Purpose of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Computing
The purpose of Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Computing is to develop students as professional, self-reflecting individuals able to meet the demands of employers in the computing sector and adapt to a constantly changing world. The qualifications aim to widen access to higher education and enhance the career prospects of those who undertake them.
Objectives of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Computing
The objectives of the Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Computing are as follows:
- To equip students with computing skills, knowledge and the understanding necessary to achieve high performance in the global computing environment.
- To provide education and training for a range of careers in computing, including network engineering, software engineering, data analytics, security, intelligent systems, and applications development.
- To provide insight and understanding into international computing operations and the opportunities and challenges presented by a globalised market place.
- To equip students with knowledge and understanding of culturally diverse organisations, cross-cultural issues, diversity and values.
- To provide opportunities for students to enter or progress in employment in computing, or progress to higher education qualifications such as an Honours degree in computing or a related area.
- To provide opportunities for students to develop the skills, techniques and personal attributes essential for successful working lives.
- To provide opportunities for those students with a global outlook to aspire to international career pathways.
- To provide opportunities for students to achieve a nationally recognised professional qualification.
- To provide opportunities for students to achieve vendor accredited certifications.
- To offer students the chance of career progression in their chosen field.
- To allow flexibility of study and to meet local or specialist needs.
- To offer a balance between employability skills and the knowledge essential for students with entrepreneurial, employment or academic aspirations.
We meet these objectives by:
- Providing a thorough grounding in computing principles at Level 4 that leads the student to a range of specialist progression pathways at Level 5 relating to individual professions within the computing sector.
- Enabling progression to a university degree by supporting the development of appropriate academic study skills.
- Enabling progression to further professional qualifications in specific computing areas by mapping to units in a range of vendor accredited certificates.
Who is this qualification for?
The Pearson BTEC Higher National qualifications in Computing are aimed at students wanting to continue their education through applied learning. Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals provide a wide-ranging study of the computing sector and are designed for students who wish to pursue or advance their career in computing. In addition to the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin the study of the computing sector, Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in computing give students experience of the breadth and depth of the sector that will prepare them for further study or training.
Progression to university
The Level 5 Higher National Diploma is recognised by Higher Education providers as meeting admission requirements to many relevant Computing courses, for example:
- BSc (Hons) in Computing
- BSc (Hons) in Information Technology
- BSc (Hons) in Business Computing and Information Systems
University recognition and articulations
We work with a number of universities around the world to recognise and accept Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals as a qualification for entry onto an undergraduate degree. Many universities now allow advanced entry onto the second or third year of a degree. Some universities have direct articulations on to the second or third year of a bachelor’s degree programme with Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals. Students should be aware that university admission criteria is always subject to change and understand the course entry requirements for subject, year and grade before applying.
For more information on entry requirements, including 2+1 articulations, please visit: https://degreecoursefinder.pearson.com Students should always check the entry requirements for degree programmes at specific Higher Education providers. After completing a Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate or Diploma, students can also progress directly into employment.