Higher National Certificates & Diplomas
These higher education qualifications
have a real focus on industry skills and
are valued by employers as a recognised
alternative to university. HNCs and HNDs
are mainly assessed through assignments,
projects and practical tasks that you
complete throughout the course – not
through exams – and they’re designed to
lead straight to a career in industry or on
to further study at university.

How long do they take?
HNCs take between one and two years to
complete depending on the study route you
choose to take, and are generally equivalent
to the first year of a full Bachelor’s degree
at university. You can continue your studies
at Bedford College by moving on to the
HND qualification after your HNC.
HNDs represent the next level of study up
from HNCs, taking an additional one to two
years to complete depending on the study
route you choose to take. They’re generally
equivalent to the second year of university
and you can ‘top-up’ your HND with a
further one or two years of study at
university to convert it to a full Bachelor’s
degree. Alternatively a HND is a standalone,
recognised qualification that prepares you
to progress directly into employment.
HNCs we offer
Construction BTEC HNC (part-time) |
Construction (Civil Engineering) BTEC HNC (part-time) |
Electrical & Electronic Engineering BTEC HNC (part-time) |
Mechanical Engineering HNC (part-time) |
Sport (Outdoor Adventure) HNC |
Performing Arts (Performance) HNC (Stella Mann College) |
HNDs we offer
Computing (Network Engineering/Security/Applications Development) BTEC HND |
Construction BTEC HND (part-time) (top-up from HNC) |
Construction (Civil Engineering) BTEC HND (part-time) (top-up from HNC) |
Electrical & Electronic Engineering BTEC HND (part-time) (top-up from HNC) |
Mechanical Engineering BTEC HND (part-time) (top-up from HNC) |
Sport (Outdoor Adventure) HND |
Performing Arts (Performance) HND (Stella Mann College) |