Foundation Degrees (FdA/FdSc)

Most of our degree level courses are Foundation Degrees. These are degree qualifications with a strong vocational emphasis – which means they are designed to prepare you for a certain career. They include work experience, so you can get an insight into your chosen area of study and can build 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.”
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

We design our courses with help from employers and our partner universities to make sure they are good quality and relevant to industry. This means you get a nationally recognised qualification, while also getting the skills you need for the workplace such as working in a team, dealing with people and coping in a busy environment. We feel this is important because the jobs market is so competitive and employers are looking for skills in graduates that set them apart from the crowd. The benefit of our Foundation Degrees is that they give you more than the academic knowledge you learn from studying – they also provide you with expertise for a successful career

If you finish and pass a Foundation Degree, you will graduate with an FdA (Arts) or FdSc (Sciences) after your name.

Progression

You then may wish to top-up your Foundation Degree to a full Honours Degree by studying for one more year here at Weston College, at one of our partner universities or at another Higher Education institution. It depends on your results, and you will have to apply. For details of the top-up degree available for your chosen course, please contact our Higher Education Unit on 01934 411 780/480.

BA/BSc Honours Degrees

We also offer some Honours Degrees in partnership with the University of Bath and Bath Spa University. Once you have got your Foundation Degree at the appropriate level (please see entry requirements), it may be possible to get your full Honours Degree without going to one of our partner universities. This depends on what places we have available and there will be a selection process which usually includes an interview as well as looking at your academic achievements.

We offer one Bachelor of Science (BSc) and four Bachelors of Art (BA) Degrees, which you do in one year full-time or over two years part-time. While work-based learning is still a big part of our Honours Degree courses, there is much more of an onus on academic work – most courses include a dissertation as part of the final assessment. These degrees will challenge you academically and extend your knowledge of your subject. They will also improve a number of the skills and qualities you will need for graduate level jobs, including problem solving, analytical techniques, formulating arguments and communication skills.

If you finish and pass an Honours Degree, you will graduate with a BA (Arts) or BSc (Sciences) after your name.