What are foundation degrees?
How long is a foundation degree?
What are the entry requirements?
What are the progression routes from foundation degree?
Employer involvement
What the Government has to say on foundation degrees

What are foundation degrees?

They are an intermediate, work-related higher education qualification.  They are designed in conjunction with employers to meet skills shortages at the higher technician and associate professional levels.

They are offered by universities in partnership with higher education colleges and further education colleges.  Flexible study methods make them available to people already in work, unemployed people, or those wanting to embark on a career change.  On successful completion foundation degree graduates can revisit their career options, and may choose to progress to further professional qualifications or to an honours degree.

How long is a foundation degree?

Depending on the subject of study, a full-time course takes two years.  Part-time is often three to four years pro-rata - your local higher education provider can give you more information.

What are the entry requirements?

There are no set entry requirements.  The university or college offering the course will decide if you are eligible.  Appropriate commercial and industrial experience may be more relevant than educational qualifications but check with the institution as some courses have specific requirements.

What are the progression routes from foundation degree?

On completion of a foundation degree, there is the opportunity to progress to a full Honours Degree with just a further 12-15 months full-time study, (this can also be done on a part-time basis over a longer period of time).  Foundation degree graduates can also progress on to further professional qualifications.

Employer involvement

Employers will be involved in the design and review of a programme of study.  The following are quotes from employers involved with foundation degrees.

BMW
For the companies whose staff are taking the Automotive Manufacturing foundation degree course, the benefits of this approach are obvious. Bob Lyall from BMW says: “The work assignments help students learn and gain points towards a degree. But they might also improve BMW’s operations. I know from my own studies that work-based assignments can save a company millions. So we had one scenario in which a turntable for an automated guided vehicle was locking in the wrong position. The foundation degree students proposed a solution as part of their studies.”

Bob Lyall is pleased with the results. He says: “This degree is all about self-improvement. It’s done in the employees’ own time. So far, I’m very impressed with the quality of the teaching and the rigour of the students’ work.”

Skillfast (the sector skills Council for the apparel for the apparel, footwear and textile industry)
Celia Thornley, workforce development co-ordinator for Skillfast, reports on the Textiles foundation degree: “We have to accept that the industry is global, and give companies flexible training that helps them remain competitive, and thereby keeps high level skills and expertise in this country”.

RADISSON EDWARDIAN HOTEL GROUP
Omar Ismail, Head of HR at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel Group says "Potential employees feel that they will be automatically hired if they have a degree, however what really counts is how they can add value to our guests and organisation through effective communication not just theory.”
"You can't quote theory to a guest, so whilst we welcome people with qualifications in hospitality, however its those courses which offer both practical and theoretical learning that add the most value to the guest and the organisation.”
"The foundation degree is an excellent vehicle for delivering a mix of theory and practice to the students. It provides them with academic excellence that can be used to enhance the guest experience.”

what the Government has to say on foundation degrees

On the 22nd January 2003 the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, announced publication of the White Paper "The Future of Higher Education", which sets out the Government's plans for radical reform and investment in universities and HE colleges. The paper includes proposals for changes in the student finance system, and plans for making higher education more accessible to more young people.

Foundation degrees feature strongly in the document.  Here is what the Government had to say on foundation degrees:

“We will drive forward foundation degrees, making them the main work-focused higher education qualification.”

“One of their key features is that employers play a role in designing courses, so both they and the students can be certain that they will be gaining the skills that are really needed in work.”

“Major employers like KLM and Rover have developed foundation degrees designed to meet their needs, as they modernise their workforce. And in the public sector, both the Ministry of Defence and Department of Health have found the work based approach of foundation degrees valuable. Recently, the Department of Health announced that any health service employee with 5 years service will be entitled to training and development leading to an appropriate foundation degree. For teachers, new foundation degrees are being developed as routes into some BEd courses, and dedicated foundation degrees will be part of the new standards and qualifications framework proposed for higher level teaching assistants. By providing an important route to further career development, foundation degrees have a key role to play in modernising both private and public sector workforces.”

“Those with foundation degrees will have the right to use the letters ‘FDA’ (for arts based subjects) or ‘FDSc’ (for science based subjects) after their names.”