ACS Distance Education UK
ACS offers over 600 distance learning courses or modules (usually around 100 hours in duration). These modules can be taken as stand alone courses, or they can be combined to create a formal qualification that meets your own very specific needs or interests.
A proficiency award is a specialist qualification, for people who already have a “foundation” knowledge of a subject, but who wish to undertake limited specialist study in that field. This award allows you to attain a formal qualification without needing to make as much of a commitment as a full certificate.
3 exams, satisfactory completion of all assignments, documentary proof of work experience or industry meetings
This qualification is not accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council, though its modules can be used as credits toward higher, accredited qualifications.
This would be generally considered equal to or higher than a trade level qualification.
6 exams, satisfactory completion of all assignments
This award is accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.
This would normally be considered equal to, or higher than a supervisory qualification.
This qualification is accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.
This would normally be considered appropriate training for lower levels of management or technician training.
This would normally be considered a management or professional qualification.
This may in some situations be considered similar to a foundation or associate Degree.
Standard Modules (100 hrs duration) have assignments (normally one per lesson), and one exam on completion of all assignment. All assignments, plus the exam must be satisfactorily completed, in order to gain a module credit (or pass). Special circumstances including overall interaction with tutors throughout the course are always taken into account for borderline cases. People who fail are given opportunity to reapply and sit a supplementary exam. Exam fees are additional to course fees.
Project and Research Work: Non Standard Modules such as Research Projects, Workplace Projects, Workshops and Industry meetings do not have an exam, but adequate and academically sound proof of completion of required work must be produced in order to achieve a pass in such modules
Non Standard Certificates Courses: A few courses have different requirements; for example a Certificate in Garden Design involves a set 30 lessons, rather than 6 modules. This certificate has only 4 exams for the entire certificate rather than the usual six.
EXAMS
Exams are compuslory for Proficiency Awards, Certificates and above. Student enrolling in single modules may elect to sit an exam or not. To read more about exams please view our exam information page under enrolment.
Exam Fees: please see fee schedule for exam fees.
Almost any short course of 100 hrs duration, offered by ACS, can be included in any of the above qualifications. Exceptions are courses designated specifically as “hobby courses”, or as not being relevant to a commercial situation. These include:
To meet this requirement, the student must attend meetings such as conferences, seminars, trade shows, exhibitions, study tours, committee meetings, or any other industry events which might be considered as contributing toward their awareness and education of industry. Proof must be shown of attendance. This may be in the form of references or letters from the organisers of the event, by supplying a written report and photographs, or by any other reasonable method.
This must be shown to be both relevant to the qualification, and a valuable learning experience. Work that is menial or unchallenging may not be approved. A reference from an employer, client or colleague must be supplied, describing both the nature and duration of the work.
Research Projects I, II and III are generic 100 hour modules. Each module involves some formal studies to learn about research methods and techniques, followed by conducting some real research into a subject relevant to the discipline being studied.
Your selection of modules must satisfy the following broad criteria:
ACS has a program whereby students can apply for credit towards our qualifications based upon previous studies or relevant experience. Credit may be granted on the basis of:
Enrol in the same way that you would enrol for any other course, writing "Design Your Own..." where you are asked what you are enrolling in. Attach an explanatory letter to your enrolment form (or email us a letter as soon as you send the enrolment form). The letter should list the combination of modules, which you seek approval to study.
Your combination needs to be approved by a tutor, before the enrolment is accepted. If one or more subjects are not acceptable, the tutor will suggest other options.
If you are applying for exemptions based on prior work experience and/or study, then you will need to request an application for Recognition of Prior Learning from the School. This RPL form will need to be processed before your course program is approved. The enrolment will not be processed until you consider and accept any proposed options.
