A foundation degree is a great place to begin if you’re getting back into education and eager to lay the groundwork – either for work-related skills or as a stepping stone to a full university degree. It will help you further develop your career if you’re already in a job, or provide you with work-related learning options with relevant employers if this is a new career path.

Like other types of university-level courses, foundation degrees are split into two disciplines: arts (FdA) and sciences (FdSc). They usually take two years to complete when studying full-time, but they can also be done part-time.

Upon completion of a foundation degree, you’ll receive a qualification that’s equivalent to the first two years of a traditional university degree. From here, you can go into your career with your award, or you can ‘top up’ your degree with a further year of study.

Topping up your foundation degree converts your qualification to a bachelor’s degree. You can do this with The Manchester College and save a lot of money on tuition fees!

Begin your search for a foundation degree

Both a HNC and HND are focused on helping you get a head start in a specific industry, with all the relevant skills you’ll need for the sector.

A Higher National Certificate (HNC) is a vocational-based qualification. That means you’ll be studying for a career in a specific area, with practical work-related training and education, and a focus on preparing you for a real-world job. Studying full-time, a HNC course usually takes a year, or you can do it on a part-time basis over two years.

After completing a HNC, you could convert your qualification to a HND with further study. A Higher National Diploma is the next level up, with more units to study and typically taking two years to complete on a full-time basis.

With a HNC or HND, you could enter the second or third year of a bachelor’s degree and ‘top up’ your qualification. Or you can use this higher level of qualification to showcase your skills and expertise in your chosen career and secure a great job.

Explore our HNC or HND options

The most common type of university level qualification is a bachelor’s degree – either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Sciences (Bsc). They can be taken in a diverse range of subjects and usually take three or four years to complete on a full-time basis.

Bachelors' degrees are often more academically focused, although we offer a number of options which are more vocational based – ensuring you’ll have lots of hands-on learning opportunities alongside classroom study.

Study with us for a bachelor's degree