Qualifications explained

Don’t be overwhelmed by all the different qualifications. Here’s a handy summary of the main ones on offer at City of Bristol College.

Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND)

These higher-level vocational qualifications are particularly popular within certain industries.

They can be studied over one or two years and mean you can combine work and study.

Once you’ve completed your HND or HNC, you could top-up to a Foundation or Honours Degree. HNCs usually earn a minimum of 120 credits and for HNDs it’s 240 credits.

Degree

A Bachelors, or Honours Degree, usually takes three years of full-time higher level study to complete.

It’s designed to give you a thorough understanding of a subject and develop analytical, intellectual and essay/dissertation writing skills.

Level 6 degrees are highly attractive to employers and create the possibility of progression to a masters degree or a higher education equivalent.

Foundation Degree

A Foundation Degree is a higher-level vocational qualification consisting of 240 credits at level four or five.

It’s designed to help you develop: Specialist skills and knowledge to maximise your employability in your chosen industry sector Practical work experience skills General work skills like reasoning, professionalism and work process management to either supervisory or management level Enhanced skills, including communication, IT and problem solving.

We have joined forces with partner universities and employers to design our Foundation Degrees. Most can be studied full-time over two years and some are available part-time over three years.

Whether you’ve just left sixth form or college, want to develop your existing career, or change to a completely new one, a Foundation Degree will equip you with the necessary skills for your future.

Once you’ve graduated you can choose whether to focus on your career, or carry on studying (usually for just one more full-time year) for an Honours Degree.

Foundation Year/Year 0

These one-year courses are designed for students who don’t have the entry qualifications needed to start an Honours Degree. They may offer direct access to an Honours Degree.

Higher Apprenticeship

Higher Apprenticeships combine a range of on and off the job training and can vary in the length of time they take to complete. This means you can do an apprenticeship up to degree equivalent level that’s specifically designed to meet employers’ needs for higher level skills.

Access to Higher Education

If you want to study for a degree but don’t have the entry requirements, an Access to Higher Education course could be the ideal route. It’ll make you ready for university in just one year.