Part-time and professional courses

Partnership Programme

The Partnership Programme is work-based learning for busy people. It allows you to learn and gain academic qualifications while you are at work. It is for all grades of employee, from supervisor and technician up to managing director.

Work-based learning projects normally form most of the course content in the Partnership Programme. Your projects become part of your daily work, which minimises the extra time you have to spend on study. They are professional level work, based on your job responsibilities, but requiring new learning. The projects give you new knowledge and skills, and also contribute to your employer’s business – so everyone benefits.

As a Partnership Programme student, you set your own objectives and design your own degree programme in partnership with your employer, the Partnership Programme staff, a University tutor and a workplace mentor. Your programme is defined in an agreed learning contract and you take responsibility for managing your own study programme.

You can set and vary the pace of study to suit your circumstances at home and at work. Your learning contract can be amended if there are changes to working priorities/responsibilities or if there are other pressures at work or at home that affect your progress. Employers usually contribute to course fees and other expenses, and allow students time off to attend lectures and tutorials.

Credit towards the award can be given for your existing qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience. This is assessed, usually before you start the course, through a process known as Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). The maximum APL credit that can be allowed is two-thirds of the credit needed for the degree.

You choose your degree title to describe your main study areas. The award names currently available are:

  • BA (Hons) Business
  • BA (Hons) Business and Computer Studies
  • BA/BSc (Hons) Combined Studies*
  • BSc (Hons) Applied Computing
  • BSc (Hons) Applied Science
  • BSc (Hons) Creative Technologies and Enterprise
  • BSc (Hons) Engineering and Management Studies
  • BSc (Hons) Engineering Project Management
  • BSc (Hons) Engineering Studies
  • BSc (Hons) Maritime Studies

(*Combined Studies is the name for programmes that do not fit under any of the other headings.)

For more information visit the Learning at Work and Partnership Programme pages or email learningatwork@port.ac.uk