Thinking about a degree

With an Edinburghs Telford College qualification, you may already be more than half way there. In many cases you can use an HNC or an HND qualification to progress to degree study. Quite often, you can progress straight to the 2nd year of a degree with an HNC, or the 3rd year of a degree with an HND. This booklet is written as a guide to help you explore the possibilities of articulating to university study and using a qualification gained at Edinburghs Telford College to do so.

HigHer NatioNal QualificatioNs If you are looking to continue your studies at degree level, studying for a Higher National Qualification is one of the best ways to achieve your ambition.

What is a Higher National certificate? A Higher National Certificate (HNC) is an advanced qualification that is broadly equivalent to the first year at university in Scotland. HNC programmes are divided into units that are certified individually and are at level 7 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework The college offers a wide range of HNCs in many vocational area which are designed to deepen understanding of the skills and technical knowledge of the area of work. HNCs also develop advanced study skills necessary to progress to university or an HND.

What is a Higher National Diploma? The Higher National Diploma (HND) is an advanced level qualificaion consisting of 30 credits. HNDs are at level 8 of the Scottish Credit and Qualications Framework. Most students studying an HND will have previously completed an HNC, with the credits counting towards the HND Qualication. HNDs involve broad and detailed study of the subject matter of an academic or technical nature. In many cases, students completing an HND will be able to progress on to year 2 or 3 of a degree programme.

WHat is articulatioN? HNCs are broadly equivalent to the first year of a degree (SCQF level 7). You are often able to apply to go from an HNC directly into year of 2 a degree programme, or an HND into year 3 of a degree. Year 4 Year 3 HND HNC College Route Year 2 Year 1 College Route

Highers
Intermediate 2

Edinburghs Telford College has many agreements with local universities, as well as universities further aeld, which allow students to apply for direct entry into the second or third year of a university degree. These are called articulation agreements - some of these are formal and have guaranteed places attached, and others are informal and depend on individual circumstances. Details of some of the articulation agteements that the college has in places with various local universities are highlighted in this booklet. For details of current articulation routes and entry requirements for local degree programmes, an extensive search can be carried out on on the ELRAH database which can be accessed via the ELRAH website: www.elrah.ac.uk Please be aware that you will still need to apply through ucas before their deadline and there may still be entry qualications to meet and a need to compete for a place.
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articulatioN Database Details of all of the articulation routes which Edinburghs Telford College currently has in place with various partner universities are the ELRAH Route Finder database. This newly created database is a single point of current information on HN to degree routes within partner colleges & universities in the Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife & Borders region. The ELRAH Route Finder database can be accessed via the ELRAH website: 1. 2. log on to www.elrah.ac.uk click on find a course

3. 4.

search for the course or route you are interested in contact your college lecturer or the university for more information on the route

Please be aware that even if the college has an agreement with a university you will still need to apply through UCAS by the deadline. There is likely to be entry qualications to meet and a limited number of places available.

oPPortuNities for Degree stuDy edinburghs telford college top-up degrees Top up your HND to a university Honours Degree in one year at Edinburghs Telford College. If you already have an HND, the college might be able to help you turn that into an Honours Degree in only one year. From January 2012, places will be oered on a number of Top-up degree programmes. These will be a mix of campus based and online learning, offering maximum flexibility to fit in and around work, family and other outside commitments. Ask Learner Services to find out more.

the open university A BA or BSc degree with The Open University could also be a route on from an HNC or an HND and provides a exible way to fit learning around working life. There are many opportunities to transfer credit from an HNC or HND and claim credit transfer towards the requirements of an Open University degree. The number of credit transfer points that can go towards a degree will depend on the type of Open University degree chosen. It is possible to be awarded 8 points for each full HN credit at SCQF levels 7 and 8 that have been successfully completed, meaning almost half of your degree could already be completed. For more information contact the Open University on 0845 300 6090 or visit their website at www.open.ac.uk

accouNtiNg articulatioN route

BA (Hons) Accountancy - Yr 4

BA (Hons) Accountancy - Yr 3

BA (Hons) Accountancy - Yr 2 HNC Accounting

entry requirements excellent Personal statement a grade in the graded unit excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

check the articulation database to find out more. www.elrah.ac.uk

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accouNtiNg stuDeNt Profile Name: college course: Progression to: saj sharif HNc accounting ba (Hons) accounting (entrance into 2nd year)

Saj Sharif decided to start a course at Edinburghs Telford College in order to improve her job prospects and better her financial situation for herself and her family. As she was already completing many self-assessment tax returns at home for her friends and family, she decided accountancy was the career for her. Saj started her HNC Accountancy at college and then moved on to the second year of a degree at Heriot Watt University. When asked if she enjoys her course, Saj says I loved my whole college experience and I absolutely love the university course, its tough going but I love a challenge, the end result keeps me motivated and Im learning things already that I can apply to my day to day work. Although Saj acknowledges that it seems like a big jump moving to university, she says the positive aspects are that I have made great friends who turned into a study group and we are all progressing through uni together. Ive made friends for life, we support each other through all subjects - someone is always better at one subject than the rest and that person will coach the others in their weak points. In the future, Saj hopes to use her course and qualification to help her run her own Chartered Accountant business. Nb. Students articulating to accountancy need to check carefully the ACCA exemptions they might be entitled to.

actiNg aND PerformaNce articulatioN route

BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen - Yr 4

BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen - Yr 3 HND Acting and Performance HNC Acting and Performance

entry requirement excellent Personal statement audition required excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

this is a 2+2 top-up degree which means year 1 and 2 are only available at college.
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actiNg aND PerformaNce stuDeNt Profile Name: college course: Progression to: ross mcNab HND acting and Performance bsc (Hons) acting for stage and screen (entrance into 3rd year)

This degree is being oered jointly by the School of Arts & Creative Industries of Edinburgh Napier and the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Queen Margaret University. The BA (Hons) Acting is a top-up degree, for students who are completing their HND, allowing progression directly into the third year of the degree programme. Ross started an HNC in Acting and Performance at Edinburghs Telford College in 2008, completing the HND in the summer of 2010. I chose the course as it was a brand new course, which was quite exciting at the time. It is the only acting course in Scotland that provides stage and screen study at the exact same time. Another big thing for me is that it was only going to be 2 more years. I had already spent 2 years at college and to do an acting degree, thats another 5 years in total of education I don t want to spend that much time. Plus the fact, you go into third year, you do your third and fourth and then gain an honours degree. Im just really hoping to stay within the theatre industry, whether its acting, directing, production I dont really know at the moment. Im going to see how these two years goes. As long as Im still working within the industry in 5 years time, Ill be quite happy. When asked for what advice he would give students considering making the same progression to degree study that he did, Ross advises Do the work. Just really knuckle down from the word go and prepare everything you need because the more you do, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

comPutiNg articulatioN route

MEng Software Engineering - Yr 4

MEng Software Engineering - Yr 3 HND Computing: Software Development HNC Computing: Software Development

entry requirements minimum of a a grade in the graded unit excellent Personal statement excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

Nb - there are many other routes in computing degrees from the HNc and HND, please check the articulation database nd out more www.elrah.ac.uk
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comPutiNg stuDeNt Profile Name: college course: Progression to: David christie HND computing: software Development meng software engineering

With his HND, David Christie went into third year of MEng Software Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University studying. Now in his fourth year, David chose this articulation route from college to university as he saw it as a bit of a safety net for him; If something happened that forced me to drop out in the third year of my education then I thought that if I started at college at least I would still have a HND, where as if I started at university I would have nothing. David decided to study Software Engineering so that he could turn a hobby and an interest into a well-paid job. When asked if he enjoyed his course, he said It is very challenging and involves a lot of problem solving which I do enjoy, however there is a lot of monotonous paperwork involved. As David went straight into third year from his HND, he felt he had an advantage over his peers; I found the taught material carried on well from the second year of college while students who went into the second year found it frustrating - covering a lot of topics they had already learned. Although by choosing to study as a direct entrant, David was unable to complete a work placement, this was a sacrifice that he was willing to make due to being a mature student with a lot of work experience already, just not in the right sector. After finishing his degree, David hopes to work as a contractor in software development for a few years before starting his own business.

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DesigN aND Digital arts articulatioN route

BDes (Hons) Design and Digital Arts - Yr 4

BDes (Hons) Design and Digital Arts - Yr 3 HND Interior Design HNC Interior Design

entry requirements minimum of a a grade in the graded unit excellent Personal statement excellent Portfolio excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

this is a 2+2 top-up degree which means years 1 and 2 are only offered at college.
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DesigN aND Digital arts stuDeNt Profile Name: college course: Progression to: fiona Hudson HND interior Design bDes (Hons) Design and Digital arts (entrance into 3rd year )

This BDes (Hons) programme is structured to recruit directly from HND design programmes and foundation degrees and therefore only has a third and fourth year. The degree connects directly with the HND and involves studio practice, lectures, tutorials, CAD sessions and independent study. Fiona says Starting my degree course in third year with my fellow class mates was really good because we were all in the same position, wed all come from college. Weve got a good class and we all help each other out. Weve been put into groups with other third years, so theyve already been here for 2 years and they know how everything works and the way to get things done. So thats great because we get to learn from them a little bit, see what theyre doing and how they do things. Because the class were all from college, it is so dierent from rst years coming into uni and being involved with living in halls and meeting everyone for the rst time - its a dierent situationall of us are all dierent ages. Weve all gone into studying at all dierent times in our lives, so its just a completely dierent group. Another benet of going straight into third year of a degree is the financial advantages, Fiona says Going into third year helped with funding as well, because I wouldnt have got any more funding if Id gone back to first year.

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eveNts maNagemeNt articulatioN route

BA (Hons) Events Management - Yr 4

BA (Hons) Events Management - Yr 3 HND Events Management HNC Events Management

entry requirements excellent Personal statement excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

check the articulation database and find out more. www.elrah.ac.uk

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eveNts maNagemeNt stuDeNt Profile Name: college course: Progression to: greg clark HND events management ba (Hons) events management (entrance into 3rd year )

After finishing sixth year at High School Greg decided to take a year out that ended up lasting seven years! However, at 24, he decided it was either time to knuckle down and get some safe full-time work or go back to education. He chose to study Events Management at Edinburghs Telford College as I was always the one organising things. From arranging a night out to creating the schedules at my work or from organising 5-a-side football to holidays with friends, it was always left to me to take care of. And I was good at it too. It was actually a girlfriend I was seeing at the time that suggested the course to me at another college. I didnt even know the Events course existed. So I investigated it and thought that the course, and Telford, were the right options for me. His plan was quite simply to complete a 2-year HND at college and enter into the third year of a degree at University. And thats what he did. He says I would recommend it to others as its always beneficial to further your education and increase your job prospects. It is a good experience but a different experience. Be prepared to work hard but the rewards of that hard work are worth it. Greg advises Its an experience that is also doing wonders for my CV. Not going to lie though, its damn hard work. At the moment Greg is entering his fourth year and aiming to obtain the highest honours degree he can. After that, he says that he hopes to work for an events company or within an events department upon my graduation, learn my trade and work my way up to owning my own Events company.

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social scieNces articulatioN route

BA (Hons) Psychology and Socialology - Yr 4

BA (Hons) Psychology and Socialology - Yr 3

BA (Hons) Psychology and Socialology - Yr 2 HNC Social Sciences

entry requirements excellent Personal statement excellent Portfolio excellent tutor reference ucas application submitted by the ucas deadline

check the articulation database and find out more. www.elrah.ac.uk

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social scieNces stuDeNt Prole Name: college course: Progression to: mel clements HNc social sciences ba (Hons) Psyhology and sociology (entrance into 2nd year)

Mel was a Direct Entrant to year two of Psychology and Sociology in 2010 after studying HNC Social Sciences at Edinburghs Telford College. Mel says: Initially the whole prospect of going to university was very daunting, never mind the fact you were going straight in at the deep end as a Direct Entrant with a whole bunch of strangers who had already spent the past year getting to know each other. A lot of things that I found very dicult to grasp were tiny things such as gadgets and machines around the uni, that sound really daft, but in a new environment when youre already terried, it really didnt help. Having just nished semester 2 now, looking back, the problems I faced seem so petty and silly, yet at the time were huge! Some other Direct Entrants had signed up for a mentor and their mentor was fantastic! She took us all under her wing and has been really helpful. Shed even facilitated some group work for us to help us with a class that we were all struggling to get our heads round. We see the 3rd years of our course quite often now and theyre always giving us hints and tips, what class will take up a lot of our time etc. I didnt sign up for a mentor myself, but looking back, I probably should have. I was lucky that another persons mentor was nice enough to take me on a little and give me some guidance too.

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fuNDiNg aND aPPlicatioN for Degree stuDies

funding Your entitlement to nancial support will depend on your individual circumstances, the level of the course you wish to take and the support you currently receive or have had in the past. Advisers in Learner Services are able to help with HE funding enquiries. More in-depth information is available from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). It is well worth looking at their website: www.saas.gov.uk Funding for HE study is currently under review, and as there are not always funded places available, Edinburghs Telford College seeks to oer choices and other opportunities for self funding students . Please enquire in Learner Services for more information.

application Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is the organisation through which you apply for almost all undergraduate courses at UK universities. The UCAS application allows you to apply for up to ve university courses, using only one application form. The closing date for most applications is 15 January of the year you plan to start your course. Support and advice when lling out your UCAS application will be available for Edinburghs Telford College students. Please pop into Learner Services and ask about UCAS support.

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furtHer HelP aND suPPort To nd out more about any of the articulation routes featured in this booklet, or to search for other routes from other subjects, please use the Routender database, which can be found at :

www.elrah.ac.uk
Alternatively, ask for more information at Learner Services, ask your lecturer or contact the University you wish to apply to directly: edinburgh Napier university: Tel: Website: 08452 606040 www.napier.ac.uk

Heriot- Watt university:

Tel: Website:

0131 451 3784 www.hw.ac.uk

Queen margaret university:

Tel: Website:

0131 474 0000 www.qmu.ac.uk

the university of edinburgh:

Tel: Website:

0131 650 4360 www.ed.ac.uk

learner services Please also feel free to contact your ELRAH College to University Adviser. Kate Heighington Peter Scott Kate.Heighington@ed-coll.ac.uk or Peter.Scott@ed-coll.ac.uk

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Disclaimer: The information in this booklet was correct at time of going to print (October 2011). Articulation arrangements are subject to change from time to time and therefore students are advised to check the latest agreements with university admissions teams.