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Higher National Certificate (HNC) Modern Methods of Construction for England (Online)

Course overview

Looking to advance your construction career?

This course, awarded by Pearson, will provide the core skills required for a range of technical, professional and management careers in construction, whilst developing your understanding of the major impact that new digital technologies have on the construction environment.

Construction worker

The Higher National Certificate (HNC) Modern Methods of Construction for England (Online) has been designed in collaboration with employers to help you secure the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to succeed in the workplace. In doing so, the programme will develop you as a professional, self-reflecting individual, able to meet the demands of employers in the construction sector and adapt to a constantly changing world.

This programme is designed around enhancing your employability and long-term career prospects. This includes developing attributes such as resilience and an appreciation of cultural diversity and its impact on commercial entities and decision-making, particularly in a global environment. It aims to provide a solid theoretical and academic foundation, enabling you to solve problems and capitalise on opportunities within the context of Construction Management.

It also aims to make you aware of your social responsibilities to the community as much as to the needs of employers. In the digital age of pervasive social media, this is a commercial as well as an ethical imperative, and one with which students on the programme will be fully acquainted.

 This programme is designed to be studied part-time over two academic years of 32 weeks each. It is ideal for a day release from an employer and for mature students looking to refocus their careers.

 

 

 

Tuition Fees

Home/EU* Fee for September 2023 entry: £3,265 per year

Please note: Tuition fees are published for the first year of entry only and may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Office for Students.

*Fee information for European Union (EU) students: If your course starts on or after the 1st August 2021, you will no longer be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England unless you meet one of the following criteria:

  • you are able to benefit from the citizens’ rights agreements
  • you are an Irish national living in the UK or Republic of Ireland – benefits of Irish nationals under Common Travel Area guidance arrangement will continue

Applicants should apply online through the Activate Learning website.

If you are interested in this course and would like an informal, no-obligation chat about the details of the course, how to sign up, or anything else, please get in touch and we’d be happy to help!

The Higher National Certificate (HNC) Modern Methods of Construction for England (Online) is a qualification of a minimum of 120 credits comprising 8 Core (Mandatory) units of 15 credits each.

You must successfully complete each unit to be awarded the specified number of credits for that unit. One credit corresponds to approximately ten hours of ‘learning time’ (including all classes and all private study and research). Obtaining 120 credits in an academic year requires 1,200 hours of overall learning time.

Units:

  • Construction Design Project (Pearson set)
  • Construction Technology
  • The Construction Environment
  • Digital Applications for Construction Information
  • Tender and Procurement
  • Building Information Modelling
  • Principles of Alternative Energy
  • Principles of Off-site Construction

On successful completion you will gain: Higher National Certificate in Modern Methods of Construction in England

The units are delivered through a variety of techniques to suit different learning styles. You will be supported by a dedicated team to achieve through group work, pair activities, action research, discussions, presentations and build projects. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, online learning and practical sessions. You will have the opportunity to implement your own building and design within several of the modules which count towards your overall assessment for the module.

Tutorial and seminars: In addition to your taught lectures are timetabled tutorial sessions. These sessions are a combination of taught tutorial time, focusing on the progression of your academic and employability skills, one-to-one tutorials with your tutor, and a series of seminars and guest speakers to aid your learning and introduce you to new and exciting concepts within your field of study. Class sizes are relatively small, providing the opportunity for full interaction and discussion between the group.

You will receive approximately seven hours of contact time per week, typically consisting of:

  • six hours of lectures
  • one hour of seminars or tutorial time

You will gain access to Activate Learning Online (ALO). This is our online learning platform that provides support for all our students. You can visit the Help page to access information and videos, or you can chat with ALO support, which is available 24/7. Online learning is designed to facilitate your own learning and provide a platform to gain knowledge at your own pace, alongside your scheduled lectures.

Independent learning: When not attending guided learning time you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles, books, working on projects and preparing coursework.

Each unit will provide you with the opportunity for ‘formative’ assessment. This allows you to gain feedback on your work before submitting it for final assessment. Formative assessments are developmental, and any grades are solely indicators of your progress and do not count towards your overall unit grade. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each unit. This will provide you will an overall unit grade.

Units have set ‘Learning outcomes’, which are assessed through 100% coursework. You must achieve all learning outcomes in all units. Coursework is made up of a variety of assessment methods including written reports and essays, online tests, practical examination, portfolios, presentations and a final-year project. Your overall unit grade will count towards your final grade. For information about learning outcomes and grade calculations, please visit the Pearson website where you can download the specification PDF for this qualification.

Academic and pastoral support:

  • At the commencement of the programme, you will be allocated a Personal Tutor, who will effectively act as your academic mentor.
  • Personal Tutors will provide ongoing advice on academic and pastoral matters (in partnership with academic tutors in other units). They will act as your first port of call for support during your studies.
  • You will have an initial one-to-one meeting with your Personal Tutor in the first few weeks of your studies as part of a settling-in process, in which any early issues of an academic or pastoral nature may be addressed.
  • Your academic progress will be formally reviewed at least twice per academic year by your Personal Tutor.

Student progression on the programme is supported by the Programme Coordinator, Unit Leaders, and central student services, and includes:

  • An induction programme introducing new students to the subject of study, higher level skills that need to be developed, and the college facilities including the library, IT facilities, staff, and other students.
  • Scheduled 1:1 and group tutorials which provide opportunities for academic, pastoral support and formative and summative feedback.
  • General HE student and programme-specific handbooks are available in electronic format on VLE.
  • Access to a well-equipped library, online journals, e-books, and up-to-date ICT equipment.
  • Personal development planning sessions integrated into the programme.
  • Access to counsellors and support for students with additional learning needs.
  • Written assessment feedback (provided within 15 working days of assessment submission date).
  • Access to regularly updated resources on the course section of the VLE

Learning support: A team of HE Study Support tutors provide an inclusive service which supports any student with additional learning needs with individual advice and guidance on how to progress through their studies. Further information is available in the Student Handbook and on ALO.

Applicants for the HNC in in Modern Methods of Construction for England will normally be expected to possess at least one of the following:

  • BTEC Level 3 qualification in Construction with a minimum of a Merit overall
  • GCE Advanced Level profile that demonstrates strong performance in a relevant subject or adequate performance in more than one GCE subject. This profile is likely to be supported by GCSE grades at A* to C (or equivalent) and/or 9 to 4 (or equivalent) in subjects such as maths and English.
  • Other related level 3 qualifications 
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma from an approved further education institution
  • Relevant work experience.

Applications from students returning to education who do not possess the formal entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant industry experience, will be considered on merit but would normally be expected to have achieved a Level 2 maths and English qualification.

Credit transfer and accreditation of prior learning: Applicants with prior certificated or experiential learning may be admitted with credit for up to a maximum of 120 credits at Level 4.

All applicants will be interviewed prior to a decision being made.

English language requirements: To ensure that each applicant can demonstrate their capability to learn and be assessed at the relevant level in English, students who are non-native English speakers and who have not carried out their final two years of schooling in English will be required to demonstrate their ability at a standard equivalent to:

  • Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2
  • PTE Academic 51, or
  • IELTS 5.5 (reading and writing must be at 5.5)

The Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Modern Methods of Construction for England provides a solid grounding in construction which you can build on should you decide to continue your studies to level 5 (HND) and further to degree-level study*. In addition, the qualification may provide links to industry-related and employer-supported apprenticeships schemes that can provide further opportunities for enhanced employment.

*You should be aware that university admission criteria are always subject to change and remain at the discretion of the institution. You should take time to understand the course entry requirements for the subject, year, and grade before applying. For more information on entry requirements, including 2+1 articulations, please visit: https://www.highernationals.com/degree-finder.

Applicants should apply online through the Activate Learning website.

Additional costs include:

  • Optional trips
  • additional printing over and above the £5 allowance provided by the college.
  • cost of books that you might wish to purchase.

We strongly recommend purchasing a laptop for your course.

Bursaries:

A range of bursaries are provided to support students through their studies. Further details of these, including eligibility criteria and how to apply are posted on the ALO site and in the student handbook.

Course Starts in 165 Days
  • 9 September 2024 - 30 July 2026
  • 2 Years
    • 16-18: £3265
    • Adult: £3265
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