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Increase in student numbers leads to new degrees in Cornwall

Cornwall College is to offer a host of new degree courses from September thanks to a bumper allocation of student places.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) awarded the College an additional 241 places, bringing the total now available to 800, as part of a plan to develop university courses in the county which meet the needs of students and the Cornish economy.  It already has over 2000 students studying on full time and part time degree courses and in the last 7 years has seen 4500 students graduate in a longstanding tradition of providing top quality courses, recognised by IQER, the Ofsted equivalent for higher education (HE).

The College is extending its range of foundation degrees and introducing higher national diplomas (HNDs) and certificates (HNCs) in areas which will meet the skills needs of industry. New courses are set to run at five of the seven county campuses, subject to approval from Plymouth University.

Plans to introduce new courses at St Austell will see a big boost for HE in mid-Cornwall.  The campus will offer HNDs and HNCs in Small Scale Theatre and General Engineering, and foundation degrees in Health & Community Studies and Public Services & Outdoor Education.

John Paulo Pelagio, 17 from St Austell, who is currently studying a Health & Social Care Extended Diploma at St Austell, will be applying for the Health & Community Studies foundation degree.  He said: “Eventually I would like to work in a hospital as a nurse and this course being so accessible and in a familiar environment is a big advantage for me. The variety of support and quality of the facilities and teaching here is perfect for me.”

The College has been working closely with local schools and industry in St Austell and mid-Cornwall to provide more higher education options for the area. 

John Perry, Headteacher at Fowey Community College, said: “We are very pleased that the range of opportunities to study at HE level is increasing in our area. Schools are continually working to raise the aspirations of their students, and one of the best ways to do this is to have local access to high quality HE courses. HE needs to become part of the local culture of education to ensure long term growth and success and we are delighted that Cornwall College are taking such a proactive approach.”

Camborne, which has a 30 year history of offering degree courses, will run new HNCs and HNDs in Games Design for Industry, Creative Media Production and, in conjunction with industry specialist dBs Music, DJ & Electronic Music Production, Music Performance & Technology, and Music for Film & Television.  

Tim Harrison, 20 from Hayle, is currently completing the Media Extended Diploma at Cornwall College Camborne and has applied for a place on the HND in Creative Media Production.  He said: “As I’m already doing a media course at the College it seems such a good opportunity that this new course is being introduced.  It’s great that I can now do a university course so close to home and carry on doing what I love.  My career aim is to become a TV cameraman and I hope this will help me get there.”

Duchy College, which had its specialist land-based courses recognised as outstanding by Ofsted, will run a HND in Landscape & Garden Design at its Rosewarne campus, complementing its many horticultural courses.

Those interested in a marine-based career can take a two-year foundation degree or a one-year HNC in Marine Technology at Falmouth Marine School, which works closely with local industry to provide the highest quality education in the marine sector.

Dave Linnell commented: “Cornwall College’s success in delivering high quality university courses has led to HEFCE’s decision to award us more places so we can offer even more students a chance of studying higher education in Cornwall.  As a result we have been able to introduce a number of new courses to meet the demand. 

“As well as new foundation degrees to complement current courses, those applying to start in September will be able to choose to study towards a HNC or HND in a number of areas.   At one time HNDs and HNCs were much more recognised amongst the public as routes into specific jobs.  In recent years they have become less widely offered but they are still valued greatly by employers so we are working with Cornish industries to meet the need for advanced work-related courses.”

University courses can also be studied at one of the College’s other campuses; Newquay, Saltash or Duchy College Stoke Climsland.

Cornwall College’s undergraduate courses, awarded by Plymouth University, are being offered at a cost of £6,000 per year, considerably lower than many of the region’s higher education establishments. 

Additionally, the College is offering a range of scholarships and bursaries to those eligible.

On completing a foundation degree or HND students have the opportunity to complete a third year of a bachelor’s degree to gain a full undergraduate degree.

For more information about studying one of the courses mentioned, please click on the relevant course in the text above. You can also come and talk to the tutors and tour our facilities on our University Courses Open Day on Friday 15th June, see our events listings for more detail.

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