Subjects & Qualifications

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About HN Qualifications

Offered by colleges, some universities and many other training centres, HNCs and HNDs are specially designed to meet the needs of employers both locally and nationally.

So if you are serious about getting a job and want a career with prospects, then getting a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or a Higher National Diploma (HND) is one of the best ways to achieve your ambition.

There are HNC and HND courses in a huge range of subjects from Accounting to Video Production so whatever career you want to follow, there is sure to be a Higher National course for you.

And because employers recognise Higher National Qualifications as good evidence of your ability having an HNC or HND will help you get a job.

What is a Higher National Qualification?

Higher National courses provide both the practical skills you need to do a job and the theoretical knowledge your employer will expect you to have.

All the courses are made up of Higher National Unit credits (one credit represents roughly 40 hours of timetabled learning).

HNCs are made up of 12 credits and usually take one year to complete
HNDs are made up of 30 credits and usually take two years to complete

Higher National qualifications have been developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in partnership with colleges, universities and industry.

What else is good about HNCs and HNDs?

Higher National qualifications don't just qualify you for work. Some HNCs allow direct entry into the second year of a degree programme, and some HNDs allow direct entry to third year. Higher National qualifications can also give you the knowledge and understanding required for Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

Possessing an HNC or HNDcan also give you entry to a number of professional bodies. So whether you want to go straight into a job, or continue your studies, getting a Higher National qualification is a good place to start.

How do you get started?

The recommended qualification for entry to an HNC or HND course is one of the following:

GSVQ level III
a programme of national Units appropriate to the course you want to study
two passes at Higher or above
an equivalent qualification

More than 1,000 courses are on offer in popular areas like Business Administration, Information and Office Management, Travel and Tourism, and Engineering as well as in Broadcasting, Agriculture, Computing and Craft subjects.