Degree-Level Courses 2024 by Blackpool and The Fylde College

DEGREE-LEVEL COURSES

Take your career to the next level with a degree qualification at B&FC. START SEPTEMBER 2025

Be more flexible.

You can study here for one, two or three years depending on the kind of degree-level qualification you’re looking to achieve. And the best news is you don’t have to make your mind up right at the start. You can commit to just one year at a time. In fact, you can take a break and come back a year or two later. Great if life throws you a curve ball along the way.

You can even get a degree-level qualification in as little as 33 weeks. To find out how, just take a look at our course info on pages 10-12.

But flexible study doesn’t stop there. We know that lots of students have work and family commitments too which is why we timetable as many courses as possible in a way which allows people to fit study in with everything else life throws at them.

Be more like Alex.

Alex

But he dreamt of being an astrophysicist, even though it’s a long way from the kitchen to the stars.

Then Alex lost his father and realised just how short life can be. He enrolled on an access course and then onto an engineering degree.

At B&FC we do degrees differently. So if you think a degree can’t work for you, think again.

1year 2years

Be more focused.

Today we know how important it is to get qualifications that show a real return on investment. That’s why our degree courses are career focused.

With 1800 employer partners to help us cocreate our curriculum and big money spent on continuously improving our facilities, you’ll learn in an environment and use the kind of equipment you’ll find out in the real world. That will allow you to hit the ground running when it comes to employment.

It’s why our graduates are able to compete for some of the best roles in the industry. Because being workplace ready is more than just having a few letters after your name.

In his first year, he won a prestigious Business of Science Innovation Award for a machine that clears space debris. Quite a problem according to Alex.

Alex took a leap of faith and now the sky really is the limit when it comes to his career prospects.

Alex Mortimor, BEng Hons Degree Engineering (Aerospace)

worked as a chef.

3years

at B&FC...

+ Courses taught by industry specialists

+ Work-based learning and excellent industry placements

+ Course content co-created with employer partners to ensure industry relevance

+ Personalised support plan

+ Small, friendly classes with lots of one-to-one help

+ Disability Confident Leader with accessible campuses and tutors to personalise your learning experience

“My degree gave me a thirst for education and learning again. The support from the tutors has been phenomenal.”

Nazya Khalid

+ No upfront fees

+ A maintenance loan to help with the cost of living which was worth up to £10,544 in 2025/261

+ A Parents Learning Allowance (non-repayable) worth £1,963 in 2024/51

+ A Childcare Grant (non-repayable) worth up to £323 a week for two or more children in 2024/51

+ A variety of non-repayable bursaries from B&FC.

+ 25% Council Tax discount1

+ The majority of our degrees are awarded by Lancaster University (a UK Top 15 University)2

+ One of only three further education colleges in England to be rate Gold for student outcomes, student experience and overall, outperforming prestigious universities³

PLEASE NOTE: The Government has yet to finalise financial arrangements and support for undergraduates starting their degrees in the 2025 – 26 academic year. More information can be found here gov.uk/student-finance. Typically, this information is released in January and we will update our website as soon as it becomes available.

+ Options to study for one, two or three years

+ Class attendance from as little as one day a week

+ Flexible timetables so that study can fit around your commitments

+ 85% of B&FC graduates are in work or further study with one year4

+ 38% of B&FC graduates in highly skilled employment are earning £33K or more annually compared to just 23% nationally5

+ Ranked in the top 7% of further education colleges in England for student success6

Be more secure.

It’s easy to let money worries stop you fulfilling your career ambitions but you might be surprised by how much help is available once you look into it.

Degree student Yvonne certainly was:

“ I couldn’t believe how much funding and financial support I was able to access. In the end it turned out that I was better off than I had been trying to juggle a part-time job and childcare. If I’d only spent some time researching the financial side of things better, I wouldn’t have waited so long to do my degree.”

Student Finance Calculator

Get a quick estimate of what student loans, grants, bursaries and other funding you could get with the Government’s Student Finance Calculator at gov.uk/student-finance-calculator

Paying your fees and living expenses

Not accessed a Tuition Fee Loan before? Then applying for finance should be a doddle. You can get funding to cover the cost of your tuition for each year of your course. Apply for it all at once if you know you’re committed to study for a full three years or apply a year at a time.

Need help with living costs too? There’s a maintenance loan available too worth up to £10,544. What you’ll get will depend on your personal circumstances but the calculator mentioned bottom left should give you a good idea once the figures for 2025-26 are finalised.

With nothing to pay upfront and repayments that don’t kick in until you’ve finished your course and reached a certain annual salary (last year this was £25,000), the money side of things could be a whole lot easier than you might imagine.

Student loans don’t affect your credit rating either or impact on your ability to borrow funds for other purposes like buying a house, so it isn’t the same as taking on other kinds of debt. It’s more about investing in your future and in your family’s future too – a bit like buying shares in yourself to maximise your potential.

Worried about how much repayments will be once you reach the threshold? Let’s put that into context for you as well. Based on last year’s figures (and we can’t imagine they will differ vastly this year), the table opposite shows you different salary levels and how much your repayments would have been on a monthly basis.

Let’s put your repayments into context...

it translates

£25K

£27K

£30K

£1,790 Nil You don’t have to pay a bean

£1,910

£2,090

£15 About the same as a weekly Starbucks

£37.50 The average cost of a takeaway for two

£33K £2,270 £60 Two advanced day passes to Alton Towers

£35K

Non-repayable government financial support

There’s a variety of additional non-repayable financial support available from the Government. Here is a list of what was on offer last year to give you some idea of what you might be eligible for.

Help for those supporting an adult partner or relative

Adult Dependants’ Grant worth up to £3,438 in 2024/5.

Help for parents

Parents’ Learning Allowance worth between £50 and £1,963 a year in 2024/5 if you were a full-time student with children.

Childcare Grant

Last year you were able to claim up to £193.62 a week for one child or up to £331.95 a week for two or more children if you were a full-time student and had a child or children under 15 or under 17 if they had special educational needs.

Help if you have a learning difficulty, health problem or disability.

A Disabled Students’ Allowance which last year was worth up to £26,948 can be used to help cover the study-related costs you might have due to a mental health problem, long-term illness or disability.

Non-Repayable B&FC Financial Support

Please note: the Scholarships and Bursaries described below are subject to the approval of our Access and Participation Plan 2025/26-2028/29 by the Office for Students.

B&FC’s Career and Skills Development Fund 2025/26 (worth £250)

What: Means-tested nonrepayable bursary up to £250. Household income must be less than £30,810. For: Careerdevelopment opportunities.

B&FC’s HE Equipment Fund 2025/26 (worth £300) What: Means-tested nonrepayable bursary up to £300. Household income must be less than £30,810. For: Initial equipment set up in your first term of study e.g. PC/laptop, books, software.

B&FC’s HE Equipment Plus Fund 2025/26 (worth £200)

What: Means-tested nonrepayable bursary up to £200. Household income must be less than £30,810. For: Ongoing equipment costs in second and third year of study e.g. stationery, books, internet at home.

B&FC Cares Scholarship 2025/26 (worth up to £3000 over 3 years)

What: Non-repayable scholarship of up to £1000 per year. For: Students who are care leavers, carers or estranged from their family network.

B&FC’s DSA Student Contribution Award 2025/26 (worth £200)

What: One-off, non-repayable contribution of £200 to cover the cost of your contribution to DSA. For: Students in receipt of DSA

Educational Psychology Assessment Fund 2025/26 (worth £300+)

What: One-off payment to cover the cost of a Education Psychologist (EP) Assessment. For: Students for whom an EP Report is essential to support learning.

B&FC’s HE Support Fund 2025/26

What: Discretionary financial support determined on a case by case basis. For: Students experiencing financial difficulty who are unable to meet basic or unexpected additional costs from other sources of support.

For full details of all this support and the eligibility criteria that apply, please visit

blackpool.ac.uk/support/ funding/degree

Be more supported.

Right from the start, our various student support teams provide the wraparound care that makes B&FC such a great place to study. Whether you need help with finances, study skills, careers advice or more, we are on hand to provide the support and guidance you need to achieve your ambitions and make the most of your time at college. Here’s what we offer…

Financial Support

Whilst there’s plenty of financial support out there, we can help you access it. We’re here if you need support filling in forms or to check you’re getting everything you’re entitled to.

Careers Support

At Blackpool and The Fylde College, we don’t just care about the here and now – we want to help you realise your future goals. Our Careers Team are on hand to give you specialist advice and guidance to improve your career prospects and help you land the perfect job role.

Study Skills Support

Our Higher Education Learning Mentors (HELMs) – unique to B&FC – provide one-to-one support in assignment planning, researching, exam preparation, referencing, revision and reflective writing. They will give you all the assistance you need to reach your full potential.

Support from Tutors

Our tutors have specialist industry knowledge which means they’re ideally placed to enrich your learning. Along with smaller class sizes which mean you have more one-to-one support, they can provide valuable feedback and give you a real insight into what working in the sector is like.

Difficulties

We actively encourage applications from students who may need additional support to facilitate their learning. This includes students with physical disabilities, sensory loss, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and mental health issues. All our campuses are wheelchair-accessible and we have specialist teams in place to support a full range of disabilities and learning difficulties. We also have a specialist finance team to help students apply for the Disabled Student Allowance which, last year, was worth up to £26,948 to cover study-related costs.

Confidence

As well as all the practical support you need to complete your studies, we’ll also give you the tools to build your confidence. Not only will this have a positive impact on your education and career, but will give you the skills to meet life’s challenges head on and help you live the life you want to lead.

Access to higher education

Be more ready.

Bridge the gap

Each Access to HE diploma is tailored to follow a specific subject area and is a popular route which many learners take to get into university and go on to enjoy successful careers. Whether you’ve just started to plan your future career, or are looking for a career change, Access to HE is the ideal first step to get you started.

Why it pays

You may be eligible to do an Access to HE course for free! If not, you could get an Advanced Learner Loan to cover your course fees with nothing to pay upfront and no repayments until you reach the earnings threshold which last year was £25,000 a year. What’s more, the loan is written off if you then go on to complete a degree-level qualification.

If your heart is set on going to university but you don’t have the qualifications or experience, an Access to Higher Education Diploma gets you degree-ready in just one year. Studying at B&FC with access to experienced, specialist tutors and state-of-the-art facilities means you will be exceptionally well-placed to develop the skills and experience you need to progress on the path to your dream career.

Preparing you to go higher

As well as learning subject specific modules, an Access course will build your academic skills and boost your confidence to get you ready for degree-level study. You’ll learn academic skills such as planning, researching and referencing, all of which will make the transition onto a fulltime degree qualification so much easier.

(HE) Diploma

English and Creative Writing - Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma

Policing and Criminal Justice - Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma

Be more clued up.

HNCs, FdAs, Cert HEs, HTQs.

The abbreviations seem to go on and on.

It’s not surprising then that people find getting to grips with all the different degree-level qualifications these days a bit overwhelming at first. But honestly, it’s more straightforward than you think.

Like most people, you probably think of degrees as a three year commitment. We do those here, but we also do a range of qualifications from Level 4 to Level 6 which allow you to ease yourself in gently to higher level study without committing to a full three years upfront. The table opposite breaks down the qualifications, the length of time each takes and how one qualification leads to another. All it means is that you have more flexibility to choose what you want to study and for how long. And, as far as we’re concerned, that’s a good thing.

Year 1

Level 4

Year 2

Level 5

Year 3

Level 6

Higher National Certificate (HNC) Higher National Diploma (HND) BA/BSc/ BEng honours Top Up degree

Certificate of higher education 2nd year of Foundation Degree Foundation Degree (FD)

Bachelor of Arts (BA) / Science (Bsc) / Engineering (BEng) honours degree

Introducing Higher Technical Qualifications

HTQs are existing qualifications like HNCs and Foundation Degrees that have been recognised as being high quality technical pathways into a particular career. These are flagged on our main course listing on pages 10-12. They are a great way to ensure you’re getting the skills employers want and offer a route into well-paid, secure and sustainable employment. Also, as HTQs are often shorter than traditional degree programmes, your route into well-paid employment is often quicker too.

To find out more, including how to apply, visit blackpool.ac.uk/higher-technical-qualifications

Be more Focused.

Now you can get a degree-level qualification by studying one day a week for just 33 weeksfrom start to finish.

In fact, you could have finished your course and could be on your way to further study, a promotion or a whole new career the summer after next.

These qualifications are really great for those who want to combine work with study as employers are much more likely to accommodate requests to work flexibly if you can minimise the impact on their businesses. Plus if you’re upskilling, it’s for their benefit too.

Be more forward thinking.

Multiversity – the future of Higher Education in Blackpool

If you live locally, you’re probably aware that there are plans to move Blackpool and The Fylde College’s University Centre to a brand-new, stateof-the-art facility in central Blackpool called the Multiversity. Plans for the final design (which is pictured here) have been submitted by Blackpool Council and we are looking forward to opening our doors to students in September 2027 which means you could be among the first to study here if you stay with us for the full three years.

Designed to provide the local population and local business with an exceptional teaching and learning space offering the best of modern learning technologies and with a curriculum inspired by the needs of industry, we believe Multiversity will truly be at the epicentre of Blackpool’s economic, social and cultural regeneration for years to come.

degree-level qualifications

1 day per week for 33 weeks!

1 dAY per week Courses

+ Children, Young People and families – Cert HE

+ Early Childhood Studies – Cert HE

+ Mental Health and Resilience – Cert HE

+ Adult Health and Social Care – Cert HE

+ Cyber Security – Cert HE

+ Counselling and Applied Psychology – HNC

+ Hospitality Management – HNC

+ Physical Activity, Health and Leadership - HNC

+ Business Management - Cert HE

Be more curious.

CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES (University Centre) Children, Young People and Families - Certificate of Higher Education

(Bispham Campus)

NEW FOR 2025

Digital Production - Certificate of Higher Education

This exciting new course offers a unique approach to getting you the skills you need to enter the digital creative industries in either Graphic Design, VFX or Media fields.

Digital Enterprise - Certificate of Higher Education

This new, innovative computing course will equip you with amazing up-to-the-minute digital skills across dynamic fields, allowing you the opportunity to follow your passion in eSports Management, User Experience, Web Technologies or Data Analysis!

Be more businesslike.

If you’re ambitious and want to get ahead in your career, our specialist training courses give you the opportunity to develop professionally and could lead to a recognised industry qualification.

AAT Accounting

Our AAT accredited accounting courses offer professional qualifications allowing you to develop or further a career in accounting. Covering a range of skills from double entry bookkeeping and basic costing principles to using bespoke software, the courses are taught by highly qualified industry specialists with knowledge of all the latest regulation and legislation within the sector.

AAT is a widely recognised qualification which can ultimately lead to chartered accountancy status and the wealth of opportunities that brings.

cmi Courses

With highly sought after CMI accreditation, our CMI courses will enhance your management effectiveness and sharpen your professional edge.

The qualification develops key skills such as managing resources, recruitment and information and gives you the competencies you need to become an effective manager.

CIPD courses

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is recognised as a benchmark for professionalism in many personnel, HR and people management roles.

The CIPD qualification introduces candidates to best practice principles in people management to give them the knowledge and skills to become effective people managers and is widely recognised across the industry.

Be more SKILLED.

Higher and degree apprenticeships are a high-quality alternative to the traditional degree route, combining highly skilled on-the-job training with higher-level study. They are ideally suited to people who are ambitious academically but want to start their career straight away as well as existing employees who want to progress into managerial roles.

To access a higher or degree apprenticeship you either need to secure an advertised apprenticeship vacancy or have an employer who is willing to put you through an apprenticeship programme.

The great thing about an apprenticeship supported by B&FC is that it’s personalised to you and your employer. Your apprenticeship is made up of several different elements, each reflecting a key set of skills and behaviours crucial to your job role, and is designed to develop your individual abilities and support your career goals.

We currently support higher and degree apprenticeships in the following areas:

+ Accounting and Finance

+ Automotive and Motorsport

+ Business and Enterprise

+ Children Young People and Families

+ Computing and Digital Technologies

+ Construction

+ Engineering

+ Health and Medical Professions

+ Manufacturing

+ Project Management

+ Teacher Training

For more details, visit blackpool.ac.uk/hada or contact us on business@blackpool.ac.uk

“Along with the amazing people I met on the course, I learnt more than I expected in many areas of leadership. I thoroughly enjoyed the apprenticeship and found it very rewarding. It helped me to understand aspects of the business in much greater depth. Would I do it again? Absolutely!”

“Getting work experience early on without sacrificing the opportunity to get a university degree was the reason I chose to do a degree apprenticeship. It’s the best of both worlds so for me the decision was a no brainer.”

Adama Tholley, Digital and Technology

Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship, Vodafone Group Services Limited

Kelly Fletcher, graduate of CMA, School Business Manager, Ightenhill Nursery School

How to apply for a degree level course

Choose your course

As soon as you’ve chosen your course you should apply online to secure your place.

Go to blackpool.ac.uk

Select the course you want to apply for and click apply.

Complete the application form

Then wait for our friendly admissions team to get in touch! In the mean time, if you need some help, call them about on T 01253 504 343

Be more certain.

We could say we don’t want to blow our own trumpet, but actually we do.

In fact, we think that being one of only three FE colleges in England to achieve TEF Gold Overall and in Student Experience and Student Outcomes, deserves a fanfare (especially when we’ve outperformed some much more established HE institutions).

We don’t want to blow our own trumpet, but actually we do.

Now you’ve probably never heard of the Teaching Excellence Framework and may be wondering why it matters. It does because this award is not just based on the grades our students achieve or what we say about ourselves, but on what our students think about us and their experience of studying here. It’s your way of knowing that when you choose B&FC, you’re choosing a place that may not have the biggest reputation, but certainly has one of the best

When coupled with some fantastic feedback we received in the recent National Student Survey which canvasses the opinions of students who graduated about a year ago, this puts us in an ideal position when it comes to saying B&FC is a great place to study.

¹Eligibility applies – go to gov.uk/student-finance for full details ²Eligibility applies – go to blackpool.ac.uk/support/funding/degrees ³The complete University Guide League Tables 2024 4Rated in September 2023 and lasts for four years 5HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey Respondents 2020/21 6HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey Respondents 2020/21 7National Achievement Rate Tables (NARTS) from the Department for Education and Skills Funding Agency 2021/22

Because

it is. And our students back us up.