Higher Technical Qualifications

You can be on the road to a graduate career, in just two years, with our Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), at only half the cost of a full honours degree. Plus you get the chance to gain a third year ‘top up’ to BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) at a range of universities across the UK when you’re ready.

What are they?

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are practical qualifications that employers have helped develop, to provide you with the right training and skills to succeed at work.

They are ideal if you are;

looking for a more employer-led study programme and are already on your chosen career path
wish to gain a qualification and progress at work
wishing to change the direction of your career

You can study these courses on a full-time or part-time basis around your life and work commitments here at Bradford College.

Our HTQs:

Higher National Certificate (HNC) – A level 4 vocational qualification, equivalent to the first year of a degree. It takes one year to complete full-time, or two years part-time.
Higher National Diploma (HND) – A level 5 vocational qualification, equivalent to the first two years of a degree which takes two years to complete full-time, or three to four years if you study part-time.
Foundation Degree (FdA) – A flexible qualification that combines academic study with work-based learning and can be studied full-time, part-time or by distance learning. Equivalent to the first two years of a degree.

Entry requirements

If you’d like to apply for one of our Higher Technical Qualifications (see below) you will need to meet the course entry requirements.

Your application and subsequent entry requirements for these courses are assessed through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. This allows us to assess your existing skills, prior knowledge and work experience against a given set of standards, competencies, or learning outcomes and then decide whether they can be used as credit on your course.

Qualification	Level	Degree Equivalent	Full-time length of study	Part-time length of study
Higher National Certificate (HNC)	4	Equivalent to the first year of a degree	1 year	2 years
Foundation degree (Fd)	4/5	Equivalent to the first two years of a three year degree	2 years	3 years
Higher National Diploma (HND)	5	Equivalent to the first two years of a degree	2 years	3-4 years

What do I need to know?

To start a HTQ, you’ll need to be aged 18 or over and live in England.

You can apply for a HTQ while you’re still at school. You can see the full list of HTQs on offer at Bradford College below.

A HNC is a level 4 qualification, which is equivalent to the first year of a degree. You will develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in your subject area that will give you a head start to further study.

A HND is a level 5 qualification, which is equivalent to the first two years of a degree. This qualification can provide you with the key skills and knowledge to prepare you for degree-level study or can be a route into employment.

Work placements are not usually needed on a HTQ, except in some professions.

However, many courses do offer you practical skills and experience through workshops, labs or work experience. Full details are provided on our course pages.

After completing your HTQ, you can:

volunteer to help build your skills and experience
look for a job in your chosen career
go on to further study, such as getting a degree

Our courses

Engineering Higher Education

HNC in Manufacturing Engineering (HTQ)

Duration	1 Academic Year
Study Mode	Full-time
Start Date	September 2026

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