Online /distance learning

[Spark plug]

Spark Plug,

If you do decide to do some studying please try and look for courses where the credits are transferable to a degree.

'er-indoors is trainer assessor in Health and Social care, and has the relevant Petals, Kettles & Dettles teaching qualifications but not a degree and every year she has to train in something new and relevant to the industry. So she always goes for a course or training that has transferable credits along with doing an additional course of 30/45/60 credit units per year and although it's taken her 7 almost 8 years in about 12 months time she will have accrued the required 360 credits for an honours degree.

So if I'm reading this right if I was to do enough small courses at some point, eventually I would get a degree without doing a degree?

 

[bigegg]

So if I'm reading this right if I was to do enough small courses at some point, eventually I would get a degree without doing a degree?

There's a time limit - 12 years I think?

 

[Gareth0123]

eventually I would get a degree without doing a degree?

Sort of right, the courses that make up your credits must be relevant to the end degree. Its no good doing individual courses on Grecian pottery, creative writing, basic law, media studies, etc. and expecting to use those credits towards an engineering degree.

 

[matt1978]

My sister is a NVQ Assesor and there is still government funding available to cover the costs of some courses, but this ends in April so you would have to be quick.

If you cannot get funding for the course you want to do or you miss the deadline you can still apply for a 24+ loan which is a interest free loan to cover the cost of the course but which you have to pay back at a given rate based on your annual income.

They standardised the qualifications into "Levels" some time back I think it ranges from Level 1 to Level 8. Level 3 for example is equivalent to a GCSE, level 4, A level, Level 5, Foundation degree, 7, Masters degree and level 8 a Doctorate.

From what my sister told me, some of the online courses are not worth the paper they are written on (if you are planning to use them to better your career prospects) don't bother with anything that has "Award" or "Certificate" at the end as they are not the Full qualification, only consider those ending with Diploma or Extended Diploma as these are the ones that are the full qualification at the given level.

I am currently doing a level 5 qualification and it's a dual award, of a Level 5 Diploma and a Level 5 NVQ. The diploma based on the written work and the NVQ based on workplace observations and assesments. As someone said for your level 5 and above qualifications some university's will allow you to use the credits gained as well as submitting a disertation in order to "convert" the qualification to a full degree.

I would advise finding a training provider in your area to see if they are able to secure you any funding before the cut off in April

 

[Robotstar5]

Not your typical course but I did my Advanced Amateur Radio course via Distance Learning and as with other comments on here you have to stay focused and keep up with the work as it is all too easy to fall behind.

I had to look that one up, seems to be the equivalent of the old "A" licence. A bit different when I did it when it was a college course and C&G exam for "B" licence then 12 WPM morse test to get "A" licence.