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Student Handbook
Funding Support for Students
This programme is designed around the computing requirements of local industry. You will gain the knowledge, understanding and design skills to formulate solutions to computing problems and the practical skills to implement those solutions. Additionally, 'soft' skills will be developed in teamwork, communications, professional practice and time management.
Higher Level Apprentices will work with an employer for four days per week and attend college one day a week.
Higher Level Apprenticeships
The programme places significant emphasis on industry involvement, which can incorporate live projects, visits to industry partners and or guest speakers. Students will participate in lectures and seminars led by academic staff and benefit from a dedicated weekly tutorial with the Programme Director.
HLAs will also be supported by an Academic Mentor. Academic Mentors will hold meetings with an Industry Mentor to review your progress. Learning will be through a blended approach with resources and support available through the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
A minimum of 64 (CC) UCAS tariff points for full-time, 56 (CD) UCAS tariff points for part-time, with passes in 4 different subjects including grade C/4 or above for GCSE English and Maths. Entry is also subject to successful interview.
Where an applicant does not hold the formal academic requirements for entry to the programme but can demonstrate relevant experiential learning across a range of industries, they may apply for admission through the College Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process. In such cases, contact the Programme Director for the programme who will advise further.
To be eligible to commence study on the HLA pathway, applicants must have secured full-time paid employment in a computing-related position.
International Entry Requirements
Any applicant whose first language is not English should demonstrate their competence in written and spoken English. The minimum English language entry requirement is IELTS (academic) of 6.0 (with no band score of less than 5.5 in all four elements of the test).
We accept a wide range of alternative English language examinations and tests so please contact us for an updated list of other accepted tests.
Assessment typically consists of coursework assignments with some module examinations throughout the duration of the programme.
The articulation route for successful graduates from the South West College Foundation Degree in Science in Computing is as follows and is determined by the final overall grade attained:
If you wish to explore different routes or have questions about progression opportunities, please speak to a member of the programme team, who will be happy to advise you.
Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to check each University’s admission and progression requirements before enrolling on a Programme at the College.
Access NI disclosure may be required to undertake a work placement in some settings and costs £32. During your course you may be required to purchase course textbooks and incur additional costs for printing, photocopying, and binding. The overall additional costs incurred to support your studies may be in the region of £100 or more per year.
You are required to:
P5002DP10B
Session Code
3 Year(s)
Duration
Higher Education
Mode of Study
11
Hours per Week
30
Number of Weeks
Interview Required
26/27
Academic Year
10/09/2026
Start Date
Subject to Timetable
Day/s
Noreen.McGirr@swc.ac.uk, Sinead.McGee@swc.ac.uk
Coordinator(s)
Total Annual Fee N/A
Total Concessionary Fee N/A
Fees Payable Each Year
**Am I eligible for concessionary fees?
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