- published: 12 Mar 2012
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The Foundation Degree (FD) is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is similar in level to the associate's degree awarded in the United States, and in the United Kingdom sits on the same level as the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Certificate but below the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws level of education. Courses are typically two years full time study or 3 to 4 years part time study and are offered both by universities and colleges of higher education.
Foundation degrees are intended to give a basic knowledge in a subject to enable the holder to go on to employment or further study in that field. They were designed in partnership with employers and further education colleges (FECs).[citation needed]
One of a number of important differences between the Foundation Degree and the Higher National Diploma is that it stands as a degree, and as such has a common value of 240 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points in the UK Higher Education System, or 120 ECTS-credits in the European Credit Transfer System. By contrast, the HND can be recognised for entry to a degree course at as little as no credits, and as much as 240 credits, depending on the receiving institution and relevance to the subject.[citation needed]
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