Study programmes

If you are aged 16 to 18, when you start your course you will be enrolled on to a study programme. As part of your study programme you will continue to develop your maths and English skills. If you haven’t already got a grade 4 or above in maths and/or English you will study towards a GCSE resit, or a Functional Skills qualification.

You will take part in activities that help you to develop your personal skills, such as building your character and confidence. This will help you to live well and move into your chosen career.

Functional Skills

Functional skills in maths and English are available at level 1 and level 2. They enable students to demonstrate real-life skills in English and maths

Students demonstrate the skills through real-life assessments set in every day contexts.

They are recognised as gateway qualifications, used in many existing apprenticeships and by students who may not yet have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above; they are widely used in adult education.

GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education

GCSE are academic qualifications, usually studied from age 14 up to 16. They are taken at the end of school year 11 by ages 15-16. GCSEs are now graded 9–1, rather than A*–G. Grade 9 is the highest grade. Grade 4 is equivalent to a low C.

BTEC Business and Technology Education Council

BTECs are vocational and work-related courses, designed to accommodate the needs of employers and allow students to progress to further and higher education. A BTEC takes a practical approach to learning, without missing any of the important theory on the subject. They can be studied at level 1, 2 and 3. Level 3 BTECs are an alternative to A Levels and give you the relevant UCAS points to progress to higher education.

T Levels 

T Levels are a level 3 qualification (the same level as A Levels) and are for young people (under 19) after their GCSEs. They include a significant work placement to put learning into practice. With a T Level you spend about 20% of your time in the work place and 80% in college.

Apprenticeships

To start an apprenticeship you must be 16 or over and not in full-time education. Apprentices study for qualifications while working and they learn the skills they need for the job they are doing. There are different levels of apprenticeships from Intermediate which is equivalent to 5 GCSEs to a full degree.

NVQ National Vocational Qualification

NVQs are great if you know what job you would like to do. There are five NVQ levels, you can start at a level that suits you and work your way up. There are no age limits or special entry requirements, although you may have to work your way up the levels. You can do NVQs in various subjects at all levels. You obtain the qualification by completing units step-by-step.

• Level 1 – Basic or Foundation Level

• Level 2 – equivalent to GCSEs or First Diploma Level

• Level 3 – equivalent to A levels or Extended Diploma Level

• Level 4 – equivalent to a Foundation Degree or Higher National Diploma.

Foundation Degrees

Foundation degrees are higher education qualifications designed to equip you with the skills needed for a particular area of work. The entry requirements tend to be lower than a full degree and take into account work experience. As with other higher education courses students are able to apply for financial support. Once the foundation degree is complete students can apply to progress on to the final year of an honours degree programme in a relevant subject.

Find out more about foundation degrees at Leicester College in partnership with De Montfort University.

Higher National Certificates (HNC) and Higher National Diplomas (HND)

HNCs and HNDs are roughly equivalent to one or two years of degree. They are work-related higher education qualifications with a focus on practical skills and specialist knowledge related to the industry/sector of choice. They are highly valued by employers both in the UK and overseas. They were developed to give students the opportunity to easily “top-up” to an honours degree.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)

Approved HTQs are new and existing level 4 and 5 qualifications approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

HTQs are technical qualifications that employers have helped develop so you can get the right training and skills you need to succeed at work.

Bachelor Degree

Bachelor degrees are academic qualifications for people who want to study one particular subject area. There are entry requirements of some form of all degree subjects. Most degrees are taught at university, although you can study some at colleges like Leicester College or as a distance learning course. A bachelor degree usually lasts three to four years full-time or six to nine years part-time. Bachelor degree usually have the option to be studied ‘with honours’.

Masters

Once you have completed your bachelor degree the next level of study is a masters degree at university. This typically takes one year full-time and two years part-time to complete. You can choose to continue to study the same subject area or you can complete a conversion course which allows you to study a totally new subject.

Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas

Postgraduate certificates and diplomas allow learners to build on the skills and knowledge gained during their bachelor’s degree and are available in wide range of subjects. They are required for entry to some professions, for example, teaching (PGCE) and law (GDL) and take up to a year to complete full-time.

Doctorate

A doctorate (PhD) is the highest level of academic degree. You are expected to produce an independent research project which can take years to complete. The qualification is highly regarded and many students use their doctorates to become academics or industry researchers.