Sometimes, the options open to you after school/college seem mind-boggling! There are many different routes you can take but you need to choose the one that’s right for you.

Take a look at the information below – just a brief description of the kind of options you have. For more information, click the relevant link next to each option.

Higher Education
Degree usually 3 years, sometimes more depending on the subject you choose. Courses can be single subject or a combination; academic (History, English) or vocational (Engineering, Law); full-time or sandwich (with an additional year spent in industry.) Some courses offer you the possibility of studying abroad – if you choose to study a language such as French, German or even Russian, you will usually get to spend your third year studying in that country. Most university will accept a variety of qualifications including AS and A2 levels, AVCEs and BTECs – each university will have their own entry requirements so you need to check what they are asking for. More >

HND (Higher National Diploma) usually 2 or 3 years depending on whether they are full time or sandwich and tend to have slightly lower entry qualifications than degrees. HNDs are geared towards specific vocational areas such as Agriculture and Horticulture, Art and Design, Performing Arts, Business and Finance, Hotel and Catering, Leisure and Tourism and Science. These qualifications can be followed by further study (to top up to degree level) or, at the end of the first year, there is the possibility of transferring to a relevant degree course. More >

Dip.HE. (Diploma in Higher Education) usually 2 years. A Dip.HE is the equivalent to the first two years of a degree with the option of continuing to study to degree level. More >

Foundation Degree A new two-year qualification, combining work related and academic study. Foundation Degrees are offered by universities in partnership with higher education colleges and further education colleges. Depending which subject you choose, you could find yourself studying: in the workplace, at your local FE or HE college, at university, at home using the internet, a combination of all these. Currently there are over 70 different subjects offered. A Foundation Degree can lead to further study e.g. an Honours Degree. More >

Visit www.ucas.com for a full list of courses and institutions.

Other Further Study
Professional courses vary in length, usually 1-4 years. Orientated to specific careers e.g. Nursing, Social Work. Often studied alongside Dip.HE. More >

Retakes usually 1 year if taking the same subjects, 2 years for new subjects. (If aiming at Higher Education always check whether the institution expects higher grades/points than normal from retakes). More >

Employment or Training
Direct entry into a job always check if training is offered. Can you study towards Degree/HND/professional qualifications part-time e.g. via day-release? More >

Advanced Modern Apprenticeship (AMA) Usually 2/3 years employment with training in a specific vocational area. Leads to qualifications at NVQ 3 or higher. You can enter an AMA between the ages of 16 and 24, although preference is generally given to Y11 school leavers. More >

Year Out/Voluntary Work Sometimes chosen by students wanting to take a break from study before Higher Education. It could also be useful if you plan to look for work as it means you can gain experience or try out a job without committing yourself.
Visit the Gap Year page. More >