School/College tutors - please help a confused old woman!

LBrider

LBrider

Active Member
Nov 7, 2010
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Suffolk
I'm hoping Eventerbabe or Innocence or someone in the know might be able to answer this!

My son is leaving High School this summer and we've been looking at 6th form colleges so that he can do A levels and then go on to do a degree afterwards.

The thing is, we have only tonight discovered a local-ish place that offers a foundation degree in his subject (music) for which the entry requirement is only 80 UCAS points, which he already has.

I've just had a long chat on the phone with one of his private music tutors who has recommended this course but said that he would do the two year foundation degree, then when he is 18, will start the three years BA Hons degree course. The way she described it is that whether he does the foundation degree or just does A levels, he will definitely have to do five years in total from this summer, before he graduates.

The thing is, looking on various websites, I get the distinct impression that once someone has done the 2 year foundation aspect, then they only need to do one more year to get their BA Hons - ie, three years in total.

Yet his tutor was adamant that this was not the case, and she usually knows what she's talking about. So does anyone know what does actually happen? Of course, son has told us about this option tonight, now that all the schools and colleges have broken up for half term, so I can't even phone them and ask!

Thanks! x
 
I did a two year foundation degree in Animal Health and Welfare then only needed to top it up to BSc Hons with one extra year. It depends how closely the subjects in the foundation degree tie up to what is taught in the BSc/BA. One person who did the foundation degree with me went to do a top up BSc at another uni and needed to take two years not just the final year of the BSc course to make sure she covered everything in enough depth. If the subjects taught or the level taught in the foundation degree don't really tie up with the BSc/BA I can see someone having to take the full course and not skip a year or two.
I would have a good look at what is taught in the foundation degree and the top up degree and see if there is any value in the foundation degree.
The college careers advice service can be good for advice.
 
Would also check the age for admission to foundation degree?

Usually it is a top up year, but sometimes it is a diploma or nvq which doesn't drop the number of degree years - just an alternative to a levels
 
Hi hun, no he wouldn't need to do 5 years (im assuming you mean full time study?)

He would do 2 years foundation level and top up onto an hons degree for his final year. But the top up has to be relevant to his foundation studies.

For example, he couldn't do 2 yr foundation in equine studies, then top up to his hons doing business management.
 
A bit off topic but I really do think University is about a lot more than study and 16 is far to young to go. At an older age as well your son may well think of going in a different direction. We make people specialise early enough in England, I would look again at a good Sixth Form and then choose a University at 18 not necessarily because it is close to home but because it offers the best course!!


Sorry pet rant over!!
 
Thanks all! Innocence, that's good to know, kind of what we thought.

eml, we're not hoiking him off to Uni! This is fairly local an Institute validated by a Uni. There are loads of kids there doings BTEC's, A Levels etc. Quite a few of his mates from school are going, doing various subjects at various levels, and it's a short train ride away.

Thing is, he may well yet opt to do the A Level route, but he is 100% committed to what he wants to do and has been for several years. So the thought of starting a degree sooner rather than later really appeals to him. We just need to find out a bit more about it and get some advice - at the end of the day we will leave the final decision to him, but it's my job to ensure he has as much information as possible before he chooses.
 
ooh i really don't know! The english system is so different to up here. I'm inclined to think that he would HAVE to do the three years at uni after the two year foundation course. We have university accreidted courses at college up here but all it provides is a guarenteed access to the degree course, it doesn't count as part of the degree. But that is in the scottish system.
 
There is a difference between a foundation degree and a foundation course. For example when I was looking into studying art as a teenager you were offered a year long foundation art course followed by the full three year degree course. A foundation degree is a proper, usually vocational, degree course studied over two years at the end of which you are awarded an FdSc or FdA for example. You can convert these to a bachelor's degree with an extra year of study (or maybe more depending on course content).
 
Cobsize said:
There is a difference between a foundation degree and a foundation course. For example when I was looking into studying art as a teenager you were offered a year long foundation art course followed by the full three year degree course. A foundation degree is a proper, usually vocational, degree course studied over two years at the end of which you are awarded an FdSc or FdA for example. You can convert these to a bachelor's degree with an extra year of study (or maybe more depending on course content).
Click to expand...

The one he is looking at is definitely a foundation degree. A local professional musician who apparently is an occasional tutor at the Institute is going to have a chat with my son next week. He's a typical teenager so will probably listen more to him than he will his parents! :yellowcarded:
 
He wouldn't be able to go into a HE institution until he was 18 anyway but can do BTEC etc from the age 16 upwards because they are classed as level 3 qualifications. Anything level 4 and above is considered higher education.
 
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