Editing Foundation degree

{{short description|Academic and vocational qualification in the  United Kingdom}}
{{Distinguish|foundation course| foundation year|University Foundation Programme}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}{{Use British English|date=March 2023}}
A '''foundation degree''' is a combined academic and [[vocational]] qualification in [[higher education]] in the [[United Kingdom]], equivalent to two-thirds of an [[honours degree|honours]] [[bachelor's degree]]. Foundation degrees were introduced by the [[Department for Education and Employment]] in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2020 |title=Characteristics Statement: Foundation Degree |url=https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/foundation-degree-characteristics-statement-2020.pdf |website=The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education |format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.11120/plan.2011.00240002|title = Student experiences of foundation degrees in further and higher education|year = 2011|last1 = Simm|first1 = David|last2 = Marvell|first2 = Alan|last3 = Winlow|first3 = Heather|last4 = Schaaf|first4 = Rebecca|journal = Planet|volume = 24|pages = 2–9|s2cid = 72517123|doi-access = free}}</ref> They are available in [[England]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]], and offered by universities, colleges with their own foundation degree awarding powers, and colleges and employers running courses validated by universities.

Foundation degrees must include a pathway for graduates to progress to an honours degree.<ref name="auto3">{{cite web|url=https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/foundation-degrees-faq|at=9. Proceeding to honours degree study|title=Foundation Degrees FAQ|website=unionlearn|publisher=[[Trades Union Congress]]|access-date=25 January 2017}}</ref> This may be via joining the final year of a standard three-year course or through a dedicated 'top-up' course. Students can also transfer to other institutions to take a top-up course or the final year of an honours course. It may also be possible for students to join the second year of an honours course in a different but related subject.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-planning/434326-your-foundation-degree-what-next#furtherstudy|title=Your foundation degree... what next?|at=Further study options with a foundation degree|website=TARGETjobs|author=Caroline Green|date=2015}}</ref>

==History==
The need for intermediate higher education qualifications that combined vocational and academic elements was recognised in the ''Choosing to Change'' report in 1994 and by the [[Dearing Report]] in 1997, while the 1999 ''Delivering Skills for All'' report recommended the establishment of two-year vocational [[associate degree]]s. They were trialled in 2000, at which point the government expected 80% of the future expansion in higher education to come from foundation degrees.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/foundation-degrees-start-small/152506.article |title=Foundation degrees start small|date=14 July 2000|work=[[Times Higher Education]]}}</ref> Foundation degrees were formally launched in 2001 and the first students enrolled at the start of the 2001/2 academic year.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 2004 |title=Foundation Degree Task Force Report to Ministers |url=https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/FDTF%201.pdf.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821191556/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/FDTF%201.pdf.pdf |archive-date=21 August 2012 |website=Department for Education |pages=6–7, 10 |access-date=2 July 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

Foundation degrees expanded initially, particularly taking market share from other sub-degree qualifications such as [[Higher National Diploma]]s, but overall enrollments have declined since 2009. Although the number of students studying foundation degrees at colleges has continued to increase, this has not been sufficient to offset the fall in university courses. This has been blamed on a number of factors such as the introduction, in 2009, of student number controls. This limited the number of students that universities could recruit in a year, rather than the total number on courses. The Foundation Degree Forward [[quango]], which had been set up to promote foundation degrees, closed in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-downfall-of-foundation-degrees/|title=The downfall of foundation degrees?|publisher=Wonkhe|author=Ben Verinder| date=24 March 2015}}</ref>

==Status==
Foundation degrees are not general degrees but are focused on specific professions. There are no generally-set entry conditions: commercial or industrial experience may be more important in gaining a place than formal qualifications, and experience is always taken into account.<ref name=UCAS>{{cite web|url=http://fd.ucas.com/FoundationDegree/About.aspx|title=About Foundation Degrees?|date=10 October 2014|publisher=[[UCAS]]|access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref>  They are intended to give comprehensive knowledge in a subject to enable the holder to go on to employment or further study in that field. They are normally offered by [[universities]] and [[further education colleges]] working in partnership.<ref name=Prospects>{{cite web|url=http://www.prospects.ac.uk/your_foundation_degree_what_next_degrees.htm|title=Options with your foundation degree|publisher=Prospects|date=June 2016|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref> They are also offered by some companies (in partnership with an awarding body) as training for employees, e.g. [[McDonald's]] in partnership with [[Manchester Metropolitan University]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/work-with-us/qualifications/what-does-a-mcdonalds-foundation-degree-involve.html|title=What does a McDonald's Foundation Degree involve?|access-date=26 January 2016|publisher=McDonald's|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315083632/http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/work-with-us/qualifications/what-does-a-mcdonalds-foundation-degree-involve.html|archive-date=15 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Foundation degrees are at Level 5 in the [[National qualifications frameworks in the United Kingdom#Higher education qualifications|Framework for Higher Education Qualifications]], below [[bachelor's degree]]s at level 6.<ref name=Prospects/> Courses are typically two years full-time study or longer part-time, and it is often possible to 'top up' to a bachelor's degree with a further year of study.<ref name=UCAS/> They are at the same level as the older [[Higher National Diploma]] (HND) and [[Diploma of Higher Education]] (DipHE);<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels|title=What qualification levels mean|website=Gov.uk |access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref> however, they have a different emphasis and can only be awarded by institutions that have received research, taught or foundation degree awarding powers from the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]].<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/daput|publisher=[[Quality Assurance Agency]]|title=Degree awarding powers and university title|access-date=20 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601000235/http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/daput|archive-date=1 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to figures from the [[Higher Education Statistics Agency]], over half of foundation degree graduates are in further study six months after graduating, many presumably 'topping up' to a bachelor's degree, and more than 60% are in employment (there is an overlap of slightly over 20% who are both working and studying). Less than 2.5% of foundation degree holders are unemployed six months after graduating.<ref name=Prospects/>

Further education colleges who wish to award their own foundation degrees must apply to the [[Office for Students]] for degree awarding powers.<ref>Office for Students, [https://web.archive.org/web/20211026074137/https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/degree-awarding-powers-and-university-title/degree-awarding-powers/ Degree awarding powers and university title], updated 15 May 2020, accessed 18 July 2020</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Education in the United Kingdom]]
* [[British degree abbreviations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{Academic degrees}}
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[[Category:Education in England]]
[[Category:Academic degrees of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Education in Wales]]
[[Category:Education in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Higher education in England]]