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Professional Courses

If you would answer yes to any of the following, you could benefit from a professional course:

Do you…

  • Want to boost your professional knowledge?
  • Take the next step on your career ladder?
  • Want a career change?
  • Want to gain a qualification that will help you and your organisation in the future?
  • Already have a degree, but not related to your current position?

See below for more information:

What can I study?

These qualifications will enhance both your career prospects and performance within your current role:

These courses are run by our Hampshire Business School, which has been running professional courses for over 30 years. You will be taught by academic staff who are all highly qualified, have experience of working in accounting roles in industry and who are flexible in their teaching approach and aware of the needs of students.

What are Professional Courses?

Professional qualifications are related to a specific industry and are usually aimed at professionals who wish to gain new knowledge and skills to succeed and progress within their careers. Alternatively, professional courses are a great way to start the process of a career change. The professional awarding bodies regulate and design the qualification to ensure that employees in each industry meet the minimum standard of each profession.

For some employers, a professional qualification is essential, for example, to become a chartered accountant you'll need to have completed the relevant exams by the professional awarding bodies. Even if they aren't compulsory to your job role, professional qualifications are highly regarded by employers and can boost your CV against other applicants.

How long can a Professional Course take to complete?

Depending on the type of qualification and whether you choose to study full time or part time, Professional Courses can be between a couple of weeks or years. For example, the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting runs for 35 weeks, whereas the CMI Level 3 Diploma in Principles of Management and Leadership is a year long.

What do Professional Courses involve?

Our Professional Courses are taught part-time at the college and timetabled  to fit in with work/family commitments. Most of the teaching takes place either in the day or evening, between Monday to Friday.

For our Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Accounting courses, we are working in partnership with Mindful Education to create a suite of blended learning courses that provide flexible study options, combining online learning with face-to-face lessons in the classroom.

Our professional courses have different start dates and run a number of times throughout the year. You can be assessed through exams or/and coursework.  Usually, to complete a professional qualification, you must learn a number of modules and pass each unit.

What are the entry requirements?

All Professional Courses have different entry requirements, you can check the entry requirement for your chosen course by clicking on the qualification and then looking for the  'entry requirements' tab. If you're still unsure if you have the right entry requirements - contact our admissions team on 01252 407028 or email admissions@farn-ct.ac.uk.

Most awarding bodies have a range of qualifications that can be completed by school leavers, graduates or experienced professionals. Some courses require to start at a lower level and once completed you become eligible for a higher level. Relevant on-the-job experience or interest is often essential.

How much do professional courses cost?

Each course cost can vary depending on the level and awarding body. You can find the course cost on each course page on our website.

How shall I ask my employer?

Nearly all organisations have a budget for training staff members, so don't be afraid to ask!

Discuss on your next annual appraisal about studying a professional course, your training can be advantageous to the employer as you acquire new skills, confidence and knowledge.

Make sure to do the research, present the options to your employer confidently. Pitch the different course options, costs and the pros and cons. Be sure to explain the benefits it could present, for example, filling in a skills gap within your team. How will your training benefit not only you but the company, your department or a specific project?

 

Could I study as an apprentice?

Many students with us complete their training as an apprentice. You will often achieve the same qualifications as a stand-alone course, but there are benefits to you and your employer by choosing this route. Visit our Apprenticeships pages to find out more about your options with us.

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