Our partnership with Abertay University, through which we offer Ordinary and Honours degrees delivered entirely here at Fife College, is making Higher Education more accessible.
We are proud to work so closely with one of Scotland’s top universities, and to be able to offer eight franchise degrees – including two Honours degrees – to our students mostly at our University Hub in Dunfermline.
The Scottish Government recently restated that it has “enshrined the principle of widening access in legislation, placing it at the core of what we expect from post-16 institutions.”
Colleges have an important role to play in widening access to people from across Scotland, and we are committed to doing our part to improve opportunities for people living in Fife.
Franchise degrees explained
A ‘franchise’ degree is a degree course that is delivered partially or entirely outwith the university that awards it.
In our case, we are able to offer degrees awarded by Abertay University. We are able to deliver these degree courses, which include BA, BA (Hons), and BSc awards, because Abertay are confident in the quality and consistency of the teaching delivered at the College.
Exploring the benefits of studying your degree locally
One of the many benefits of studying for a full degree at college is that it is unnecessary for students to change institution part-way through. Continuing with the same surroundings and lecturers, and often even the same class group throughout is often a real plus for students.
Studying locally is also cheaper and more convenient than travelling or moving to university for most students, and the familiarity with the college set up can prove invaluable.
The flexibility of college is often forgotten about. Unlike at university, there is no need for a four-year commitment from the outset. Students can take their studies a year at a time and see how they get on but, importantly, they will still have the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification at the end of each year, and the same degree at the end of it.
Becoming an associate student
As well as being a Fife College student, with all the benefits that this brings, once enrolled in a degree course, students also become an Associate Student of Abertay University.
Becoming an Associate Student means that our students can potentially attend some university events and lectures, as well as having access to university library facilities and the chance to experience a university culture whilst studying at college.
Degree students are also able to take advantage of designated study spaces and facilities within the College. These are located in the University Hub at our Dunfermline Campus.
The Hub provides a learning environment which is perfect for degree level study and allows students to be around other degree students, which makes for a fantastic experience!
Celebrating our students’ success
Each year, as part of our graduation week celebrations, we are delighted to see degree students cross the stage and receive their qualifications.
This year, over 100 students successfully completed their degrees with Fife College, with 85 of them attending one of our graduation ceremonies to celebrate with their families, friends and classmates before taking their next steps.
Wider partnerships working with universities
Although franchise degrees offer students the opportunity to study for their entire degree locally here at Fife College, they aren’t the only way to study for a degree with us.
We also offer defined routes to degree courses in partnership with a wide range of other universities. By working in partnership with these universities, we make sure that the content of our courses and our delivery are relevant and make articulation to university possible.
Currently, we work in partnership with 15 universities across Scotland and beyond. We work hard to make sure that our courses are relevant and allow our students to progress from college directly into year 2 or even year 3 of a university course, so that they get full credit for their HN courses.
From an HNC, students have the chance to articulate to 2nd year of a degree at university, and from HND, they can articulate to 3rd year.
You can explore the wide range of defined progression routes available to HNC and HND students at Fife College here.
