Your foundation degree, what next?
There are several options open:
Credit systems are in place to provide greater flexibility and easier transfer between courses at different institutions. It means that students awarded credit by one institution may then have that credit recognised by another. Qualification credit points and systems can vary across institutions and courses, so it is important to check with each institution individually.
The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) sets foundation degrees as a level 5 qualification. It can be seen in comparison to other qualifications in the below table.
| Qualification | HE qualification level | Minimum overall credits |
|---|---|---|
| Honours degree | 6 | 360 |
| Ordinary degree | 6 | 300 |
| Foundation degree | 5 | 240 |
| DipHE | 5 | 240 |
| HND | 5 | 240 |
| HNC | 4 | 150 |
| Certificate of Higher Education | 4 | 120 |
Credit guidelines for HE qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are developed by the following bodies:
Scotland offers a different framework; if you are considering transferring your studies to Scotland, refer to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) .
Of the 99,000 current foundation degree students, most will progress onto further study, usually a one-year honours degree. The majority ‘top up’ immediately after graduating, although a significant minority will return to ‘top up’ at a later point in their career (Foundation Degrees: Key statistics 2001-02 to 2009-10, HEFCE, 2010).
There are different ways of progressing onto an honours degree:
If you intend to progress to an honours degree, you will need to find out where it can lead you and what your choices will be upon graduating. For help with this, you should look up the destination data for previous graduates from the course. All institutions and courses have to collect and publish such information. You may also want to refer to options with your subject for details of individual, subject-specific destinations.
In practice, a large number of vacancies do not specify a required subject. Class of degree, however, is often significant to employers, with some specifying an upper second, or better, as a minimum requirement for their graduate training schemes.
BA and BSc degrees are normally offered with honours; ordinary and unclassified degrees are available to those who struggle to meet the requirements of honours degrees. Evidence from graduates with ordinary degrees, though, has shown that it has been a difficult entry point in the labour market and, therefore, may not offer a greater advantage over a foundation degree.
A useful resource when researching progression to honours level is the annual survey of graduate destinations, What Do Graduates Do?
Postgraduate study is still popular in the UK and there is a significant trend towards honours degree graduates progressing directly onto postgraduate study, although some do return to it at a later date.
Highly popular and competitive courses usually require candidates who have an honours degree (this will sometimes be a necessity if the course provides professional accreditation). However some postgraduate courses are more flexible and may count relevant industrial experience as equivalent to degree-level study.
The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) lists two levels of postgraduate qualifications: Masters (level 7) and Doctorate (level 8).
There are also Postgraduate Diplomas (PgDip) and Certificates (PgCert) at level 7, which usually provide part-qualification toward the Masters level.
Direct entry at Masters level is most likely where the course is closely related to the subject you have already studied and/or the field of work you are already in. A good level of achievement on your current programme is usually required, as are sound reasons for wanting to take the course.
A Postgraduate Certificate for Education (PGCE) is a special form of postgraduate degree which acts as a conversion course to award students the same professional status as the undergraduate Bachelor of Education. Once completed, students are awarded Qualifying Teacher Status (QTS). The Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) is the online admissions service which covers most higher education institutions and courses in England, Wales and Scotland.
Doctoral degrees normally require a very high level of achievement at honours level and often a Masters and relevant industrial experience.
There is a New Route PhD which has the same core elements as the traditional UK PhD but which provides an additional structured programme of advanced training in transferable skills. This is of significant use in the work place.
The key questions you need to ask yourself before taking on any postgraduate study are:
For further information on specific postgraduate courses, search courses and research. You should also consult your masters...what next? , your PhD...what next? and about postgrad study.
Professional courses allow you to enter and practise a specific profession. Professional bodies usually regulate their own qualifications and entry routes and provide a list of courses that are acceptable for their varying levels of membership.
If you need to have professional registration for your chosen career you should check whether your foundation degree will be accepted towards the programme requirements.
Foundation Degree Forward provides a publication called Choosing a Foundation Degree While Working and this includes questions which foundation degree graduates can ask professional bodies about entry requirements.
Not all professional bodies require an honours degree for entry and many offer different levels and tiers of membership, based on an assessment of your academic ability, subject studied and industrial experience. For example, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) offers Associate membership for those with a foundation degree, while the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) offers Affiliate Professional membership, which progresses to Associate membership if you get an honours degree. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) can offer part exemption to exams and entry depending on experience, degree subject, awarding institution and final year of completion.
If you are interested in a professional course, check whether the qualification is valued by employers if it is not taken while in relevant employment. Many professional courses have traditionally been taken by people already working in a related role and those who take the course without such experience can struggle when they compete for jobs.
Explore types of jobs and industry insights to research individual occupations and areas of work, including details of training routes and professional qualifications.
Although many foundation degree graduates who progress to an honours programme will do so full time, there are alternative methods of continuing your studies and this will depend on your personal priorities, chosen career pathway and course/module availability.
The part-time option may be particularly attractive to those who are also working as it allows for flexibility in the time it takes you to complete your degree. It may also be easier to persuade your employer to support such study; however it is important to check their level of support and commitment to avoid interruptions during your studies.
Distance and online learning has become a growth area, with many UK universities offering students a more flexible and often cheaper means of accredited study. Perhaps the best-known institution in this field is the Open University (OU) , which offers a wide range of courses at various levels, although many other institutions have now converted degree and postgraduate courses to these accessible formats. If this mode of study interests you or if the course you want to study is not available locally in a traditional format, check whether an open, distance or online learning alternative is available.
Next Step provides useful guidance on flexible learning and maintains a national database of courses at all levels in the UK, including information regarding open learning and home study course providers.
It is important to reflect on your own learning style and motivation levels before embarking on flexible learning programmes. Distance learning requires commitment, discipline and good organisational and time management skills.
It is important to consider the following factors before making a decision about flexible learning:
If you are considering further study, it is important that you establish what financial support you will get, if any, particularly with the increase in tuition fees in 2012.
Directgov provides a range of funding information and links for all students entering higher education in England, including graduates and postgraduates. Current information about finance in Wales can be obtained from Student Finance Wales . If you are a student in Scotland, you should contact the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and for Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) .
The following general guidance can be applied to foundation degree students seeking funding:
UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs provides information on sources of funding for UK students who wish to study abroad.
While most foundation degree graduates continue straight into further study, many combine this with paid work and a significant minority work full time. Of these, most will be continuing with an employer they had prior to commencing the degree, perhaps in a promoted role or working with an employer they met while doing work experience.
As foundation degrees are highly vocational, most graduates seek a job closely related to their subject, however with a good set of transferable skills it may be possible to find work outside the industry you have studied in. If you are considering a change from the subject studied you might want to try what jobs would suit me? (login required).
It is rare for anybody to get a job on the basis of a qualification alone and experience often counts for more. Employers are increasingly seeking an array of employability skills as well as academic qualifications in their candidates. Consider the vocational aspect of your degree, which can be attractive to employers, as well as any work experience that you may have. This could include paid jobs, voluntary work, internships or work shadowing.
If you have significant experience in an industry, you may already be aware of progression opportunities and pathways. If not, these can be investigated through talking to your employer and relevant professional organisations. The possession of transferable skills is likely to mean that you have more options than you think, should you want to move beyond your current position. Start by listing your general skills and then use this list to investigate new possibilities. Compiling a CV is also a good way to evaluate the skills, experience and qualifications that you have.
If you are a career changer, you will be focused on gaining a new set of specialist skills for your intended destination. It is likely you can use some of your previous experience and skills; think about how the general skills you developed in your previous career could be used to help towards your new direction.
Most foundation degree students are working and may have options related to their current employment. It may be worth investigating options with your employer. Research shows that a large number of career moves are made within the same or related companies, often through promotion. Some organisations create new roles for those with initiative. The key is to plan carefully before talking to your employer; think about your contributions and achievements and what you could offer the company.
On the other hand, you may want to look for a different employer. You may know the industry well or may need to research new opportunities. Sources of information include sector skills councils, your careers service, local and national newspapers, professional journals and bodies, and employer literature. The National Guidance Research Forum provides impartial, reliable and up-to-date labour market information at local and regional level, focusing on future changes in the UK labour market and skills.
Informal contact with others in the industry can also be valuable in finding work elsewhere: make a list of who you know within the industry and ask them who else they know who could answer your questions. For a list of employers and job opportunities, find graduate employers. It is also a good idea to get your CV checked by your university careers service or a professional within your industry.
The experience of honours graduates has shown that geographical mobility can be an important factor towards success in the labour market, particularly within industries concentrated in one or two regions. If you need to stay within the same region, it is important to investigate the economic make-up of local industry and the types of opportunities available.
Self-employment is becoming increasingly popular with graduates and establishing your own business usually means you will be able to stay in your current location. However, it is important that you consider whether a different location would make the business more successful.
If you are an EU citizen, you have the right to live and work in other EU states. For countries outside the EU, different restrictions will apply and you will usually have to obtain a work permit to allow you to become employed within that country. For further information on working in EU states and other countries, see country profiles and working abroad.
On the whole, it is probably not worth applying for jobs where the advertisement states that a ‘good honours degree’ is required. Employers often use such requirements as a way of sifting out a large number of applicants. If employers ask for a general degree or specifically seek a graduate, it may well be worth applying, particularly if you are ready to sell the benefits of your qualification. You could also contact the employer to explain what qualifications you have and to ask whether you could be considered for the role to find out if it is worthwhile to make an application.
Do not assume that vacancies are not worth considering just because they do not specify levels of qualifications; graduates often find they have to take a position that does not necessarily require a degree for entry in order to get into the industry or profession of their choice. This will also help to develop your CV and employability skills.
Although it is important to look at vacancy sources, research shows that a large amount of jobs are never advertised. Internal promotion, networking, direct and speculative approaches, and personal contacts are all alternative ways of finding or creating opportunities. You can make this work to your advantage by looking beyond advertised vacancies; if you can find companies who are expanding, they may be persuaded to create a vacancy for the right person.
Seeking professional membership within your sector is an ideal way to keep abreast of labour market changes and may also aid you in making useful contacts. Research all local trade associations and organisations affiliated to your specialist field and consider registering with professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn to gather contacts and promote yourself.
It is important that you research each option that interests you thoroughly before trying to make a decision. You should ask yourself:
Sometimes people find this the hardest part of career choice. If this is difficult for you, you might want to:
Once you have identified options and researched them carefully, you will need to decide on a first choice or preferred course of action.
A number of techniques can be used to help:
Specific experiences or skills may be required in addition to your qualifications. You can overcome any gaps through:
Tweet