How does CATS work?
As a CATS student you have access to most of the undergraduate and postgraduate subject areas of the University, and you may combine modules from different subject areas to develop your programme.
For each module you complete (If you choose to complete the assessment - this is not a requirement to study) you will be awarded credit points. Each module can count for a specific number of credits if you pass.
Modules can either last one academic year (double module) or one semester (single module). Each single module is worth 15 credit points and a double module is worth 30 credit points.
Credit points
If you want to gain a qualification then you can build up to it by accumulating credit points. However, an award is not just the accumulation of credit points.
Generally speaking, the higher the qualification, the more credits you will require.
For example at undergraduate levels:
- 120 credits for a Certificate of Higher Education
- 240 credits for a Diploma of Higher Education
- 360 credits for an Honours Degree
Credits continue up to Postgraduate level.
Part-time and full-time
If you are studying part-time under CATS you are able to study up to a maximum of five modules i.e. 75 credits per academic year. You are a full-time student if you study six to eight modules i.e. 90 to 120 credits per academic year.
Part-time students study alongside full-time students and have equal access to the full range of facilities and support mechanisms at the University.
You may decide to stop at staged points, such as a Certificate of Higher Education, or continue towards an Honours Degree or study for a Postgraduate qualification.
The time it will take you to achieve these awards will be dependent on your mode of study (i.e. full- time or part-time) and the amount of modules you take each year.
How to apply
You can apply now for any full-time or part-time degree or postgraduate course via our website.
More information
For more detailed information about our programmes and course modules, contact the Admissions Team
tel +44 (0) 1707 284800
fax +44 (0) 1707 284870
ask@herts.ac.uk
Read more about the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CATS) Programme: