What is an Extended Diploma?
What is an Extended Diploma?
Getting the right skills you need for your career can be incredibly difficult, if you’re already working or just want to advance your growth quicker. The extended diploma comes as a great equalizer, since it helps you get the practical skills, along with knowledge needed to grow, expand and boost your career at a very quick level.
Here’s all you need to know about the extended diploma in the UK, what it means and how it can help you.
Table of Contents
What is the extended diploma?
The extended diploma is a post-secondary qualification that lasts for 2 years, and it explores a certain academic or vocational field. What makes it different, however, is the fact that it focuses on a hands-on approach and practical systems. It’s not just about theory, it provides assignments, practice, but also work placements.
Generally, the extended diploma will include assessments and practical tasks, work placements and real-world scenarios pertaining to the topic.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the “extended diploma” notion was established in the 1930s and it was originally called the Ordinary National Diploma. At that time, it took 3 years to take that diploma. Over the years, the Business Education Council was the one handling it, and now, the Business and Technology Education Council has made the extended diploma a major option to consider.
Why should you consider getting an extended diploma?
The great thing about having the extended diploma is that it helps you excel in your field. Not everyone focuses on theoretical training. They want practicality, and in this case, such a diploma can be a game-changer.
- It provides you with industry-specific knowledge and expertise.
- You get to focus a lot on practice and real-world advice or situations.
- It paves the way for a potential university degree down the line.
- The extended diploma is great for creative arts, engineering, science or any other subject that features a practical component.
- It only takes 2 years to acquire the diploma.
- The diploma is worth the same amount of UCAS points as 3 A-levels.
- Unlike other diplomas, it’s coursework-based, but it does have controlled assessments and exams.
You can think of the extended diploma as the vocational alternative you have to the A-levels. Those focus on academic study, but this one will just focus on a single area of expertise, a broader area. It does allow you to niche-down, while also offering a more cohesive way of advancing your skills within that category.
How is the extended diploma structured?
Since there are different types of extended diplomas, each one is structured differently, and it’s certainly something you need to keep in mind. You get to explore the desired field in-depth, and that comes with multiple benefits.
You have a lot of practical work to do, while also learning more about your niche. The structure for the extended diploma is very distinctive, however.
Core topics (and optional ones)
The extended diploma will always have core topics, but also some optional units. The core topics will focus on crucial, essential knowledge that you need to have for your niche. In the case of business extended diplomas, you have law, accounting, marketing, and anything of that nature.
When it comes to the optional units, these will help you go into specifics. Taking the same example, you have HR, digital marketing and so on. These optional units are great because they offer flexibility and make it easy to customize what you learn, as you build towards the final extended diploma.
Assessment methods used
What’s important to note about extended diplomas is they tend to focus more on practical ability, so a traditional exam is not exactly proper. That’s why there are different assessment methods used:
- Practical projects are necessary, mainly because you get to simulate the real-world scenarios and use your knowledge to solve those problems adequately.
- Coursework is also mandatory, usually it covers reports, research projects, essays, assignments, all of which help you better understand your desired niche.
- There will be some exams as well, all of which are designed to help you assess your understanding of the niche as a whole.
- In some cases, there are work placements, since they can make it easier to understand the niche. It’s similar to interning, as it does provide you with important knowledge about various issues you encounter, challenges and other things that can appear.
- Presentations might be necessary as well, as they make it easier to highlight your expertise and understanding of the niche as a whole.
Types of extended diplomas you can get
You can acquire multiple types of extended diplomas. The term itself covers multiple qualifications that can be provided from a variety of educational bodies, as follows.
Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
It’s a diploma offered by the OCR and it’s offering a mix of academic content, combined with practical learning. What makes the CTED different is that it also has a focus on vocational learning, and it gets accepted by many universities as well.
BTEC
BTEC is one of the most respected and well-known extended diplomas in the UK. It’s run by Pearson, and it focuses on academic content, combined with practical learning. Additionally, it’s offered in many different topics, ranging from engineering to IT, performing arts or even business. That variation and credibility that BTEC has acquired over the years makes it one of the best options to consider if you need an extended diploma.
UAL extended diploma
The extended diploma comes from the University of Arts in London. It’s designed for those that have an inclination towards the creative arts, be it fashion, graphics or fine art. You will find this to be appropriate if you want to have a lot of hands-on experience with your craft.
What topics can you study?
The thing that’s great about the extended diploma is the fact that you can study a plethora of different things, and you’re not as limited.
- Business is a very common topic, you can study entrepreneurship, management, finance and marketing.
- There’s also a focus on health-related professions as well.
- Additionally, you can go for the IT world, mostly things like cyber security, digital design, networking, development and so on.
- Public services and sports/exercise science are also widely sought after when it comes to extended diploma topics.
- It’s also possible to go towards travel and tourism, be it events, hospitality or tourism management.
- On top of that, creative industries and engineering also see a lot of growth here, which is certainly a thing to take into consideration here.
What are the entry requirements for the extended diploma?
It always depends on the college and subject, however there are certain requirements that will be universal. For the most part, you will need to have:
- 4-5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or higher, and here you should have math or English in most cases.
- In certain topics, you might be asked for specific grade. If you go for Engineering, that might require a high math grade. Social care and health could request a high English grade, so keep that in mind.
- Equivalent qualifications might be required if you didn’t complete the GCSEs. That means some programs might even accept a high school diploma or any regional equivalent. It makes things easier, although you want to see what equivalent programs are accepted in your area.
It’s also important to keep in mind that there can be some subject-specific requirements, as mentioned earlier. Aside from having a high grade for a specific topic, you might also need to highlight a portfolio as well. That’s very important in the case of art and design programs, for example.
With that being said, it doesn’t automatically mean that you will be disqualified if you lack those. Many institutions will be ok with people that have a lot of life experience, and they will interview those persons, and sometimes accept them. Or, if you have relevant previous experience, that could also become an asset.
How does the extended diploma compare with other qualifications?
The extended diploma takes 2 years, and it mixes classroom learning with work placements and practical projects. Its assessment methods include practical projects, exams and coursework. When it comes to the career outcomes, it offers direct entry for employment or access to university studies.
Apprenticeship takes 1-5 years, and it’s paid employment that gets combined with the on-the-job training. You get assessed via portfolios, exams and performance on the job. The career outcome is great because you have work experience and vocational training.
T-levels take 2 years, and there’s a 1-year transition program. 80% of it gets to be classroom learning, while industry placements take the rest 20%. You have assessments in the form of employer evaluations, practical assessments, traditional exams and coursework. Also, you get prepared for higher level apprenticeship or employment.
A-levels also take 2 years, but they focus on theory and not practicality. They have written exams, and their role is to prepare you for studying at the university.
The benefits of getting an extended diploma
There are a variety of reasons why you want to get an extended diploma, depending on your needs. But in general, it offers a great practical learning style, so you focus more on your skills rather than memorizing things for exams. Also, you get to access in-depth knowledge for the desired field, which can help take your career to the next level.
The extended diploma is also equivalent to 3 A levels, and it can open various career and university pathways. Plus, some of the extended diploma courses bring industry projects or placements, so you get hands-on expertise that can be hard to access otherwise.
Tips to reach success with an extended diploma
If you’re looking to achieve success with the use of an extended diploma, it’s extremely important to do the following:
- Staying organized is crucial, because you always want to keep track of your current and future assessments.
- Asking for feedback is crucial, as it allows you to further improve your work and push it to the next level.
- It’s just as important to balance your time, and not leave projects until last-minute. Instead, focus on priority, but also keep an eye on deadlines.
- Naturally, you want to think ahead. You want to plan how the course fits into your existing, long-term goals.
Conclusion
It’s clear that the extended diploma can be a solid option for those looking to combine academic study with practical skills. The fact that it’s equivalent to 3 A-levels is great, and it does help you create a pathway towards a new career, but also to university studies or even vocational training.
Plus, the extended diploma is great for various fields like social care, health, IT, business and so on, which rely on practical expertise. That makes it a valuable asset for those that want to expand and grow their career.
FAQ
How long does it take to acquire an extended diploma?
Generally, it will take around 2 years of full-time studying in order for you to access an extended diploma.
How many UCAS points is the extended diploma worth?
It’s worth the same as 3 A’s at the A level, so around 168 UCAS points.
What are the entry requirements for the extended diploma?
Generally, you need to have around 4-5 GCSEs at a grade of 4/C or higher. That being said, some topics might require specific grades.
Does the extended diploma have international recognition?
It always depends on the extended diploma you choose. Many of them are recognized internationally, but it’s important to check with the awarding body.
Are there any common subjects found in the extended diploma?
Some of the most common subjects include science, engineering, business, health, creative arts and so on.
What are the extended diploma assessment methods?
Assessment methods can vary, but they usually include practical projects, coursework, presentations and even traditional exams.
Do universities accept extended diplomas?
Yes, most of them do, and they see them as an equivalent to the A-levels. That means they will allow you to apply for degree programs if you own an extended diploma.
Who is the extended diploma more suited for?
Generally, the extended diploma is great for people that prefer coursework to exams, who are interested in a very specific niche/topic and who also want to access further training, employment or acquire a university degree down the line.
