full-time study. A practical placement or study abroad can add an extra year.
Degrees lead to the award of qualifications such as Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc). They require a minimum of 2 A levels or equivalent but popular courses will ask for much more.
Enhanced Degrees
Some degree courses, such as those for Medicine or Veterinary Science, take five years or more as they include specialist training. Others, for example in some Engineering or Science subjects, are extended to allow you to take your course to a higher, Masters, level. You study the subject in greater depth and take additional units. Likely to require high grades.
Foundation Degrees, HND and DipHEs
These are courses that equate to completing the second year of an honours degree. They share some features in common:
- The full time versions last two years. A sandwich (practical) placement adds an extra year.
- They are ‘end-qualifications’ in their own right.
- They can usually be ‘topped-up’ to degree level by a further year’s study.
- Entry qualifications are generally lower than for traditional degrees.
- Between them they cover a wide variety of subjects that are usually vocational.
More info…
Click Qualifications: Levels 4-8 to find out more about HE qualifications.
