Higher education options at The Bournemouth & Poole College

The UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) national deadline to register for courses starting this year was Sunday 15 January. It is, however, a common misconception that this is the final deadline when applying to a college or university.

UCAS Extra is a service that allows students to apply for an additional course if all five higher education choices have been rejected. It is also an option available to those who haven’t applied for a higher education course previously, and missed the national deadline. UCAS Extra is open at The College to applicants from Saturday 25 February to Friday 30 June, after which applications are put into the Clearing period.

The College offers higher education courses to students who wish to develop their education by continuing on straight from school or college, and also to adult learners who are looking to gain new skills in order to enhance their careers. All courses are validated by a wide spread of universities such as Bournemouth University, Arts University Bournemouth, and Southampton Solent University.

Higher education courses at The College range from healthcare and education to graphic design, visual effects, and digital film.

Ryan Handcock, 21, 3D CGI modelling and animation foundation degree student, said, ‘‘The benefits of coming to The College to do a degree far outweighed those of going to a university. My foundation degree is validated by a university and I have options as I can choose to top up to a full honours degree at the end of my first two years. I feel by choosing to study on a higher education course at The College, I have been given one-to-one access to all lecturers on my course. This has been invaluable to me as it has meant that I have received the best support possible, while working towards my degree. The College’s facilities which I also have daily access to, exceeded my expectations. I am especially looking forward to working with the latest VR equipment in my third year. The whole UCAS process was simple and easy to follow thanks to the College’s help with queries I had about my application.’’

Antony Wright, director of learning, higher education, digital and business at The Bournemouth & Poole College, added: ‘‘It is no secret that there is a significant skills gap between education and the workplace, which means it can often be hard to find a job once you’ve gained the relevant qualifications. At The College we strive to overcome this gap by working closely with more than 2,000 businesses to ensure our courses fully prepare our students with the experience and expertise that employers are looking for.”