Foundation Degree, a word of warning!

pulliptears

For anyone who is considering taking an FD, here is my story.

I started a local college studying fine art, I passed my AS Level and was recommended to go into Graphic Design as it better suited the work I was producing.

I was all set to go to a local Uni to gain my BA when I was told that the Uni now run a Foundation Degree in Graphics and Digital Design at the college. It was put to me by the local Uni that I could remain in the college for 2 years, then progress onto the 3rd year of a BA in Graphic Design. Excellent I thought.

Im coming to the end of my 2nd year, and the Uni is now refusing to let us on to the 3rd year of General Graphics as originally promised. They have now cleverly created a dedicated 3rd year for this course, which is more weighted to the business and entrepreneurship side of the creative industry. This means that all of us who started on this course will end up with a BA in something else, rather than in General Graphic Design. This Uni can offer me a 3rd year place on their new course, yet a measly 1st year on the general graphics course that I have been doing as an FD for 2 years.

To top it all off, a good majority of Universities are also not offering 3rd year places to FD Students! I have so far been offered a 1st year and a 2nd year in General Graphics. This isnt just within Graphics, I know other FD students are currently encountering similar problems.

I feel like I have been missold a course, I have wasted 2 years and a hell of a lot of money for the Uni to move the goalposts. I am now looking at my position legally.

So, if you are currently considering taking on an FD Course, DONT! Go for the BA because in all honesty your BA via an FD route could end up taking you 4 years to complete.
:mad:

farso

This is one experience, I took a foundation degree as i didnt have the correct entry a-level subjects. The course ran from Jan til Aug last year and im now in my first year and doing really well, partly due to the excellent FOUNDATION that a foundation degree gives you.

If your upset, sure, slag off your course, uni etc. But its a bit far to say that every foundation degree is useless.

pulliptears

farso wrote: »

This is one experience, I took a foundation degree as i didnt have the correct entry a-level subjects. The course ran from Jan til Aug last year and im now in my first year and doing really well, partly due to the excellent FOUNDATION that a foundation degree gives you.

If your upset, sure, slag off your course, uni etc. But its a bit far to say that every foundation degree is useless.

That is your opinion now. Every, and I mean every FD student studying in my college on various courses has been offered 2nd year maximum with only one Uni agreeing a venture with the college to accept FD's onto a 3rd Year.

Its nothing to do with "slagging off my course", FYI my course is a good one run by brilliant staff. Its the attitude of the Uni's towards FD Students where the problem lies.

MrsManda

It is undeniably upsetting for you to discover that the university won't let you start a degree with them in the third year after being informed at the beginning of your FD that they will.
However most foundation degrees don't work in this way. Many universities offer a 'foundation' year for those who haven't got the required A-levels but whom the university believes has the potential to go far in the subject. These are not separate courses but rather additional year prior to attending the usual BSc course.
They are not a substitute for any part of the normal BSc, and foundation students usually start with all the other first years who've come through on the 'normal' route of a-levels then uni. Therefore, as Farso said, it is a bit unfair to slag off all foundation courses.

Lokolo

I don't see the problem because even if you do the third year of the course not quite what you wanted, its not going to stop you going into the same career.

I'm doing Computer Games Programming !!!!!! but I am doing my placement at IBM as a general programmer, my degree hasn't limited me to just games.

pulliptears

I apologise if this isnt the same across the board. From the off Staffs Uni sold us this course on the basis it led to the 3rd year based at the Uni. Staffs even told us we could walk straight into the 3rd year at any Uni.

This has not been the case. Staffs Uni have a case to answer for being VERY misleading with how this course was advertised and sold to students. One first year is already looking into legal action against the Uni.

Lokolo, the course that is being offered is NOT similar. The course offered in aimed at teaching you how to run your own business, looks into tax and insurances etc It will hinder progression into a chosen career.

Lokolo

Yeh I was talking to Alistair (student recruitment guy) a couple of months back because someone I work with doing ambassadoring with was going to do the same thing, but for a masters course. But they've stopped doing his masters course so he can't continue doing the same thing he was planning to do.

Surely you get to pick a lot of the modules anyway? I know I only have 4 core modules in my final year (3 in 1st, 1 in 2nd) so you can pick the modules you want?

I highly doubt it will hinder your chances, if it would, I would only be able to get a job at a games company. The only thing that would is you chose a course based in Stoke instead of Stafford. A degree is a degree, a graphic degree is a graphics degree, very few companies are going to look around at the individual modules you have studied.

BangBang_2

I agree. Be careful. I was promised the same on my Foundation Degree, and after having to have a year out last year for the course to be 'redesigned' I am now in my third year which will give me a BA.
It is annoying that it has now taken four years to get the BA when it was made clear when I applied that I could go straight into year three after finishing year two (providing I had the required grades)
I feel for ya. Try searching for other uni's that offer you to go into year three... there must be some!

pulliptears

Lokolo wrote: »

. A degree is a degree, a graphic degree is a graphics degree, very few companies are going to look around at the individual modules you have studied.

But its no longer a Graphics and Digital Design Degree, its now a Degree in Entrepreneurialship in the creative and cultural Industries, something totally different. This is why as a group we are so annoyed because we feel mislead. We signed up for a BA in Graphics and Digital Design, we will come out of it with a BA in how to run your own studio.

bangbang, thanks, Im sorry you have been through this too. Yes, there is one Uni that has offered us 3rd year places on the proper graphics course, unfortunately its 50 miles away and family means I cant move away. I can commute however and I am looking into this at the moment.

Oldernotwiser

MrsManda wrote: »

It is undeniably upsetting for you to discover that the university won't let you start a degree with them in the third year after being informed at the beginning of your FD that they will.
However most foundation degrees don't work in this way. Many universities offer a 'foundation' year for those who haven't got the required A-levels but whom the university believes has the potential to go far in the subject. These are not separate courses but rather additional year prior to attending the usual BSc course.
They are not a substitute for any part of the normal BSc, and foundation students usually start with all the other first years who've come through on the 'normal' route of a-levels then uni. Therefore, as Farso said, it is a bit unfair to slag off all foundation courses.

I don't think that you understand the difference between a foundation year and a Foundation Degree. Like an HND, a Foundation Degree should give access to a "top up" to an academic degree.

Oldernotwiser

farso wrote: »

This is one experience, I took a foundation degree as i didnt have the correct entry a-level subjects. The course ran from Jan til Aug last year and im now in my first year and doing really well, partly due to the excellent FOUNDATION that a foundation degree gives you.

I'm afraid that that you're someone else who thinks a foundation course is the same as a Foundation Degree!

We didn't get these problems when the equivalent course was called HND; people knew where they were!