Choosing your qualification

Think carefully about what kind of higher education qualification to choose

UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES offer a wide range of courses which lead to a range of different types of qualification.

It's important to choose the qualification that will suit your needs and career aspirations best. When choosing your course you will find courses at the following levels:

What kind of qualification you should study towards depends (to some extent) on what you want to do with the qualification at the end of your studies.

Our career profiles will help you match up career types with the kinds of qualifications employers are looking for.

Crucially, there is plenty of choice available so take some time to find out about what each kind of qualification would involve and where it could lead you - that way you can be sure to make the choice that's right for you.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a certificate-level course, such as the Certificate of Higher Education, will give you a sound knowledge of the basic concepts of a subject, teach you how to take different approaches to solving problems, communicate accurately and give you the qualities needed for a job which expects you to take some personal responsibility.

The certificate may be a first step towards obtaining a higher-level qualification.

Courses cover broad occupational areas and usually take a year full-time, although they are more often offered part-time.

In Scotland, the Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) usually takes one year of full-time study. Some CertHEs are awarded for achievement over several subjects, while others focus on one. Some are strongly job-related.

The Higher National Certificate (HNC) is at an equivalent standard to the CertHE.

These awards may be job-related and will give you a sound understanding of your chosen subject and how to apply its principles more widely. They teach you how to work out the best ways of solving problems and will develop qualities you need for a job which expects you to make decisions, as well as taking personal responsibility.

Foundation degrees

Foundation degrees can be two-year full-time programmes or three-year part-time. These courses are created in conjunction with employers to get you ready for a specific type of job, with work-based and flexible learning. They should also qualify you for progression into an honours degree programme if you want to carry on.

Ordinary (bachelor) degrees

Bachelors degrees usually take three years full-time and differ from honours programmes because the work involved, the credit gained on completion and the specialisation are less. Graduates with an ordinary degree are able to demonstrate a sound understanding of the principles related to their chosen subject. The courses may have a vocational focus, but generally contain a common element to a similarly named honours programme.

Honours qualifications include bachelor’s degrees with honours, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree with honours will have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Through this, they will have developed analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of employment. The graduate will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgements, and to communicate effectively. They will understand complex issues related to their subject.

An honours graduate should have the qualities needed for jobs requiring personal responsibility, and decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances.

Honours degrees form the largest group of higher education qualifications. Typical courses last for three years, if taken full-time, and lead to a bachelor’s degree with honours, with titles such as Bachelor of Arts – BA (Hons), Bachelor of Science – BSc (Hons) or Bachelor of Engineering – BEng (Hons).

The Scottish bachelor’s degree with honours usually takes four years of full-time higher education and is awarded mainly as a Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons)or a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons). Many honours degrees will have a specific vocational focus, and in some cases will carry recognition by the appropriate professional or statutory body.

In a small number of universities, particularly in Scotland, and in some faculties, this qualification is called ‘MA (Hons)’.

Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

Diploma of Higher Education awards usually take the first two years of full-time higher education in Scotland. Some DipHEs cover several subjects, others just one. Again, some have a strong job focus.

Short courses and professional ‘conversion’ courses in some subjects, such as in law, called graduate certificates and graduate diplomas are also available and are usually taken by those who already have a degree, but in a different subject area.

Master’s degrees are postgraduate qualifications, and full-time courses usually last at least one year.

Some master’s-level qualifications are extended courses integrating undergraduate and postgraduate study, such as a master’s degree in engineering (MEng) or a master’s degree in chemistry (MChem).

The honours degree is the usual recognised entry requirement to postgraduate study and to many professions across the UK, although there is an increasing demand for master’s-level qualifications by some employers. Many master’s degrees with a specific job focus carry recognition by the professional or statutory body.

You can find more information in our pages on postgraduate study.

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