Herp courses

[BecciBoo]

A first diploma is the equivalent to GCSE or SQA (a level 2 qualification):
You can get any grade a GCSE or SQA to get onto the course and depending on the grades you get can be the equivalent to 3 GCSE grade A.

National Diploma is equivalent to A-Levels (a level 3 qualification):
You need 5 GCSE grade C or above (one in science) to get onto the course and again depending on the grades you get can be the equivalent to 3 A-Levels grade A

City and Guilds:
You can do NVQs from Level 1 - 4 in animal care

there are also various other certificates you can do such as 'petstore management' 'dog grooming' etc

NPTC | QualificationsAnimal Care

and they also do entry level qualifications which are below GCSE level!

These are the only real recognised quialifications at the moment and are all HANDS ON courses. Others such as the online ones and ABC Level 2 and 3 in Animal Care do look good on CV's and such if thats the area you want to go into but at the end of the day the person who has a 'recognised' qualification will get any job over someone who has done an online course.

I advise that if you are planning on going to college after school then you find a college that does animal studies and you start learning about exotics that way.

[miffikins]

What qualification you go for really depends on what you want to do afterwards. A friend of mine did the National Diploma in animal management and then found very few universities would accept him with that qualification, so thats worth baring in mind if you fancy goin to uni. Not everyone dopes tho and if you don't it doesnt matter

I wanted to do a 'hands on' course but in the end I didn't because BSc's get better recognition from employers, such as zoo's, than the practical ones. Or at least thats what I was told when I enquired to a few zoo's before doing my degree, but I guess all employers are different.

A hands on course would be better than an online one as mina said, because they more widely recognised qualifications. But then online/distance learning courses show that you have gone out of your way and spent your money to do it....thats what I'm hoping with the NVQ thing I just spent 300 quid on

You can always get some prospectuses from colleges and have a good look through. Defiantly take the time to find the right course.

[BecciBoo]

Originally Posted by miffikins

What qualification you go for really depends on what you want to do afterwards. A friend of mine did the National Diploma in animal management and then found very few universities would accept him with that qualification, so thats worth baring in mind if you fancy goin to uni. Not everyone dopes tho and if you don't it doesnt matter

The national diploma is now becoming more and more acceptable for getting into Uni...I got in with mine about 7years ago but I had to have straight distinctions but it was hard to convince them....now uni's are adding it into entry requirements, for example to get on the Bsc Animal Behaviour and Welfare course at Chester Uni you can have a BTEC National Diploma with merit, merit, merit (my boyfriend just got accepted ) as they are realising they are just as much work...if not more...than A Levels, and the NDs are more specialised.

[miffikins]

He got distinctions and only a handfull would even look at his qualification. Swansea was one of the better ones that accepts them I think, or thats what he's told me anyhow, we're in our final year now so that was 3 years ago, might be a bit different now

I would have liked to do the ND but having seen how much he has struggled with the straight science (BSc Zoology) I'm glad I did biology and chemistry instead but it definatly depends on the course you take

[skimsa]

the level 4 animal care and management can you go and do this straight away or do you need to do levels 1-3? I take it the higher levels the better

[BecciBoo]

Originally Posted by skimsa

the level 4 animal care and management can you go and do this straight away or do you need to do levels 1-3? I take it the higher levels the better

Depending on GCSE/A levels - you need a level 3 qualification first so either A-levels or an National Diploma

[BecciBoo]

Originally Posted by miffikins

He got distinctions and only a handfull would even look at his qualification. Swansea was one of the better ones that accepts them I think, or thats what he's told me anyhow, we're in our final year now so that was 3 years ago, might be a bit different now

I would have liked to do the ND but having seen how much he has struggled with the straight science (BSc Zoology) I'm glad I did biology and chemistry instead but it definatly depends on the course you take

Things are a bit different now because its becoming more recognised and alot of the modules have changed/been rewritten.

I did zoology and I know about the struggling with the science...even tho i did the 'science' based animal care (with principles of animal science, biochemistry and microbiology etc) I still found the pure science stuff really hard! On an ND you get very little time, if any, actually in a lab! An ND is better if you do a degree in Animal Management or behaviour etc I think but you need some science knowlege if you are to do Zoology!

[skimsa]

where can i find all this stuff out?

[BecciBoo]

About the different courses? You need to contact a college that do them, there are quite a few now places like Reaseheath, Bishop Burton, Myerscough, Park Lane college! I know there are alot more but can't think of the top of my head! They can give you all the info you need.

But if you want to know anything now then you can just ask and I'll try to answer, I workrd for Myerscough for 3 years and did hundreds of carreers events! lol

[skimsa]

i'd lke to do this level 4 animal management and care course if it gets you into uni (i understand not all and its not a gurentee etc). I have 12 gcse's grade c+ and 2 a's in science. I have some as levels as well i think but never claimed them cause i ran away to africa long story lol.

Could i do level 4 straight away or would i have to do 3 then 4