HNC Programmes

The current range of HNCs (Higher National Certificate) engineering titles is:

• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Multidisciplinary Engineering
• Chemical Process Engineering
• Instrumentation

A full listing of each HNC course's contents and individual modules is available. Why not download a HNC in Engineering information pack

SQA Module descriptors for many of the above HN modules.

HNC Frameworks

Group Awards
A minimum achievement of 12 unit credits is a fundamental requirement of these particular SQA HNCs. As well as that primary requirement, there are other framework restrictions, which must be met in order to satisfy the criteria for particular group awards.

The SQA awards offered by A-1 Technical Training fall into two different styles, namely:

Expanded Option Awards
Fixed Framework Awards

Expanded Option Awards

HNC - Electrical Engineering
HNC - Electronics
HNC - Mechanical Engineering
HNC - Multidisciplinary Engineering

With respect to the four engineering HNC’s listed above, the requirements for group award are:

(1) A minimum of 5 core credits.
(2) A minimum of 5 credits from the relevant Principles and Technology section.
(3) A further 2 HN unit credits.

The requirement for item (3) can be selected in any combination from the listed option units of the award, the Principles & Technology sections of the four engineering HNCs or from the process HNC “Instrumentation” (excluding the units “Industrial Studies 1” and “Industrial Studies 2”).

Fixed Framework Awards

HNC - Chemical Process Engineering
HNC – Instrumentation

The awards listed above have fixed frameworks, in that all selections must be made from the units listed for each particular award in accordance with the criteria stated in the “Group
Award Routes”. Selections from other group awards cannot be taken as part of these HNC’s.
Extra Units

As already stated the minimum requirement for an HNC is 12 unit credits. Further units may be taken if desired and will be listed with all other achievements on an individual “Record of Education and Training” (RET). A candidate’s individual RET will be updated each time further credit achievement is attained.

Single Unit Study

Higher National units contained within the HNC programmes can be studied individually or in groupings that do not constitute a recognised group award. Recognition of achievements for this form of study is via the RET. As previously mentioned the RET is a certificate which can build up a record of individual achievements on a single document. A new updated RET certificate being issued each time further success has been gained.

Engineering Project

It is envisaged that the engineering project (worth 2 credits), in the majority of cases, will be industrial based. This is an area where a company supporting a student can hope to recover most or all of its costs in a useful beneficial exercise.