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Student Handbook
Funding Support for Students
Embarking upon a career in Building Services with Sustainable Energy can open a wide variety of career choices, for example, a career path that can lead you into a mechanical, electrical or a renewable engineering aspect of a building's envelope.
Building Services Engineers also have a growing role in the deployment of renewable energy systems, sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings. You will be playing a key role in delivering a low carbon environment which will aid in combating climate change and fossil fuel depletion.
South West College is approved by The Open University as an appropriate organisation to offer higher education programmes leading to Open University validated awards.
The Open University regulations can be found at https://swc.ac.uk/assets/files/Regulations-for-validated-awards-of-the-OU-2024-25.pdf
OU Student's Guide https://www5.open.ac.uk/valida...
You can also Download the full programme specification
Where an applicant does not hold the formal academic requirements for entry to the programme but can demonstrate relevant experiential learning across a range of industries, they may apply for admission through the College Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process. In such cases, contact the Programme Director for the programme who will advise further.
International Student Entry Requirements
Any applicant whose first language is not English should demonstrate their competence in written and spoken English. Usually, the minimum English language entry requirement is IELTS (academic) of 6.0 (with no band score of less than 5.5 in all four elements of the test).
We accept a wide range of alternative English language examinations and tests so please contact us for an updated list of other accepted tests.
Assessment will typically be carried out via a variety of assessment methods which includes the use of coursework assignments, class tests, practical assessments, end of module examinations, group activities and professional presentations to an industrial panel. You will also be assessed in the workplace as part of your industrial placement.
Upon successful completion of the Foundation Degree Building Services with Sustainable Energy programme, graduates may consider entering into employment within the mechanical, electrical or energy industries or continuing to study by applying for a place on a BEng programme in a relevant discipline, including BEng (Hons) Building Services with Sustainable Energy Top-up (validated by The Open University) at South West College.
Tuition Fees:
Students do not pay course fees as a Higher Level Apprentice as the programme of study is funded by the Department for Economy.
To be eligible to commence study on the HLA pathway, applicants must have secured full-time paid employment in a Building Services-related position.
Other Fees Associated with the Course:
During your course you may be required to purchase course textbooks or specific software and incur additional costs for printing, photocopying and binding. The overall additional costs incurred to support your studies may be in the region of £100 or more per year.
Teaching Delivery Statement
The teaching and learning strategy within this programme will comprise of face-to-face delivery (with an element of blended learning support). All methods used have the full agreement of students, external examiners and awarding body partners.
Please note the programme will be delivered at Dungannon (subject to number of applicants)
Students are required to:
Pass all modules in each year of study in order to proceed to the next year of the programme.
P5053DP10B
Session Code
2 Year(s)
Duration
Higher Education
Mode of Study
11
Hours per Week
42
Number of Weeks
Interview Required
26/27
Academic Year
07/09/2026
Start Date
Subject to Timetable
Day/s
Noreen.McGirr@swc.ac.uk, Vanessa.Cobane@swc.ac.uk
Coordinator(s)
Total Annual Fee N/A
Total Concessionary Fee N/A
Fees Payable Each Year
**Am I eligible for concessionary fees?
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