What is a diploma?

When people talk about a ‘diploma’, they usually mean an undergraduate level 5 diploma, not to be confused with the more advanced postgraduate level 7 diploma (for more information about what educational levels mean and where you stand, see this post).

An undergraduate diploma gives graduates the tools they need to understand their subject, progress in their careers, and prepare for management-level positions within their organisations.

Advance in Your Career

In the EU, individuals with a level 5 qualification or greater made 70% more on average than individuals with a level 1 or 2 qualification! (EU Income Survey, 2020*)

In fact, many of our Diploma students start studying because they seek more professional responsibility, a leadership position or to start a new journey in their preferred industry.

Furthering your education does not only give you the technical skills required for progression to higher professional levels; it is also a great way to show your organisation that you are a committed team member.

Find out more about how education can change your career here.

Advance Your Education

With the Diplomas offered by Elephant & Cross partners, students have the credits to enter final year of a University Bachelor’s degree.

That means a Diploma graduate can top up their qualification into a full Degree (level 6) at a University with just one additional year. The top-up year can either be done online or on campus.

Examples of progression/pathway Universities with top-up programmes include the University of Derby (UoD), University of Lincoln (UoL), University of Portsmouth (UoP) and the University of Sunderland.

Entry Requirements

A diploma usually requires a level 3 qualification for entry; however, this is sometimes waived as entry decisions are taken on a student-by-student basis.

Both life and work experience are taken into account when deciding whether a student is a good fit for a Diploma programme.

An Elephant & Cross course advisor will personally advise you on next steps, help you find a course that fits your needs and process your application from start to finish.

Check out all the Diplomas offered by Elephant & Cross partners here.

*Source: EU-SILC, Mean and median income by educational attainment level, EUROSTAT (2020).