UK degrees are known worldwide as the gold standard for education, but don’t forget that there are other British qualifications which are almost as valuable and can serve as stepping stones on the route to a degree, the Higher National Certificate(HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND).
HNCs and HNDs have been around for more than eighty years and are highly valued by British and overseas employers. They can also help towards membership of professional bodies or allow admission to the later years of an undergraduate degree programme. HNCs and HNDs are available in a wide range of subjects from social sciences to animation, but the most popular subjects are Business Studies, Computing and Information Technology.
HNCs and HNDs are offered by more than 500 Universities and Colleges of Further and Higher Education throughout the UK. They sit at levels 5 and 6 on the National Qualifications Framework, meaning that they are equivalent to the first and second years of an undergraduate degree. In Scotland almost half of those entering Higher Education follow an HNC or HND programme before progressing to to university.
UK universities generally accredit their own HNC and HND programmes, but there are two independent organisations authorised by the UK Government to accredit HNCs and HNDs, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)and the Business and Technical Education Council (BTEC). If you are thinking about studying for an HNC or HND you should make sure that it is accredited by one of these bodies and that the college offering the course is approved to do so.
Candidates who have never obtained the entrance qualifications needed for a degree programme can overcome this disadvantage by taking an HNC or HND, which allows progression to a degree programme. HNCs and HNDs are highly practical and focus on learning by doing. Most colleges will accept students who have successfully completed of five years of secondary education, but candidates who do not have level of education can often obtain admission by undertaking a short preparatory course. Candidates over the age of 21 can often be admitted without formal entrance qualifications.
HNCs and HNDs is often studied part-time by students who are also working, and may also be available by also be available by distance learning. Doing an HNC or HND by distance learning can be attractive to overseas students, as it can be done without leaving their home country, and can help demonstrate their credibility as students if they wish to come to the UK later to complete a degree. Students who complete an HNC can normally gain direct admission to the second and third year of a degree course. An HND is usually studied for two years full time or longer if part time. Students who complete an HND can normally obtain direct entry to the third year of a degree course.
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