Because Education matters

Overview
The objective of the OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies is to provide learners with a foundation to provide an entry route to UK university courses. It is designed to ensure that each learner is equipped with knowledge of study skills, mathematics, computing, society and culture, business and accounting, providing the knowledge and skills to adapt rapidly to change and progress with their learning.
Successful completion of the Level 3 Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies provides learners with the opportunity to progress to further study or employment.

Entry requirements

The Level 3 Diploma in Business Studies qualification can be offered to learners from age 16. OTHM does not specify entry requirements for these qualification, but delivery centres are required to ensure that learners admitted to the programme have sufficient capability at the right level to undertake the learning and assessment.

OTHM Centre must ensure learners are recruited with integrity onto appropriate qualifications that will:

• meet their needs
• enable and facilitate learning and achievement
• enable progression

Equivalences

OTHM qualifications at RQF Level 3 represent practical knowledge, skills, capabilities and competences that are assessed in academic terms as being equivalent to GCE AS/A Levels.

Qualification structure


The OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies consists of 6 mandatory units for a combined total of 120 credits, 1200 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) and 480 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for the completed qualification.

Mandatory units

• Academic English and Study Skills (20 Credit)
• Foundation Mathematics (20 Credit)
• Foundation Computing (20 Credit))
• Society and Culture (20 Credit)
• Introduction to Business (20 Credit))
• Foundation Accounting and Economics (20 Credit)

 
Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed to be delivered over 9 months for full-time study, but it is also flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance learning. The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars and online.

Assessment and verification

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes
To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgment that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.
The Assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgment of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at. .

Progression

Successful completion of the OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies provides learners the opportunity for academic progressions to a wide range of undergraduate programmes including OTHM Level 4 diplomas. As this qualification is approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), many universities acknowledge the ability of learners after studying OTHM Level 3 Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies and consider for direct entry into a range of their Bachelor's degree programmes.