The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has signed an agreement with the Open University (OU) that will allow students to make quicker progress towards advanced degree programmes.
The SQA has said it will work closely with schools, colleges and training providers to help make the most of opportunities available through this agreement.
The announcement comes at a time of education reform around qualifications and assessment, and also as many schools are offering a far broader range of pathways for students than in the past - yet concerns remain about how employers and universities view less “traditional” qualifications when they appear on applicants’ CVs.
As a result of the “articulation agreement” between the SQA and the OU, students who have completed Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) - including SQA’s “next generation” of Higher National qualifications (NextGen: HN) - will be able progress on to OU degree programmes at advanced levels.
Students who achieve an SQA Higher National Certificate or Diploma will be able to move on to year two or year three of a related BA/BSc Open Degree with Honours at the Open University.
Gill Stewart, SQA director of qualifications development, said: “The Open University is renowned for its flexible approach to learning, and through its acceptance of the SQA HNC/D as an entry qualification into years two and three of its aligned degree programmes, we will hope to see wider access to higher education in a manner that suits learners’ needs, improves attainment and ultimately helps learners achieve their career goals.
“This agreement demonstrates the value of our Higher National qualifications, including the NextGen: HN, and recognises the skills, knowledge and experience that the learners who hold them have achieved over the course of their studies.”
Dr Stewart added: “We will work closely with our centres - schools, colleges and training providers - to help them and their learners make the most of opportunities available to them through this partnership.”
Steven McGeever, senior partnerships manager at the Open University in Scotland, said that the agreement with the SQA “highlights a mutual commitment to widening access to degree-level study and providing pathways for students who want to build on previous study at college”.
Students holding an SQA HNC who have 120 credits on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) will now be able to transfer those credits and gain exemption for modules at OU Level 1, granting them access to year two of an OU degree programme.
Those who hold an SQA HND and have 240 SCQF credits will be able to gain exemption for modules at OU Level 1 and OU Level 2, gaining access to year three.
The SQA says that NextGen: HN are “the next iteration of Higher National qualifications and have been designed to give learners the skills they need to thrive in the modern workplace”.
There are 20 new NextGen: HN courses being piloted in colleges and training providers across Scotland, covering subjects including accounting; networking and cloud infrastructure; social services; and software development.
