University Level Courses
What's in it for you?
 
It is acknowledged that people with higher level qualifications earn more money and are twice as likely to be employed in senior roles. Higher level courses give you important transferrable skills and give you an edge in the employment market.
 
At Stoke on Trent College we have many years experience in running higher level courses that deliver excellent results. Studying here, you will meet new people, encounter new ideas and learn more about your chosen subject.
 
Courses are vocational and related to your job. Qualifications are delivered by tutors who have real-world experience and knowledge of the subjects they teach. We keep class sizes small, with an informal atmosphere and provide substantial individual support.
 
We are part of SURF (Staffordshire University Regional Federation) and the University Quarter. Our higher level courses are awarded by Staffordshire University and you will have full access to resources at both the college and university.
 
Financial Support
 
We recognise that in many cases, getting the right financial support can be a key factor in deciding whether to study a course or not. We are able to offer support to all higher education students, depending on your personal circumstances and the type of course you are studying.
 
For full-time students, the main types of financial help you may be able to get are:

  * A Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant
  * A Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees in full
  * A Maintenance Loan - if you live away from home

 For part-time students, you could get financial help through the Fee Grant, Course Grant and other sources, provided that the course:

  * Lasts at least one year
  * Leads to a Higher Education qualification
  * Does not take more than twice as long to complete as the equivalent full-time course

For further information about the financial support available please get in touch.

 
Qualifications/ subjects
 
Foundation degrees are designed in partnership with employers. They equip you with skills and knowledge relevant to your employment. Integrating academic and work-based learning, they allow you to learn alongside your existing job. However, you may also undertake a Foundation degree when returning to work or changing your career.

Foundation degrees are usually equivalent to the first two years of an Honours Degree. Most are offered on a part-time basis and are usually completed within three years, although some Foundation degree courses can be completed within two years. Full-time Foundation degrees are mostly completed within two years. All Foundation degrees offer a guaranteed progression route to at least one named Honours Degree, most of which are at Staffordshire University.

A FLAP award is a “bite size” degree level award made up of one or more Staffordshire University modules in a specialised field and can be completed in a much shorter time than a full degree programme. Why not ask if there’s one that suits your specialist needs?

We also offer a number of Higher National Certificate/Diploma (HNC/D) and Foundation Year courses.
 
All foundation degrees are subject to amendment as they are validated through Staffordshire University.
 
Access to Higher Education Media, Art & Design Music & Performing Arts Sports Science & Coaching Business, Management & Finance Teacher Training Teacher Training Construction Child Care, Health & Social Care Public Services & Army Preparation Hair, Beauty & Holistic Therapies Hospitality & Catering Information Technology & Administration
 
Amy Hargreaves and Adele Webberley

Having never met before starting a Staffordshire University Foundation Degree in Complimentary Therapies, Adele Webberley and Amy Hargreaves have since become best friends and are launching a business together.
 
The enterprising pair from Stoke-on-Trent is now running Therapeutics UK, an alternative therapy company which sends trained practitioners to clinical and care centres, or private homes, to administer treatment.
 
"The idea is we want to take the company away from the hippy idea of alternative therapy and instead use advanced, science based practices, which is what we learnt on the course," Adele said.
 
When the company officially launches, in September this year, the aim is to only employ staff that come through a similar foundation degree to their own or through higher education.
 
And both Adele, 40, and Amy, 24, have hopes to progress their own academic careers, giving them an even better understanding of healthcare and further boost the credentials of Therapeutics UK.
 
Amy said: "The business is going to fund the studies and the important thing is to maintain professionalism, so we would both like to do the honours degree and then possibly go further – maybe a PhD eventually."
 
Both partners have had experience in the therapeutics industry before they started their foundation degrees, which took place at Stoke-on-Trent College.
 
Amy carried out Swedish massage at VCTC level – a specialist award body offering a range of vocational qualifications in subjects such as beauty therapy, sports therapy and health and fitness – and then decided she wanted to advance. She said: "I'd been looking to do something new but I didn't do any A-Levels so to go onto a foundation degree was very different for me."
 
Adele has come from a career in the Prison Service before entering the field of therapy. She said: "I started in 1990, left in 2005 and never went back. I got to the point where the job became demoralising so I decided I wanted a change."
 
She added: "I work well with people – and my Grandmother was a herbalist – so I decided to try complementary therapies because it seemed to be the right way to go."
 
When the pair met on the Complimentary Therapies Foundation Degree, they began helping each other and became best friends. Adele admits that "our ages are very different," but said: "When I had ideas I could bounce something of Amy. She became somebody that I could depend on."
 
Amy added: "While on the course I came to rely on Adele to check my work and help me. We've definitely become best friends and we wouldn't have met if it wasn't for the foundation degree.
 
"As well as that, I've definitely been impressed with the level of support we've had and the time the lecturers have given to us. I've loved it."

A Real Education - It means skills, experience and knowledge that will allow you to start earning real money and build a solid career. It means having regular access to first-class learning facilities and state-of-the-art equipment to help you fulfil your potential.

Because we offer Level 3 courses, people who study with us are able to work towards going to university without the need for traditional A Levels. So, whether you are looking for the skills to get stuck right into a job, or the best route to university and further qualifications, Stoke on Trent College has the course for you.

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