Askham Bryan College receives Foundation Degree Awarding Powers

The only land based college nationally with status

Askham Bryan College is honoured to have received the award of Foundation Degree Awarding Powers (FDAP) following a comprehensive review and rigorous scrutiny by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. This prestigious development will allow the college to create and tailor programmes and autonomously award its own named degrees up to, and including, Level 5 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for students studying with the college’s University Centre Askham Bryan (UCAB), the college’s higher education arm. The college’s first cohort on its newly developed degree programmes will start in September 2022.

Tim Whitaker, CEO and Principal at Askham Bryan College says, “The award of FDAP is a welcome and much-anticipated milestone for the college. This will enable us to broaden our provision in specialist subjects as our Higher Education team has taken careful consideration into understanding the land-based industry to develop relevant degree programmes. As the only land based college with FDAP, we are committed to delivering the tailored degrees that will readily prepare our students for careers in rapidly evolving industries vital for local, national and global supply and economic growth.”

Askham Bryan College is one of nine colleges (with over 180 Further Education providers in the UK) and the only land-based college nationally, that has degree awarding powers, strengthening Askham Bryan’s reputation as a high-quality provider of higher professional and technical education. The college is one of the largest further education providers in land based specialist study. UCAB offers degree-level programmes in agriculture, animal management, equine and veterinary nursing.

Deirdre Rooney, Dean of Higher Education, University Centre Askham Bryan says, “The Higher Education Team is thrilled to receive FDAP and we are looking forward to the opportunities it will create at Askham Bryan College. Receiving FDAP firmly acknowledges our position in land-based provision regionally and nationally. Our established engagement with industry partners can now really drive forward some exciting curriculum and partnership developments so we can teach and develop a workforce that will help these businesses grow, lead and prosper.”

Casey Woodward, Founder and Chief Executive of AgriSound, leads a business that focuses on pollination science and has worked closely with the college on its agriculture and animal science programmes. He says, “Finding people prepared to work in the agricultural sector who are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed has been a challenge for a long time. Askham Bryan College has developed a modern, forward-looking curriculum and works with industry to ensure that graduates have the right skills to excel in land-based careers. I am delighted to hear that the college has been awarded Foundation Degree Awarding Powers to help deliver the next generation of agriculturalists.”

The granting of FDAP, which takes effect from 1 February 2022, precedes the college’s imminent launch of its £1.4 million Institute of Technology facility which will tie directly into one of the college’s inaugural validated foundation degrees, Foundation Degree in Science (FdSc) Precision Livestock Farming. Further development to the college’s foundation degrees will be created in line with the college’s future developments and investments and informed by, and tailored towards, industry demand. The college has had full support from its three current validating universities (Harpers Adams University, The Royal Agricultural University and Leeds Trinity University) and plans to continue to partner with the universities for its Bachelor degrees and Masters degrees.