Scotland has a fine tradition of providing quality education. It boasts some of the oldest universities in the world. Of the six oldest Universities in the UK, four are located in Scotland.
Fields such as industry, engineering, medicine and more recently new technologies have benefited from the knowledge and expertise demonstrated by Scotland’s prestigious universities.
The list of Scots who have made a mark on progress in many fields is inspiring.
SAC is part of this fine tradition and our degrees are validated by the three ancient universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
To give all students the best opportunity to achieve their learning potential SAC have developed flexible learning routes to enhance progression opportunities. This means a student can start with an entry level course and by successfully completing each element of the course gain admission to subsequent levels of qualification.
This is shown in the attached progression diagram.
At an entry level we offer hands-on National Certificate (NC) level courses in Agriculture, Poultry, and Horticulture.
These are one-year courses that meet the entry requirement for progression to a Higher National Certificate (HNC). For the completion of a SAC Diploma you can include a 12-month industry placement and a further year of study and gain both the SAC Diploma and a HNC.
The HNC is again a mix of practical and academic learning and takes one year to complete. From this, flexible progression allows entry to year two of the Higher National Diploma (HND) which is gained on completion of a successful second year of study, again including some practical components.
An Ordinary Degree requires three years of study and a Degree with Honours in the Scottish system takes you through a fourth year of study.
The degree programme can be progressed to from completion of a relevant HND within another institution or at SAC, or you can apply directly through UCAS for a degree course if you meet the entry requirements.
A more detailed account of Scottish Qualifications, visit the SCQF web site and take a look at the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
For a simple analysis of transferring Scottish qualifications into an Irish context, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (nqai) provides further information. Their website highlights the value and recognition of qualifications gained abroad and illustrates the ease with which your qualification can be slotted back into a local setting.
Check out the ‘rough guide’ nqai have produced to assist this process: http://www.nfq.ie/nfq/en/frame_action/documents/QualificationsCanCrossBoundaries.pdf