Associate students:
an alternative way
to get a degree
QMU has worked with a
number of local further
education colleges to
develop an alternative
way to get onto a
degree course. Find out
about our exciting
Associate Student
scheme here.
Benefits
•
•
Not everyone goes straight from school
to university. People take different
pathways into education depending on
their circumstances. Our Associate
Student scheme offers a different route to
securing a place on a degree course at
QMU.
Associate students are fully enrolled as
QMU students from day one, but study
for the first year at a partner college on a
relevant Higher National (HN) course. On
successful completion, associate
students will have a guaranteed place at
QMU to complete their degree. A number
of our degrees are available through the
Associate Student scheme and are listed
in the table opposite. The entry
requirements for all of our Associate
Student routes are CCC at Higher, or
equivalent.
•
If you are unsure about making the
leap from school to university, then
studying at college can be a good
way to prepare for the move, and
one of the benefits may be the
smaller classes at college. As you
work through the HN, the college
and QMU will prepare you for the
more independent learning style
and the academic standards
required at university level.
If you have been out of education
for a while, or have been working in
industry and now want to gain a
relevant qualification, college may
be a more suitable entry route for
you. Colleges specialise in helping
people returning to education after
a break and learning styles are a lot
more vocational and practical than
in higher education. The first year of
the associate student routes is
designed to reflect these types of
learning styles.
You may have found that your
Higher results after school are not
good enough to get into university,
or your school qualifications were
not up to date if they were taken a
while ago. The Associate Student
routes offer entry to QMU degrees
with slightly lower entry
qualifications because the first year
is spent at college.
32
• As you progress through your HN
course we will arrange visits to the
University campus, workshops on
academic skills and guest lectures
— this will ensure you are well
prepared for the transition to QMU.
• You will be in a class where there
are other associate students, so
you will be able to make friends
with the people who you will study
with for four years, before joining a
bigger cohort of students at QMU
to complete the degree.
Facilities and services
During the first year you will be enrolled
at both institutions and can take
advantage of the facilities at each.
College facilities could include catering,
library services, student support
services, health and fitness facilities, spa
and hair and beauty salons, and
sometimes accommodation. At QMU,
you can use the Learning Resource
Centre, student support services, the
Sports Centre, the Students’ Union and
its clubs and societies, and our excellent
accommodation and catering services
— details of which can be found in this
prospectus.