What qualification is right for me?

In the Faculty of Advanced Technology we offer a variety of entry levels and progression opportunities to suit you. If you have non-standard qualifications, please email Enquiries and Admissions enquiries@glam.ac.uk for more information about your application.

Higher National Certificate – HNC
Higher National Diploma – HND
Foundation Year
Bachelor of Science – BSc
Bachelor of Engineering – BEng
Masters of Engineering – MEng
Masters of Computing – MComp
Masters of Science – MSc

Higher National Certificate – HNC

HNCs are vocational higher education qualifications, which focus on equipping you with the skills and knowledge you need in the workplace. They are highly valued by employers and can count towards membership of professional bodies. You will typically need at least one A-level to enrol on a HNC course. HNCs are rated at level 4 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework and takes two years to complete part-time. A HNC can lead directly into a career or you can top up to a Bachelor’s degree with further study. HNCs may give you exemptions from some aspects your Bachelor’s course.

Higher National Diploma– HND

If you have one A-level plus additional study, you may be able to enrol onto an HND. This is a vocational qualification which takes two years to complete through full-time study and is rated at level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework. HNDs are primarily focused on teaching you skills and demonstrating how you can use that knowledge effectively in the workplace. They are well regarded in industry and can count towards membership of professional bodies. Like HNCs, a HND can lead directly to a career in the relevant industry, or you can convert your HND into a Bachelor’s degree with extra study. You may have exemptions from some areas of your Bachelor’s degree as a result of holding a HND.

Foundation Year

If you do not have the right subjects or grades to enrol directly onto the Bachelor’s programme you would like to study, a Foundation year will give you the grounding you need to follow an undergraduate programme. You will be able to progress on to your chosen Bachelor’s course if you pass the Foundation Year successfully.

Bachelor of Science – BSc

A BSc is a three year undergraduate degree, which can be extended to four years with a supervised work placement “sandwich” year in industry on some courses. It is rated at level 6 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

In the Engineering professions, a BSc will allow you to gain professional recognition as an Incorporated Engineer.

Bachelor of Engineering – BEng

A BEng is a three year undergraduate degree, which can be extended to four years with a supervised work placement “sandwich” year in industry. It is rated at level 6 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

In Engineering, the BEng is different from the BSc in that it offers specialist elements which allow you to progress towards being a professional engineer. As with the BSc, you will gain professional recognition as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng), but the BEng includes further aspects of personal development that form the base for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with a period of additional learning.

Master of Engineering – MEng

An MEng is a four-year undergraduate degree, which can be extended to five years with a supervised work placement “sandwich” year in industry on some courses. It is rated at level 7 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. Known as an ‘integrated masters degree’, it extends your undergraduate studies to postgraduate level. At Glamorgan you enrol onto the BEng first, and you can progress onto the MEng if you achieve satisfactory grades in your assessments.

An MEng will allow you to aim for professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer.

Masters of Computing – MComp

An MComp is a four-year undergraduate degree, which can be extended to five years with a supervised work placement “sandwich” year in industry on some courses. It is rated at level 7 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. Known as an ‘integrated masters degree’, it extends your undergraduate studies to postgraduate level. At Glamorgan you enrol onto the BSc first, and you can progress on to the MComp if you achieve satisfactory grades in your assessments.

Masters of Science – MSc

An MSc is a postgraduate degree, which typically completed in one year of full-time study. It comprises a taught component and a dissertation or individual project. It is rated at level 7 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

In the Engineering professions, an MSc in combination with an accredited BEng will allow you to aim for professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer.

All of our MSc courses can be started in September each year, but Glamorgan also has a February intake on to some of its MSc courses.