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Higher Education - Welcome

Improve your prospects

Increasing numbers of students are choosing to study Degree Level courses at Weston College every year. The University Campus and the ongoing multi-million pound investment in the Knightstone Campus ensure that we are able to build upon our many successes, including outstanding exam results, national recognition for Degree
Level provision at the College and enhanced job prospects for graduating students.Last year we celebrated the graduation of hundreds of students who had studied Foundation Degrees and BSc Honours top-up qualifications.

We have been delivering high quality Degree Level programmes at Weston College since 1993, with 600 students currently enrolled on such courses. As part of the Government’s drive to increase the number of 18 to 60 year-olds accessing Degree Level study, we are continually developing our provision in partnership with local employers and local universities including Bath Spa University, the University of Bath and the University of the West of England.

The degrees and the professional qualifications we offer represent excellent opportunities for people in North Somerset and beyond. They provide people with the opportunity to increase their career prospects and access Degree Level courses on their doorstep, in Weston-super-Mare.

Our excellent courses, superb support facilities and innovative, forward thinking approaches to the curriculum, all contribute to ensuring that, as a Degree Level student at Weston College, you have the best possible opportunity to achieve success. We are very proud of the stimulating educational environment we offer at Weston College.

University level courses

Working in partnership with Bath Spa University, the University of Bath and the University of the West of England, Weston College offers the following courses:

Animal Management FdSc
Applied Art and Design FdA
Applied Art and Design BA (Hons) (Top-up: work-based)
Archaeological Sciences
Business with Management FdA
Certificate in Education/Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (Lifelong Learning)
Computing FdSc
Computing BSc (Hons) (Top-up)
Counselling FdSc
Early Years FdA
Early Years Education BA (Hons) (Top-up: work-based learning)
Environmental Health FdSc
Equine Management FdSc
Graphic Design FdA
Creative Industries: Graphic Design
BA (Hons) (Top-up: work-based)
Health and Social Care Practice FdSc
Inclusive Practice FdA
Music Production FdA
Musical Theatre FdA
Musical Theatre BA (Hons) (Top-up)
Performing Arts FdA
Popular Music FdA
Professional Writing FdA
Sport (Coaching) FdSc
Tourism Management FdSc
Uniformed Services FdA

Professional qualifications

Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
UAL National Diploma Foundation Studies in Art, Design and Communication

Access course

Access to Higher Education

Qualifications Explained

With an increasing number of Degree Level courses, our provision attracts students from all over the United Kingdom and Europe.

Foundation Degrees (FdA/FdSc)

Most of our courses are Foundation Degrees, which are degree qualifications with a strong vocational emphasis. Foundation Degrees include work experience as part of the course, so you can gain an insight into your chosen area of study and can forge valuable links with employers.

“Foundation Degrees are providing opportunities for students who had not previously considered studying at Higher Education level, and for employers through work-based learning.” Source – QAA – (Quality
Assurance Agency for Higher Education).

Our courses are jointly designed by employers, the College and the partner university to ensure quality and relevance to industry. This will enable you to achieve a nationally recognised qualification, whilst also gaining the skills needed for a satisfying career. With an increasingly competitive employment market, employers are looking for skills in graduates to differentiate them from the crowd. The benefit of Foundation Degrees is that they give you more than just academic knowledge; they also provide you with skills which can be used in the workplace, such as working in a team, dealing with people and coping in a busy environment.

If you successfully complete a Foundation Degree, you will graduate with a FdA (Arts) or FdSc (Sciences) after your name. Progression
On completion of your Foundation Degree you may wish to top-up your qualification to a related full Honours Degree with just one more year of study here at Weston College, at one of our partner universities or other Higher Education institutions. This is dependent on you obtaining the appropriate qualification and you may have to attend an audition or interview. For details of the top-up degree/s available for different courses, please contact our Higher Education Unit on 01934 411 780/403.

For further information about Foundation Degrees visit www.fdf.ac.uk

BA/BSc Honours Degrees

We also offer some BA/BSc (Honours) Degrees in partnership with the University of Bath and Bath Spa University. For students who successfully obtain their related Foundation Degree at the appropriate level (please see individual entry requirements) it is possible to obtain your full honours degree without going to one
of our partner universities. We offer one Bachelor of Science (BSc) and four Bachelors of Art (BA) Degrees, which are completed in one year full-time or over two years part-time. Whilst work-based learning is still integral to our Honours Degree courses there is a greater emphasis on academic work and most include a dissertation as part of the final assessment. These programmes will challenge you academically extending your knowledge of the subject whilst also enhancing a number of the skills and qualities you will need for employment at graduate level, including problem solving, analytical techniques, formulating arguments and communication skills.