The programme is credit based meaning that you can build up a degree step by step based on your own personal and professional development needs. You are able to gain higher education credit for your own work experience (this is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning), gain credit for appropriate qualifications you may already have (this is called Accreditation of Prior Certified Learning) and acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities to support your own professional development at undergraduate level.

There are a number of Awards that you can acquire on this pathway. They all have what is called ‘credit value’ and will count towards your objective of gaining a degree. If you wish to step off the programme at the end of an award level, due to changes in your lifestyle such as having children or changing job roles, you can do this. Once you are ready to study again, you then enrol onto the next level of award.

If you are studying part time or flexibly each level (i.e. certificate, diploma then degree) can take between on average between 6 months and two years to complete, depending on the amount of credit you already have. The Credit Accumulation Table below gives you a guide to how this step by step approach works in terms of awards, levels, credit value and how it equates to a traditionally taught full time three year degree programme.