7/2/2014 UNDERSTANDING DEGREE PROGRAMMES - Newham University Centre

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YOU ARE HERE Homepage TYPES OF QUALIFICATIONS UNDERSTANDING DEGREE PROGRAMMES
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TYPES OF QUALIFICATIONS
UNDERSTANDING DEGREEPROGRAMMES
UNDERGRADUATEDEGREEPROGRAMMES
MASTERS DEGREEPROGRAMMES
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMMESS
HIGHER NATIONAL CERTIFICATE/ DIPLOMA
PROGRAMMES
UNDERSTANDING DEGREE PROGRAMMES
KINDS OF QUALIFICATIONS
Educational qualifications are defined by their level. Pre-degree courses such as A Levels, Access courses and
Diplomas are at level 3. Higher education begins at level 4, with undergraduate degrees running from levels 4 to 6, and
postgraduate degrees at level 7. There are two main kinds of undergraduate degree, the traditional Bachelors Degree
from levels 4 to 6, and the HNC/HND Foundation Degree which goes from level 4 to 5. Students who take foundation
degrees can gain a Bachelors Degree by topping up with a level 6 course.

Level Qualification
3 Pre degree: A Level, Access, BTEC, Diploma etc
4-5 Foundation Degree: FdA / FdSc, HNC/HND
4-6 Bachelor Degree: BA / BSc (Hons)
6 Bachelor Degree: BA / BSc (Hons) (top up)
7 Postgraduate Degree: PG Cert., PG Dip., MA / MSc
Full-time students take one level of undergraduate study a year, while part-time students take one level over two years.
CREDITS AND EXIT AWARDS
Undergraduate degrees consist of 120 credits at each level, normally broken down into eight 15 credit modules.
Students who choose to stop before completing their degree can graduate with an exit award depending upon their
number of credits accumulated.

Level Credits Award
4 60 Certif icate
4 120 Certif icate of Higher Education (CertHE) - HNC
5 240 Foundation Degree, Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) - HND
6 300 Ordinary Degree
6 360 Bachelors Degree with Honours
Postgraduate degrees consist of either 60 credits (PG Certificate), 120 credits (PG Diploma), or 180 credits (MA / MSc).
Confusingly 180 credits is full-time study at postgraduate level, and modules normally consist of twenty credits.

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