Why You Should Consider a Top Up Degree Programme

What is a top up degree programme and how can it be beneficial to a student looking for a way into today’s job market? Are there any specific qualifications to get into a top up degree programme, and if these can be met, why is it advantageous for a student to progress into one? These are the questions many young people ask when considering their education path, and the information available can seem daunting or even confusing at times. Put simply, a top up degree programme is a great route to go for any professional. Here’s why you should consider a top up degree programme.

A top up degree programme offers the equivalent to the final year (Level H) of a BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) degree. It’s a way for a student to “top up” their qualification to a full honours award after finishing their Foundation degree programme. While Foundation degree programmes combine academic study with pertinent work-based learning, top up degree programmes offer competitive curriculums specifically designed to teach the needs of today's job market and give students a head start in their career goals.

Top up degree programmes are offered in a myriad of fields all over the world, but some of the most popular include: Finance and Law, International Finance, Business and Management, International Business & Management, Computer Animation, Design Engineering, Law, Global Media Practice, Hotel and Food Services Management, and International Hospitality and Tourism Management. Whatever field a student chooses to study in, they can be assured that a top up degree programme will teach them the basic, market-specific knowledge for the field they want to excel in. For example, if a student had the appropriate existing credentials of a Hospitality Foundation degree and was interested in “topping up” this degree to International Hospitality and Tourism Management, they could expect to learn about management under the context of hospitality and tourism from real world professionals amongst like-minded peers.

One of the more advantageous things about a top up degree programme is that it also allows a student to travel and live abroad. Because of this, top up degree programmes have become very popular internationally and are offered outside of Hong Kong, including in the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, and Canada. They can be found in major United Kingdom cities like Birmingham, Poole, and London, and across the water a student could live and study in Copenhagen, Sonderborg, or Paris. Top up degree programmes are offered in international and renowned cities and a student would be able to learn a lot besides academia while studying there. Beyond that, it would also give a student time to decide where they want to dedicate their lives location-wise when they choose to study their bachelor degree. A top up degree is no substitute for a bachelor degree because employers expect that level of education, but a top up degree is a great way to head in that direction. In fact, some universities even welcome those with top up degrees for credit transfer. Be sure to ask the university beforehand if they accept top up degree credit transfer if that is a plan.

Top up degree programmes are a great way to get expand and grow from the basic knowledge of a Foundation degree in an area that a student is interested in. Because of the number of fields they are offered in, and the number of places too, it’s a great way for a student to work their way to university bachelor level. With a working knowledge of a career already under wraps, a dream career will appear in no time.