Foundation Degree in Hairdressing

Foundation degrees are Higher Education qualifications that are designed in partnership with employers to make sure that students gain all the relevant knowledge and skills to enter into the industry of hairdressing. A foundation degree can be taken as a full time course or part-time to enable you to still work. If the latter is the case, the degree then enables you to develop the skills that are required and the whole issue of flexibility is brought into the equation. Embarking on a foundation degree means that you can continue to work and fit in your studies around your job and you gain the ability to be able to work from a distance and even online.

Studying at work
As foundation degrees are designed by the industry for the industry, working in the same environment as the course you are taking is highly advantageous. For some partnerships with salons and the education authority, the courses will be specifically developed to ensure that you gain all the skills that meet with their needs. Working in the industry can significantly help your progress through the course as the practical aspect would undoubtedly help when you come to be assessed. If you take up a foundation degree within your job, this also enables you to gain the full support of your employer, as opposed to having to ask for time off, for example when exams are creeping up and the job you are in bears no relevance to your chosen career path.

Full Time
This option is usually take by people going straight from doing their A-Levels into college. Taking a foundation degree full time usually takes 2 years to complete. The benefit of taking a full-time degree is that then the student is ready to enter the industry fully prepared with the knowledge and required to be successful.

Part Time
If you have other commitments, for example, you work full-time, then taking the foundation degree on a part-time basis may be more suitable to your needs. This usually takes about 3 or 4 years to complete if you do it in this way.

Foundation degrees are good for the hairdressing industry because, as they are designed in conjunction with the potential employers of the students, they are capturing everything that needs to be learnt, and the having the course so specifically tailored to meet the industry’s needs means that by whatever means you gain your degree you are will enter the sector fully equipped with the correct, and more importantly, relevant skills and knowledge.

There is the option after completing a foundation degree to go on and work towards gaining an Honours degree, and this can take you just 12-15 months further study as opposed to the normal 3-4 years it would take if you began a Bachelors degree from entry level.