New BTEC Higher Nationals in Art and Design 2017 (RQF)

Fri Jan 27 16:00:00 UTC 2017

We are happy to announce that the programme specification for our new Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Art and Design is now live on the Pearson qualifications website and HN Global and will be available for first teaching from September 2017.

These new BTEC Higher National RQF programmes have been developed in conjunction with key stakeholders; including higher education institutions, employers, and professional organisations and represent the best in professional higher education with features including:

refreshed content that is closely aligned with professional bodies’, employers’ and higher education needs for a skilled future workforce
a simplified structure to allow students to undertake a substantial core of learning at level 4 and to build on this at level 5, with optional units linked to their specialist area of study
an assessment strategy that supports progression to Level 6 studies and also allows centres to offer assessment relevant to the local economy, reflecting the strengths of different learning styles
exemptions to professional and vendor qualifications where appropriate
quality assurance measures that serve to ensure that all stakeholders can feel confident in the integrity and value of the qualification.

Transferring from QCF to RQF BTEC Higher Nationals in Art and Design

It is strongly recommended that from September 2017 prospective HN students are only registered on the new RQF Higher National programmes. Late transition to the new RQF Higher Nationals may cause issues when attempting to infill QCF HND cohorts with RQF HNC students. Differences in unit content between the old and new specifications will make such infill difficult.

UK centres are also encouraged to be aware that QCF HN programmes are likely to be replaced by new RQF HN programmes as of 1st September 2017 in any remaining Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) Higher Apprenticeship frameworks.

For students who are registered on the QCF HNs, centres will have until the end certification date to top up from the QCF HNC to the QCF HND or to transfer between the two.

The QCF Higher Nationals that these qualifications will replace are as follows (all of which have end dates of 31st December 2017):

500/9220/0 Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Art and Design (QCF)

500/9221/2 Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Art and Design (QCF)

500/9222/4 Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in 3D Design (QCF)

500/9223/6 Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in 3D Design (QCF)

500/9251/0 Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Fashion and Textiles (QCF)

500/9248/0 Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Fashion and Textiles (QCF)

500/9250/9 Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Fine Art (QCF)

500/9249/2 Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Fine Art (QCF)

500/9238/8 Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Graphic Design (QCF)

500/9247/9 Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Graphic Design (QCF)

500/9239/X Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Diploma in Photography (QCF)