Copy of `University of Wolverhampton - Higher education terms`

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University of Wolverhampton - Higher education terms Category: Education > Higher education Date & country: 15/12/2007, UK Words: 44

Access Course
Aimed at people over the age of 19 returning to education, these courses are designed to prepare you for University study. Usually run at Further Education Colleges.

Advanced GCE
Replaces the old GCE A-Level, the Advanced GCE (General Certificate of Education) is a 6 Unit Award that places an emphasis on traditional academic subjects.

Advanced VCE
Replacing the old GCE A-Level, the Advanced VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education) is a 6 Unit Award that places the emphasis on vocational and practical work rather than purely academic subjects.

BA (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts - a general first-degree award at honours level - in a subject that involves more words and images than numbers!

BEd
Bachelor of Education - a first-degree award specific to teaching courses

BEng
Bachelor of Engineering â€` a first-degree award specific to engineering courses

BSc (Hons)
Bachelor of Science â€` a general first degree award at honours level - in a subject that involves more numbers than words!

BTEC
The Business and Technician Education Council now amalgamated with other organisations to form Edexcel. Responsible for a range of nationally-recognised vocational qualifications including National Certificates and Diplomas (NC/ND) and Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNC/HND)

Campus
A site owned by the University. The University has four campuses at Compton Park, Telford, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

CertEd
Certificate of Education â€` a specific teaching qualification.

Class
Most people associate a ‘class` with being a group of individuals who are learning together under the direction of a tutor. However, at university, the score you obtain for your undergraduate degree is ranked according to its ‘class`, which is divided into three tiers â€` from first to third class. The highest award you can achieve at undergraduate level is a First Class Honours degree.

Combined award
A degree course in which you study modules from more than one subject giving you a chance to combine different interests eg. Business and computing.

CPE
Common Professional Examination - now also known as LLDip, this is the conversion course for people who have a degree in a subject other than law and want to go on to become a solicitor or a barrister.

Curriculum 2000
The name for the revised national curriculum aimed at easing your path from school to university, including an overhaul of the UCAS points system.

Distance learning
Study that doesn`t involve physically attending the university. Makes use of the post and increasingly the Internet.

ENB
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting â€` the body responsible for nurse, midwife and health visitor education in England.

Foundation course
A course specifically designed to prepare you for university study in a particular subject.

GTTR
Graduate Teacher Training Registry â€` the organisation that handles applications for entry to Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses.

HNC-HND
Higher National Certificate â€` alternative awards to a degree normally seen as having a strongly vocational basis and taking two years to complete. The HND is full-time and the HNC, part-time.

IB
International Baccalaureat - an internationally-recognised alternative to A Levels

Joint Honours
A combined degree (see above) in which you take two or three subjects in equal proportions.

Key Skills
A range of subjects that provide the generic skills that you will need to have irrespective of the career you are looking to go into. Covering topics such as communication, information technology and working with others, up to 60 points earnt can be used as part of your entry to our degree courses.

Level
A year of study eg. Level One, Level Two

LLB
Bachelor at Law â€` a first-degree award specific to legal courses

LLDip
Formerly known as CPE (see above)

LLM
Masters at Law â€` a higher level degree award specific to legal courses.

MA
Master of Arts â€` a higher level degree award that follows on from a BA

Module
A study topic within a subject â€` degrees and HNDs are made up of a set number of modules

NC-ND
National Certificate and National Diploma â€` the middle-range awards in the BTEC system (see above). Accepted as alternative entry qualifications for many University of Wolverhampton courses.

NMAS
The Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service â€` it handles applications for full-length, diploma level pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes in England.

PGCE
Postgraduate Certificate of Education â€` a one-year teaching qualification for people who already possess a degree.

Postgraduate
Beyond first-degree level. MSc and BSc are examples of postgraduate awards

QAA Score
An independent rating system for courses run by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education that reviews academic and teaching quality.

Route A-Route B
Alternative application routes for Art and Design courses. Route A corresponds to the normal UCAS closing date of 15 December, while Route B allows you to delay your application until 24 March in order to prepare your portfolio.

Sandwich
A course that includes an organised placement usually lasting a year where you have the chance to apply you have learnt to real-life working situations. Gives you invaluable experience and can lead to a job offer after graduation.

School
One of 11 academic divisions within the University for the teaching of groups of linked subjects. Also known in other institutions as departments or faculties.

Semester
A block of teaching time of around 14-15 weeks. The University`s academic year is made up of two semesters.

Single Honours-Specialist Degree
A degree studied in a set programme of modules - usually, but not always, a single subject.

SWAS
The Social Work Admissions System â€` the organisation that handles applications to many of the social work courses run by the University.

TESOL
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages â€` an internationally-recognised qualification that allows you to teach English to those for whom it is not a first language in the UK and overseas.

UCAS
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service â€` the body that handles the majority of university and higher education college admissions across the UK.

UCAS Tariff
The new points system developed by UCAS allowing equal comparison between academic and vocationally based awards. The Tariff unifies qualifications from various awarding bodies, including those in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Undergraduate
First degree, HND or HNC level.

WOLF
Wolverhampton Online Learning Framework, a purpose built computer framework that allows students to study online over the Internet, with access to course notes, study materials and contact with fellow students and tutors.