Foundation degree

Not to be confused with foundation course.

The Foundation Degree is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is similar in level to the associate's degree awarded in the United States, and in the United Kingdom sits on the same level as the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Certificate but below the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws level of education. Courses are typically two years full time study or 3 to 4 years part time study and are offered both by universities and colleges of higher education.

Foundation degrees are intended to give a basic knowledge in a subject to enable the holder to go on to employment or further study in that field. They were designed in partnership with employers and further education colleges (FECs).^{[citation needed]}

One of a number of important differences between the Foundation Degree and the Higher National Diploma is that it stands as a degree, and as such has a common value of 240 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points in the UK Higher Education System, or 120 ECTS-credits in the European Credit Transfer System. By contrast, the HND can be recognised for entry to a degree course at as little as no credits, and as much as 240 credits, depending on the receiving institution and relevance to the subject.^{[citation needed]}

A further important difference is that Foundation Degrees, as originally conceived, were to give students with substantial industry experience the opportunity to frame what they knew against appropriate academic perspectives, and were to be accessible by students 'in work'.^{[citation needed]}.

The Foundation Degree does not require commencement of a full Degree award upon completion in order to be recognised or validated. However, it is possible to 'top-up' to a full Honours Degree award, which typically involves 1 year or more of extra study.

See also

• Education in the United Kingdom
• British degree abbreviations
• University Foundation Programme

External links

• DfES Foundation Degree
• Foundation Degree Forward
• Directgov: Foundation Degrees
• Researching foundation degrees in the Creative Industries