Can you do a degree without going to university?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “Can you do a degree without going to university?’’ and discover what non-traditional alternatives exist in case you cannot attend university.

Can you do a degree without going to university?

Yes, you can do a degree without going to university. In fact, there are a lot of alternative routes to get a degree without going to university. 

There can be many reasons why the traditional university approach doesn’t suit everyone. 

Maybe the cost is very high, maybe you don’t meet the admissions requirements, maybe work consumes you and you don’t have enough time, or maybe the campus is too far away and you don’t want to move to another city or state. 

So, if you’re not interested in traditional campus life or you need to skip the time-consuming studying full-time on campus for 3 years. Don’t worry!  A Degree Apprenticeship, Work-Based Learning, and Part-Time Degree will provide alternatives.

Degree Apprenticeship 

A degree apprenticeship is a university degree combined with a job, meaning you’ll be studying part-time and working full-time. In other words, earning work experience while you get an undergraduate or postgraduate degree as you would with the traditional university.

A degree apprenticeship has the same value as a full-time degree at a university.

Who can do a Degree Apprenticeship?

Usually, degree apprenticeships are taken by young people of 18-19 years old unsure about traditional universities as an alternative route to gaining a degree. However, degree apprenticeships are also taken for mature people.

Degree apprenticeships are perfect for those who want to gain valuable on-the-job experience, allowing you to earn money during this process, and as an extra tip, you’ll also be exempt from paying tuition fees. In degree apprenticeship, you won’t have to be unsure of paying tuition fees. You’ll be debt-free because the government and your employer are in charge of paying it. 

Apprentices will have to work full-time all over the year, with only 21 days paid holiday plus bank holidays off. Nevertheless, the salary that degree apprenticeship will give you depends on your apprenticeship, age, and company you’re working for.

What can I study for a degree apprenticeship?

The degree apprenticeship fields available are:

• Childcare and education.
• Business & Administration.
• Construction.
• Digital.
• Health & Science.
• Creative and design.
• Legal, finance, and accounting.
• Protective services (e.g. police).
• Engineering and manufacturing.

Where can I find a degree apprenticeship?

If you’re looking for where do a degree apprenticeship we recommend you a useful tool to research called ‘Apprenticeship Finder’’

Work-Based Learning degrees

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a program that provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic, technical skills to develop their employability.

WBL places students both in the classroom and in the workplace. Work-based learning includes internships, mentoring, and apprenticeship. It’s an accurate way to test-drive a career. Work-Based Learning strategies provide career awareness. 

WBS is in charge of training students in positive work attitudes and other employable skills such as leadership, adaptability, teamwork, following instructions, patience, and resilience, etc. Helping them to learn how things that everybody learns in the classroom about the career are connected to the real world. Making them attractive to employers as they’ll be better-prepared students than the rest. Those students will be ready to satisfy everywhere workplace expectations.

Everybody will benefit from Work-Based Learning!

WBS will ensure a higher graduation rate and benefiting employers by reducing their recruitment and training costs. 

If you want to discover how your dream career really likes on the job this is the chance for you! 

What can I study for a Work-Based Learning degree?

• Advanced Technologies
• Arts & Science
• Business & Service Careers
• Cosmetology & Esthetics
• Culinary & Food Service
• Education
• Languages 
• Health 
• Construction
• Public Safety Training
• Law
• Engineering 

Benefits of Work-Based Learning

The time and effort students incorporate in work-based learning worth. In fact, WBL benefits for students, your CTE program, and employers. In this list below, we’ll highlight the biggest benefits of WBL

Let’s start with students benefits:

• Adults and youth can enjoy WBL programs because there are at least a dozen different types of work-based learning.
• Connects classroom knowledge and work.
• Bring to students opportunities to practice skills in every- real-world scenario.
• Helps students develop skills and network with potential employers.
• Increases student motivation
• Gives students a chance to observe professionals in action.
• It is taken into account as college credit.

Employers benefits are:

• Businesses can grow their own talent, making employees develop the needed skills for difficult-to-fill positions,  evaluating potential employers, and reducing recruitment costs.
• Work-based learning programs can help cultivate diversity in the company, helping to keep pace within the constant evolution in the marketplace. 

Part-Time Degree

Part-Time Degrees are realized for non-traditional students, being those who can’t continue studies with the same dedication as a full-time student.

The difference between part- and full-time students are the hours. Therefore, a full-time student spends about 40 hours a week studying more time in class during a semester than a part-time student. Obviously, a part-time degree will take longer to complete than a full-time student. 

Should I take a Part-Time Degree?

It can be requested by any undergraduate or master’s degree student who has one of the following requirements (and who provides documentary proof):

• Working at least half the maximum duration of an ordinary working day.
• Being affected by a physical, sensory or mental disability, to a degree equal to or greater than 33 percent.
• Be 45 years of age or older on the start date of the academic year.
• Being in a situation of protection to the family or having to take care of dependents.
• Be a high-level or high-performance athlete.

Advantages of Part-Time degree

• Studying while working and earning money.
• Avoid being sucked into the college bubble and keep your footing in the professional world.
• Some part-time courses don’t require you to have a previous higher education degree.
• More time to further your studies and get qualifications.
• You’ll be able to gain relevant work experience while studying for your degree.
• Learn to balance school, work, and personal life.
• You don’t have to rely entirely on student loans to finance your studies.
• There are many study options, you can also choose to study online or by correspondence and pay less for your course.

Disadvantages of Part-Time degree

• Longer duration, this can be frustrating, especially when other students in your course are graduating while you are still in college.
• Poor time management can be disastrous, especially if your education is neglected and you don’t meet the course requirements.
• You’ll have to complete assignments and pass exams in the agreed time regardless of your circumstances outside of the university, so you’ll not get rid of typical college stress.
• Some institutions simply do not offer part-time study. This may be the same with specific colleges or courses, so you’ve to do your research before selecting a university.
• Part-time students will find it more difficult to find scholarships.
• The success rate of part-time students is lower than that of full-time students. Very few part-time students make it to their goal and complete their course.
• You probably won’t make strong connections with your fellow students.
• As a part-time student, you’ll have many unavoidable distractions.

Is the university important?

We can’t deny that when you have zero experience, a degree helps to have a little more weight when entering the job market. The same happens in the opposite case, it’s very possible that your curriculum will be below that of those people who request the same job but are graduated in the subject in question or even more if they have a master’s degree or some higher degree class.

However, that doesn’t mean you need a college degree to get a good-paying job. Currently, there are alternatives that make going to the university physically not a requirement or that simply not attending a university is a problem.

A university career doesn’t assure us success, not even having a doctorate is nowadays a direct pass to the big leagues. Everything will depend on your motivation, perseverance, and staying in constant learning mode, providing valuable knowledge to the organizations for which you’ll work and for those who serve (their clients).

FAQSs: Can you do a degree without going to university?

In this brief guide, we answered the question “Can you do a degree without going to university?’’ and discovered what non-traditional alternatives exist in case you cannot attend university.

So, are you going to be a traditional or non-traditional student?

If you have any questions or comments please let us know.

References

Alternative ways to get a degree. (2020). Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.port.ac.uk/student-life/help-and-advice/applying-to-uni/alternative-ways-to-get-a-degree#:~:text=a%20degree%20apprenticeship-,Work%2Dbased%20degrees,projects%2C%20which%20benefit%20your%20employer

How To Get A Degree Without Going To College | Careers Advice Online. (2020, June 29). Retrieved September 27, 2020, from Careers Advice Online website: https://careers-advice-online.com/how-to-get-a-degree-without-going-to-college.html

Pinola, M. (2016, March 11). How to Get College Credit Without Going to College Classes. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from Lifehacker website: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-college-credit-without-going-to-college-clas-1764267835

The DIY Degree: Using Self-Education to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in 1 Year | Scott H Young. (2012, July 4). Retrieved September 27, 2020, from Scott H Young website: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2012/07/04/the-diy-degree/