Foundation degree in the context of Department for Education and Employment

An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. Academic degrees are commonly structured in levels, most often categorized as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

The most common undergraduate qualification is the bachelor's degree, although some educational systems also offer lower-level degrees such as the associate degree or the foundation degree. Postgraduate degrees include the engineer's degree, the master's degree, and the doctorate.

Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It may be at any level in compulsory secondary education, from entry to higher level qualifications such as awards, certificates, diplomas and other vocational, competency-based qualifications (including those previously known as NVQ/SVQs) through awarding organisations including City and Guilds, Edexcel (BTEC) and OCR. FE colleges may also offer HE qualifications such as HNC, HND, foundation degree or PGCE. The colleges are also a large service provider for apprenticeships where most of the training takes place at the apprentices' workplace, supplemented with day release into college.

FE in the United Kingdom is usually a means to attain an intermediate, advanced or follow-up qualification necessary to progress into HE, or to begin a specific career path outside of university education. Further Education is offered to students aged over 16 at colleges of Further Education, through work-based learning, or adult and community learning institutions.

An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education. Academic degrees are commonly structured in levels, most often categorized as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

The most common undergraduate qualification is the bachelor's degree, although some educational systems also offer lower-level degrees such as the associate degree or the foundation degree. Postgraduate degrees include the engineer's degree, the master's degree, and the doctorate.