Listing Awarding Bodies
Postgrad.ie lists all of the awarding bodies in Ireland, the UK and abroad. Most major postgraduate awards are made by bodies with statutory powers, but there are also many professional organisations that make their own awards in relation to postgraduate study. While courses and educational programmes in Ireland lead to qualifications from Irish awarding bodies, it sometimes be the case that courses lead to non-Irish awards, for example awards from international bodies, or national awards from other countries.
Certain Irish institutions are both providers of courses and programmes and also awarding bodies for postgraduate certification in their own right: these are the Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).
An award is an academic qualification (degree, diploma or certificate) conferred in recognition of the successful completion of a higher education programme of study, either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and issued by a designated awarding body. The National Framework of Qualifications sets out the criteria for major and non-major awards. Non-major awards include, minor awards, special purpose awards
and supplemental awards.
Major awards are the principal class of awards made at a given NFQ level and reflect a significant volume of learning, e.g. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ, Level 8), Master Degree (NFQ, Level 9), Doctorate Degree (NFQ Level 10).
In Ireland, following the changes in the qualifications system as a result recent legislation, the number of statutory bodies has been reduced as the new awards councils FETAC and HETAC have assumed the the awarding functions previously fulfilled by several other Irish organisations such as the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA), Solas, Teagasc, the National Tourism Certification Board (CERT) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
Postgrad.ie lists all of the awarding bodies giving postgraduate certification in Ireland and the UK below.
NCFE is a UK national awarding organisation. They design, develop and certify diverse, nationally recognised qualifications and awards.
Recognitions
NCFE is a registered educational charity. Their product catalogue includes a wide range of general and vocationally related QCF qualifications in a variety of subject areas. In addition, they offer as well as Competence Based qualifications/NVQs, and Functional Skills qualifications.
The qualification regulators for England, Wales and Northern Ireland recognise them as an awarding organisation. The regulators include:
- The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England
- The Welsh Government in Wales
- The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland
Qualifications
NCFE offer over 500 UK accredited qualifications. These range from Entry Level up to and including Level 4 as well as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ), Functional Skills, Apprenticeships and Traineeships.
Partners
The organisation works collaboratively with a number of training providers. This is in order to offer flexible and innovative solutions in the changing environment of training and education. Their partners include:
- Vision2learn
- Learning Curve Group
- NCC Resources
- Oxford University Press
- The Pacific Institute
- The Skills Network
- Working Knowledge
- Hallmark Education
- Reed NCFE
