Study Levels Explained
Summary: An explanation of study levels of courses at James Watt College and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
So how do you know where to start and what level of course suits you? Or how your chosen qualification relates to others and where to progress to at the end of it all? Well, you can find out through the national framework.
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) diagram is detailed below. It provides an easy to use framework where qualifications – both academic and vocational – are described in terms of their level and their learning (credit) value. As it’s a national programme, everyone uses the same format – so all qualifications at one level, wherever and however you study them, are worth the same credit value. And you can clearly see how they all fit together. Open the framework table
More about the SCQF
The SCQF is a way of comparing the wide range of Scottish qualifications. It covers achievements such as those from school, college, university, and many work-based qualifications. It does this by giving each qualification a level and a number of credit points. The level of a qualification shows how difficult the learning is. The credit points show how much learning is involved in achieving that qualification.
All Scottish universities and colleges are now using SCQF levels and credit points to describe their courses, if these are included in the Framework. A wide range of other learning is also being recognised using SCQF levels and credits. Some employers are also using SCQF levels instead of, or as well as, types of qualification when they advertise jobs.
The SCQF also helps to illustrate the relationships between Scottish qualifications and those in the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond, which can clarify opportunities for international progression routes and credit transfer.
For more information on The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, visit www.scqf.org.uk.