Foundation Degrees

About Foundation degrees

Foundation degrees are an important pathway into higher education for those who cannot commit financially to three-years of study at a university or whose situation requires them to study locally. Importantly, Foundation degrees are developed in conjunction with local employers who are keenly interested in helping with the work experience elements of the course and who may employ graduates too!

Foundation degrees are validated by a university (the University of Plymouth validates those offered by Strode College) and are a recognised qualification with letters after your name (FdA for arts-based subjects, FdSc for science-based subjects, BdEng for engineering-based subject). Additionally, a foundation degree can usually give automatic progression onto an Honours degree at a designated university.

Benefits of a Foundation degree

Many school leavers are cautious about applying to university because of the fear of getting into debt or just don't feel ready to leave home and study far away from friends and family.  The Foundation degree is designed for people like you.  The benefits are:

• Lower tuition fees than an Honours degree but equivalent academic standards;
• Specific employer involvement, work experience and development of employability skills in your studies;
• Smaller class sizes and more personal attention at your local college
• Local courses mean you can stay at home and save, perhaps, around £6,000 per year in expenses;
• You can earn while your learn as your course will only be1/2 days per week in college;
• Equivalent access to student loans and LEA grants as Honours degree students;
• Guaranteed progression to an Honours degree upon successful completion;
• Access to all services and facilities at the University of Plymouth including the students union, library, choir, orchestra and societies.

Foundation degrees available at Strode College

Strode College is the best local choice for a Foundation degree

At Strode College, we believe that we offer a unique learning experience designed to help you make a smooth transition from school to university level learning.  The elements of this unique experience are:

• Smaller community atmosphere;
• No large lecture halls;
• Excellent staff: student ratio;
• Regular personal tutorial;
• Accessible, supportive and knowledgeable teaching team;
• Courses designed with local employment in mind;
• Flexible study during the daytime;
• Planned progression to the next qualification.

In addition, we offer:

• High quality teaching which is highly rated by regular external inspections;
• Committed staff who make learning enjoyable and rewarding and who undertake regular professional development;
• A modular course structure which allows flexibility to study over two or three years;
• An ethos which is committed to meeting the academic hopes and expectations of students;
• Individual attention and support;
• A fully accessible campus.

Entry requirements

Every application is considered individually. Minimum entry requirements are normally evidence of study at Level 3 including 1 A Level (grade C) or a National Diploma or Certificate with a pass grade, and GCSE English & Maths grade C.

For some Foundation degrees there may also be specific selection criteria.

Those with life experience may also apply and have this considered for the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) services offered by the University of Plymouth.

Facilities at Strode College

Theatre

Strode Theatre, is mid Somerset’s venue for live performances and film, and an integral part of Strode College. Built in 1963 and extended in 1998, it has 393 seats and offers opportunities for students to rehearse and perform and also to watch professional performances and films from all around the world.

The Theatre is a busy place and is often at its liveliest when the rest of the College is quiet. Evenings, weekends and holidays are all times when the local community most appreciate the busy and varied programmes. The Strode Theatre bar is open on performance evenings. Find out more at www.strodetheatre.co.uk.

Sports Hall

Whatever your level, we have outstanding facilities for you. Since 1999, we have invested £5 million to improve the sports facilities at Strode College. In conjunction with the Football Foundation, the multi-purpose allweather pitch was completed in February 2008. The College has a multi purpose sports hall incorporating an indoor climbing wall and a state-of-the-art fitness suite, offering a good balance of cardio-vascular and strength resistance training equipment.

A range of sporting activities are available to students including athletics, football, netball and hockey, as well as a range of more unusual opportunities such as volleyball and climbing. The College regularly competes in the Somerset Colleges and British Sport in Colleges tournaments and leagues which take place on Wednesday afternoons, some weekends and occasional evenings.

Library

The Learning Centre offers students and staff a comfortable and well-resourced area on two floors which combines modern IT facilities and a traditional library, with space for both quiet individual study and group work. Friendly staff are always on hand to help you find the information you need, and can also offer guidance on how to access and use the services provided. There are over 30,000 books, both fiction and non-fiction, covering many subject areas which you can borrow. There is also a comprehensive video library and video preview area. Other resources include maps, daily newspapers and periodicals.

The Audio-Visual Centre can lend you a range of equipment to assist with your studies, including: still, video and digital cameras; tripods, lenses etc; cassette and CD players; and microphones.

The Learning Centre is open every weekday but online access to electronic resources is 24/7.

Foundation Degree students can also use the magnificent new library at the University of Plymouth and access resources online too!

Computers

Learning is changing and how! Over 40 classrooms have interactive whiteboards which can help make classroom activities interesting and exciting. Many courses have their own internet based virtual learning environment (called Moodle) where students can communicate and collaborate with their teacher and other students, and can access their learning materials at any time.

The virtual learning environment (Moodle) allows students to:

• Access course handouts;
• Obtain details of assignments;
• Check critical dates for course activities;
• Find links to other useful websites;
• Discuss course matters on-line;
• Take part in virtual group work;
• Keep up-to-date with relevant messages and announcements;
• Participate in online workshops and tests;
• Listen to podcasts and video clips.

We also have an electronic library (called Elib) which contains thousands of resources to help with study. The e-library is managed by the library and learning resources team and offers a quick and easy way to search for course materials and other resources created by teachers and Learning Centre staff. The e-library also has links to the Learning Centre Intranet, where more specialist materials such as e-books, online databases and journals will be found, and also the Student Support Intranet which has information for students.

All students have their own email account which can be used at College and at home. In addition, you will have network space to store your college work and assignments including Word documents, video clips, photographs, mp3s etc., and if your course requires you to keep an electronic portfolio you will be given your own space for this.

The electronic library and all the learning resources can be accessed from home, 24/7 through the College website home page.

University Common Room

There is a social space available to all university level students.