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What is a degree apprenticeship?
Offered by universities in partnership with employers and professional bodies, degree apprenticeships give students the chance to both work and study part-time at university. Studying a degree apprenticeship, you will spend a mix of your time with your employer and at university.
Degree apprenticeships give students the chance to still achieve either a full bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. However, you're also afforded the chance to gain practical work experience and knowledge throughout your studies.
What types of degree apprenticeships are there?
The following are common degree apprenticeships you can study:
- Accounting
- Business
- Chartered manager
- Civil engineering
- Engineering
- Finance
- HSBC
- Law
- Midwifery
- Nursing
- Paramedic
- Police
How do I apply for a degree apprenticeship?
To apply for any degree apprenticeships, you will need to do so through a job recruiter such as the UK government's Find An Apprenticeship website. Although to be accepted onto a degree apprenticeship you have to meet the standards of both the employer and the university, it ultimately comes down to the employer, as it's their responsibility to hire you.
Can I complete an application through UCAS?
Applications for any degree apprenticeships are not done through UCAS, but rather through the employer with whom you will work for, should you be accepted.
However, UCAS does have a Career Finder tool that allows those students considering a degree apprenticeship to see what courses are available.
How long does a degree apprenticeship take?
A degree apprenticeship typically takes anywhere between three to six years to complete, depending on the course and the level at which you wish to study. If you choose to do a bachelor’s degree as part of your degree apprenticeship, this won't take as long as it would if you chose to do a master’s.
Are degree apprenticeships part-time?
Degree apprenticeships themselves are not part-time. You undertake a degree apprenticeship full-time, however you will only study part-time and work part-time – all of which will amount to a full-time workload.
Is part-time study as valuable as full-time?
Doing part-time study in a degree apprenticeship will be just as valuable as studying full-time, given your studies will be supplemented by real-world experience in the industry. Earning a degree apprenticeship is seen as an equivalent to having studied a full-time degree.
Is a degree apprenticeship better than a degree?
The degree you earn at the end of a degree apprenticeship, if you choose to do a bachelor’s, is valued at the same standard and seen as equivalent to a full-time undergraduate degree. This is also the case if you choose to do a master’s, being equivalent to a full-time postgraduate degree.
However, the bonuses of a degree apprenticeship are that you will not only gain experience within your industry that those studying a full-time degree won’t have, but you will be paid a wage throughout your course and won’t have to pay student fees.
In a January 2021 study commissioned by The 5% Club and the Open University, 600 businesses were asked about apprenticeships and their value. The study found that 70% of businesses thought apprenticeship learning was important for their own business' Covid recovery. 50% of those who don't currently hire apprentices said they now plan to.
Does it differ from sandwich years/placement years?
Degree apprenticeships do differ from both sandwich years and placement years. With a degree apprenticeship, you are employed the whole time rather than for just a year. Given you work with your employer for anywhere from three to six years, degree apprenticeship students are more likely to be retained by that employer once they graduate. Also, a degree apprenticeship entails multiple years of work experience, this can be looked on more favourably by other employers too.
Will I still get the full uni experience if I do a degree apprenticeship?
Your university experience will differ from a full-time degree student, but that doesn’t mean your experience will be any less.
As you are only studying part-time, you will be on-campus less and be spending less time in class. While you are working, you may miss certain university events too. However, not all events will fall during the time that you are working.
It is also worth noting that although you will still make friends at university, you may find you have less time to hang out with them during the week, given you will be working and developing friendships with those you work with.
What responsibility does my employer have?
You are largely the responsibility of your employer, thus they hold the same responsibilities as if you were working full-time. Your employer will provide the HR, management, mentoring and career development support you need. The employer will also largely dictate whether you study on certain days only or in blocks of time, while helping to design how the degree apprenticeship will be carried out.
Employers, along with the government, help to co-fund your degree apprenticeship, meaning that you don’t have to worry about student fees or a student loan.
Can I request a degree apprenticeship through my employer?
If you are already employed and wish to undertake a degree apprenticeship, you should certainly ask your employer whether you can do one with them. This will depend on their capacity to do so, along with whether they have a relationship with a university.
What 2024 degree apprenticeships options are there?
There are countless degree apprenticeships that you can apply for, whether it be in business, engineering, finance, health, IT, the police, and so many more.
You can see the variety of 2024 degree apprenticeships still on offer by visiting the government’s Find An Apprenticeship website.
As for whether you should do a degree apprenticeship or not, the decision is all yours. Ensure you thoroughly understand what is involved before applying. It may help if you construct a pros and cons list for why you should or shouldn’t do one.
Doing a degree apprenticeship will require you to be self-disciplined, incredibly motivated and adaptable to the different ways of learning. Ensuring the employer, the university and the course are the right fit are all paramount. If you can safely tick all of these boxes, then you have an exciting journey ahead.
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