If University is not the right option for you, there are a wide range of college courses available in Glasgow and the West with access available at many different levels. College is a good way to build upon your qualifications from school to take you into employment or further education at University. College provides you with the opportunity to meet new friends and people with similar interests to you, while giving you freedom and independence.

You can study a wide range of subjects and vocational courses at college, for example Photography, Beauty Thearapy, Childcare, Social Science and Sport Science, the possibilities are endless.

You will find details of the types of courses that you can expect to find in Scotland’s colleges below.

National Certificate (NC)

This course is normally offered as an access to an HNC course, studied full time for one year. Units related to your subject of interest are studied. After completing an NC many people progress on to a relevant HNC course.

To be accepted on to an NC course you need to have Intermediate 2 qualifications.

Higher National Certificate (HNC)

This type of course is usually studied over one year, on a full time basis. The course is made up of a number of units relevant to your subject to prepare people for employment, to progress onto an HND course or into a degree course of university.

To get on an HNC course you normally need to have one or two relevant highers.

Higher National Diploma (HND)

Once many students have completed an HNC year, many will go on to study for an HND. This usually takes a further year to complete studying full-time. Completion of an HND can be seen as the equivelant to studying the first 2 years of a degree course , and can in some instances lead to direct entry to third year in many Scottish Universities.

To get on to an HND course, you normally have to have completed a relevant HNC.

Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ)

SVQs are awarded for learning and experience in the workplace. They may be offered as part of a full-time course where there is a work placement or where assessment is in your place of work.

You can complete SVQs in many areas such as practical cookery and childcare.

How do I find a course that is right for me?

There are thousands of college courses at all access levels available throughout Scotland.  Access the ‘my world of work’ website where you can  search for all courses available that match your interest here. 

Alternatively, you can click on the links down the right hand side of the page which will take you directly to the college website where you will be able to find the prospectus containing information about the college and its courses.