Qualifications Explained
All you need to know about qualifications and how they work together
Like all Scottish universities and colleges , we use the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework ( SCQF ) levels to describe our courses .
It shows how you can build up credits to gain the qualification you want , transfer credits onto other courses , and compare levels across different courses and qualifications .
Remember - there ’ s no one set or right way to progress through school , college , university and into the job you want . And one of the benefits of college is how flexible your route can be , with so many options available to suit your own circumstances . You can even take time out of your studies and pick them up again at a later stage .
Higher Education ( HE ) Qualifications Explained
Higher National Certificates ( HNC )
SCQF Level 7 – the equivalent to year 1 at university .
HNCs are normally completed in one year full-time or in two years with part-time study . Upon successful completion of an HNC , you have options which may include progressing to an HND at Fife College , or a degree with one of our partner universities ( often entering the degree course in year 2 ), or employment .
Higher National Diplomas ( HND )
SCQF Level 8 – the equivalent to year 2 at university .
An HND is two years of study if done as a full-time course . If you ’ re progressing from HNC , you will go straight into the second and final year of the HND . They give you the option of progressing through to a degree ( often entering year 3 of the degree course ) or employment .
Degrees
SCQF Levels 9 ( Degree ) and 10 ( Honours Degree ).
As well as routes to a wide range of degree courses at other institutions , with the benefit of studying the first one or two years locally , by working alongside our partner universities , we offer a great range of degrees right on your doorstep at Fife College campuses , so that you can study your whole degree with us in Fife . These degrees are awarded by our university partners so are the same as those issued to their own students .
Note : An Honours degree in Scotland takes 4 years of full time study to complete , but in the English system an Honours degree takes 3 years .
Visit our website to find out more about what courses are available and what entry qualifications are needed to progress to Higher Education ( HNC , HND and Degree ) qualifications .
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