What are they?
An Extended Degree/ Extended Foundation Degree is a degree programme that includes a year of study (Foundation Year) which will enhance students' underpinning knowledge and skills before progression onto more specialist studies in the later years of the course. An Extended Degree/ Foundation Degree is ideal for students with few, or no, formal qualifications who are returning to education. It is also a good option for students who do not have the required subjects/ grades at A-level (or equivalent) to be able to progress onto a Degree/ Foundation Degree programme.
Honours degrees have an academic focus while Foundation degrees contain a large element of work-based learning.
What do they cost and what financial support is available?
Tuition fees vary depending on the university or college you decide to study at. The fee for the Foundation Year of the course is significantly lower than for the remaining years.
For 2009/10 if the Foundation Year is being studied at Askham Bryan College the fee will be £215. If the Foundation Year is being studied at the University of York or York College the fee is £250.
At Askham Bryan College and York College this fee is offset by a bursary of £250 for students who are 19 and over at the start of their course and who have not already completed a full Level 3 qualification.
Students studying their Foundation Year at the University of York will receive a bursary of £300 if their household income is below £25,000.
In the remaining years of the course you will be required to pay the tuition fee as set by the awarding instiution. In 2009/10 these will be as follows:
Askham Bryan College: £2,257
The University of York: £3,225
York College: £1,585
Eligible students should have access to the standard government financial support package (i.e. loans and grants) throughout the course.
International students will be charged the overseas fee throughout the Extended Degree, including in the Foundation Year, and will not be entitled to any financial support.
Contact the University or College direct for more information about fees and financial support for Extended Degrees.
What qualifications do I need to apply?
You do not usually need any formal qualifications but you do need to be committed to studying at this level.
How do I apply?
All applications for Extended Degree programmes need to be made online via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
How long will it take?
If you decide to study full-time an Extended Foundation Degree will take three years to complete and an Extended Honours Degree four years.
If you decide to study part-time it will take longer to complete the course. Part-time study is available on most courses. Contact the University or College for more details about this.
What qualification will I get?
Depending on which course you choose, you will get a Higher Education Diploma, a BA Honours Degree, a BSc Honours Degree or a Foundation Degree. The nursing programme will also give you professional registration as a nurse. With Foundation Degrees, there is also the option of studying a one year ‘top-up' at the end of the course to be awarded an Honours Degree.
Where can I study?
These courses are available across York. The Foundation Year may be delivered at a different venue to the remainder of the course.
Assessment methods
Extended Degrees are assessed through a combination of essays, examinations and project work. For more details about the assessment methods used on your course of interest contact the insitution or visit their website. Nursing programmes are also assessed by a portfolio of evidence from practice.
Click here for an information sheet about Extended Degrees which provides a summary of useful information you can print off.
Extended Degrees in York | Further information | Frequently Asked Questions