University of Portsmouth student studying and writing

Professional Studies (Learning at Work) BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons)

Develop transferable skills in your choice of subject on this degree course without leaving your job. Design your own programme of study to help you to achieve your personal and professional goals, as well as your employer's objectives.
 

Key information

Typical offer:

A typical applicant would usually have post-school higher education such as an HNC, or equivalent, or part of a degree course, together with appropriate work experience

See full entry requirements
Study mode and duration
Start date

Course information

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Overview

Do you want to boost your career prospects and improve your performance at work by studying for a degree alongside your current job?

On this Professional Studies Learning at Work course you'll develop transferable skills in your choice of subject. 

A professional studies course is a great option if there isn't a degree course available in the subject you want to study. If what you study is related to art or business, you'll graduate with a BA (Hons) degree. If the subject is science related, you'll graduate with a BSc (Hons) degree.

Our courses are designed for busy people. You can tailor the course to match your aspirations and your employer's objectives, and to negotiate the pace of your studies around your existing commitments. Your work-based projects have flexibility in their submission deadlines, and with no residential requirements you can study wherever is most convenient for you.

The course is work based, so you'll need to be in a full-time, part-time or voluntary role to do it. You'll get to put the skills you learn to work instantly in your job, contributing to the success of your company. When you complete the course, you'll improve your career prospects and have the skills and knowledge to perform more effectively in your job.

On this course, you'll:

  • Design your programme of study to match your personal and professional goals, as well as your employer's objectives
  • Develop your ability to analyse problems, research and propose solutions, and make important decisions
  • Take part in work-based learning (WBL) projects that form that ensure the knowledge you develop is relevant to your employer's business
  • Get an optional 1-day induction in Portsmouth at the start of the course and have the opportunity to study on campus, if it suits you
  • Develop your learning plan with the University and your employer, so you can make an effective contribution to your workplace as you learn
  • Have full access to our student support services and community including study support, sports and recreation facilities, and the Students' Union
  • Tap in to our Library's electronic resources, which you can access from anywhere with a Web connection
  • Choose a Workplace Mentor to support your learning – someone at work who can offer advice, guidance, and moral support
  • Have support from an academic tutor specialising in your area of study and a University learning manager who oversees your programme
  • Use online tutorials and lectures to help you with study skills, including your analytical and writing skills

Course duration

The course duration is based on the number of credits you study, and so can vary per student. Most students study between 1 and 3 years. Although our courses have some flexibility, we still work to a typical academic year with some set deadlines for your work.

You can complete the course more quickly if you have relevant work experience or qualifications that you can put towards your degree, such as a Foundation degree, HNC, HND or relevant on-the-job training. This is known as Recognised Prior Learning (RPL). You can use RPL for up to 240 of the 360 credits you need to accumulate to get your degree.

We recommend you study modules worth 60 credits a year. Typically, a student who enters with the maximum RPL of 240 credits and has only 120 credits to study would take 18–24 months to complete the course.

Term times

Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks:

  • September/October to December/January – teaching block 1
  • January/February to May – teaching block 2

Contact us

Learning at Work team

+44 (0)23 9284 6260

learningatwork@port.ac.uk

Entry requirements

  • A typical applicant would usually have post-school higher education such as an HNC, or equivalent, or part of a degree course, together with appropriate work experience.

You may need to have studied specific subjects – find full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

  • English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications.

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Careers and opportunities

When you finish the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to advance your career with your current employer and boost your long-term career prospects.

Previous students have gone on to work in areas such as:

  • education
  • health
  • the military

You can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

What you'll study

At the start of the course, you'll put together a Learning Contract with the University and your employer that outlines what you'll study.

To get a degree, you need to accumulate 360 credits. You can get these credits in three ways.

How to gain credits

You can get credit for the qualifications you already have, such as a Foundation degree, HNC, HND or international equivalent. You may also get credit for relevant work experience.

This is called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). You can use RPL for up to 240 (two-thirds) of the 360 credits you need to get your degree.

Contact us to find out if you can receive RPL credit for your current qualifications or work experience.

Contact learningatwork@port.ac.uk

Most of your learning will come from work-based learning (WBL) projects. These are projects that are valuable to your employer, which you complete at work.

These projects won't involve activities you do in your day-to-day job, as they need to involve new learning for you. 

You can study campus-based or distance learning modules to expand your knowledge and understanding or to develop new skills in a more structured way.

Please contact Learning at Work to discuss the choice of modules available.

 Contact learningatwork@port.ac.uk

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Supporting you

Types of support

As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK).

ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:

  • academic writing
  • note taking
  • time management
  • critical thinking
  • presentation skills
  • referencing
  • working in groups
  • revision, memory and exam techniques

If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.

To help you juggle this course alongside your work and home life, you'll get extra support from:

  • a Workplace Mentor chosen by you – someone at work who can offer advice, guidance, and moral support
  • an Academic Tutor specialising in your area of study
  • a Learning Manager who oversees your programme

Teaching

How you're taught will depend on which modules you take and the work-based learning projects you do.

Most of the course is delivered via our interactive virtual learning environment. With access to all the study material you’ll need, discussion forums, and the chance to connect with peers and lecturers via chat sessions, you’ll have plenty of academic support and heaps of resources.

Depending on the modules you study and your location, you may also be able to study on campus, experiencing face-to-face teaching methods.

How you're assessed

The way you're assessed will depend on which modules you take and the work-based learning projects you do.

Costs and funding

Tuition fees

Your tuition fee depends on if you have been awarded any Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and how many credits you need to study. To achieve an undergraduate Bachelor's degree you need to accumulate a total of 360 credits. Tuition fees may be subject to annual increase.

Starting in September 2024 / January 2025

  • 120 credits – £6,170
  • 140 credits – £7,190
  • 160 credits – £8,220

  • 180 credits – £9,250
  • 200 credits – £10,280
  • 220 credits – £11,300
  • 240 credits – £12,330

We'll apply an even yearly split to your course fee as listed in the schedule above. If you want us to consider an alternative schedule of payments, please contact us before the course start date.

Until RPL has been confirmed, you'll need to pay the full course fee.

If you're an armed forces student in receipt of funding, e.g. ELCAS, any documentation must show the correct start date and tuition fee. If not, we can't accept it and you'll have to pay the course fee yourself.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Tuition fees estimate

We can give you an estimate of your tuition fees. To contact us:

Funding your studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Additional costs

If you choose to study online modules you may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module. Most texts are available online through the library.

We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.

 

If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

There's a fee before you start the course if we need to assess a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) portfolio. If you're starting in September 2023 or January 2024, the fee is £1,070. If you're starting in September 2024 or January 2025, the fee is £1,125.

Apply

Before you apply for this course, please contact learningatwork@port.ac.uk to discuss the content of your programme of study. Read our information about the application process to find out more.

When you're ready to begin your application, follow the link below:

September 2024 start (BA)   September 2024 start (BSc)

January 2025 start (BA)   January 2025 start (BSc)

Not quite ready to apply? 

Come to an Open Day to explore our course facilities and tour the campus.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.

Information for international students

At Portsmouth, we welcome students from more than 150 countries across the globe. However, please note that this learning at work course is not eligible for a student visa. 

Learn more about our student visas

Recognition of work-based and distance learning courses

Our Learning at Work degrees at levels 6 and 7 are approved by the University under its powers to award degrees. They comply with the Office for Students (OFS) and Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) standards in the United Kingdom.

These qualifications are generally recognised internationally but as with distance learning type courses, each country will have its own regulations and rules on work based and distance learning education. You should check with the qualification recognition authority in the country you reside in or intend to use the degrees to secure employment, that the Learning at Work degrees are recognised by them before you commit to studying with us.

We also strongly recommend you check that your employer recognises the value of our work based/distance learning courses. Some countries, including Singapore, state the 'value of the qualification is subject to the employer'.

We are currently unable to offer our courses to applicants who are nationals of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

If you're not a national citizen but are working or living in these countries, you can enrol onto our Learning at Work courses. You'll need to sign an Applicant Declaration Letter to confirm you understand that the University of Portsmouth won't accept any liability issues you may have with the recognition of your distance learning course, with your government or employer.

If you’re a national or foreign national in India or China, you can enrol onto our Learning at Work courses. You'll need to sign an Applicant Declaration Letter to confirm you understand that the University of Portsmouth won't accept any liability issues you may have with the recognition of your distance learning course, with your government or employer.

We're unable to accept enrolment from nationals or foreign nationals from Oman.