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HND in Computing for England (HTQ)

HND in Computing for England (HTQ)

Award

Higher National Diploma

Start Date

To be confirmed

Duration

2 years

Mode

Full-time

Location

Bolton College

UCAS Points

48

UCAS Code

104G

Digital employers need professionals with advanced digital skills, and the digital-based job market offers an exciting array of rewarding opportunities. Equivalent to two years of a university degree, this employment-focused HND Computing for England taught at Bolton College gives you the chance to develop the work-ready and future-proof digital skills that employers demand.

Apply Now Download Prospectus Programme Specification

Course Overview

This HND Computing for England course is taught by Bolton College on behalf of the University of Bolton.

Our Level 5 HND in Computing for England can help turn your interest in technology into a rewarding career in the digital sector. This approved Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) focuses on developing your digital and transferable knowledge and skills, ready to impress employers or continue with further study. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) approved the course as meeting occupational standards. This stamp of quality shows that the course has been developed in collaboration with industry-leading employers to produce business-ready graduates prepared for the ever-evolving digital sector.

Throughout the course, our dedicated experts will guide you to gain in-demand knowledge and understanding with cutting-edge practical and professional skills. This exciting qualification delivers learning on artificial intelligence, web development, cloud computing and games development with the use of VR technologies, alongside a range of the latest high-tech equipment, including walking robots, a six-legged spider robot, robotic arms and 3D AI software.

We'll support you to train for skilled, practical employment in the digital sector through stimulating workshops and a diverse curriculum. As well as learning through lectures, seminars and practical classes, you'll undertake an individual research project focused on a business computing topic. We'll support you in gaining vital employability skills such as problem-solving, teamworking, leadership, decision-making, planning, self-reflection and cultural awareness. We'll also help build your academic and lifelong learning skills, empowering you to research new technologies and keep abreast of innovations and enhancements in the digital sector throughout your career.

Highlights

Key Features

Entry Requirements

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Career Opportunities

HTQs open up an exciting world of opportunity, empowering you for the future. The University of Bolton's HND in Computing for England taught at Bolton College is an approved Level 5 HTQ. It's ideal if you're seeking a career in the digital sector or wish to progress to the final year of a computing-related honours degree or degree apprenticeship. If you're already working in the digital sector, you can use this HND to upskill or retrain, acquiring valuable digital experience and gaining vital new skills to support your career progression.

This qualification was developed in close collaboration with experts from employers, vendors and professional bodies to ensure you gain the skills and knowledge you'll need to succeed in the future. Your learning will be rooted in the real world so that you leave the course as a work-ready graduate with the professional skills and behaviours that employers need.

What can I do with this qualification?

As a graduate of this HND, you'll be digitally skilled and industry-ready. You'll be well-prepared to take on roles in general computing such as systems analyst, data designer, systems tester, database administrator, IT project manager, IT support technician and web designer. With additional experience and training, it can also support you to pursue digital roles such as artificial intelligence architect, web developer, growth hacker and cloud specialist.

Upon successfully completing the Level 5 HND in Computing for England, you'll be able to progress to higher-level qualifications. For instance, you'll be eligible to apply for final year top-up programmes, such as the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Computing (top-up) or degree apprenticeship training through your employer. Further study in specialist areas such as network engineering, software engineering, data analytics, security, intelligent systems, and applications development should also be possible.

Bolton NHS Trust are endorsing our Higher Technical Qualifications which means that they are offering a direct link to employment post studying with us. Keep updated on their digital roles by following the link below:

http://jobs.boltonft.nhs.uk/job_list/s7/Administrative_Services?_ts=178798

Alternative career options

You also use this qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or further study may be required. Some possibilities include:

  • Digital copywriting
  • IT sales
  • IT training
  • Teaching
  • Research and development
  • Network engineering
  • Product management
  • Technical writing
  • Social media management
  • Cyber security
  • Information systems management
  • Games development
Professional Recognition

Holders of the Higher National Diploma in Computing for England are eligible for Associate Membership of the BCS. The BCS represents IT professionals both in the UK and internationally and is a member organisation of CEPIS (Council of European Professional Informatics Societies).

Fees & Funding

When completing your student finance application, please list your institution as ‘University of Bolton’, not ‘Bolton College’.

Home/EU Fees

Year of study Total
Entry Year 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27
2024-25 £5,996 £5,996 - £11,992
2025-26 -

International Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

How to apply

Home Applicants

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

International Applicants

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

Partner Organisation Applicants

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Teaching & Assessment

The varied nature of this HND programme means that we use a wide range of teaching and learning methods. We combine timetabled classes with student-centred and independent learning to ensure you acquire and develop the appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. You can expect to attend lectures, practical sessions, workshops, tutorials and informal group study sessions. There will also be opportunities to go on site visits to view state-of-the-art projects, and attend guest lectures by specialists from industry, professional bodies or other academic institutions.

There are significant opportunities to spend time with the tutors and technicians during timetabled classes, practical work and tutorials. However, we'll still expect you to devote a significant amount of time to personal study. For example, you might engage in general background reading, revisit practical work, attend technical meetings and lectures provided by professional bodies, or work on assignments.

We use various assessment methods, depending upon the learning outcome in question and the type of module content being assessed. You'll have opportunities to informally test your understanding of subjects before completing the formal assessments that count towards your final mark or grade. Each module/unit will typically contain at least one piece of practice or 'formative' assessment, for which you'll receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental, and any grades/marks you receive for them do not count toward your module/unit mark or grade.

There is a formal or 'summative' assessment at the end of each module/unit. Methods include a range of coursework assessments such as exams, essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, and final year major project. The grades from the formal assessments count towards your module/unit mark or grade.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Programming
  • Networking
  • Professional Practice
  • Database Design and Development
  • Security
  • Website Design and Development
  • Planning a Computing Project
  • Software Development and Lifecycles
  • Computing Research Project (Pearson Set)
  • Network Security
  • E-Commerce and Strategy
  • Game Design Theory
  • User Experience and Interface Design
  • Business Process Support
  • Internet of Things

Assessment methods

Level Assessment method
Level 1 Coursework 100%
Level 2 Coursework 100%

Learning Activities

Level Activity
Level 1 Guided independent study 60%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 40%
Level 2 Guided independent study 60%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 40%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

Postgraduate Options

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

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Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant