What it's like to study with us
Our qualifications are normally delivered in the evening, after work hours, through live, interactive online sessions. These are delivered by experienced, dedicated tutors who teach the latest curriculum, while learners are also supported by our programme support teams.
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Our teaching is enhanced by our online learning platform which provides easy access to programme materials and supporting information. As well as this, we also invite guest lecturers with real world current experience to present on specialist subjects .
We have made significant investment into our infrastructure, to make sure we can deliver our programmes across 12 months of the year, reducing the time it can take to complete a qualification. We aim to enrol new learners throughout the year, with little to no delay in getting started.
We are committed to supporting talented professionals already working in the construction industry to improve their opportunities for career progression and recognition via qualification.
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Our undergraduate programmes are validated by Richmond American University London (RAUL). This means that while we are responsible for creating and delivering our qualifications, RAUL has overall oversight of the standards we set. Learners who successfully complete their studies with us will receive a UK award from RAUL.
Delivery and Time
Commitment
This is dependent on your current qualification. If you would like to complete a BSc Hons Construction & the Built Environment you will needed to have completed as a minimum a level 3 qualification and we expect the overall BSc Hons degree to take 3 years. This is because the BSc Hons degree is structured as a Level 4 CertHE (Certificate of Higher Education) in the first year, a Level 5 DipHE (Diploma of Higher Education) in year two and then Level 6 BSc Hons degree awarded on completion of year 3. If you have the equivalent qualification that we recognise at Francis James then you will be able to access the relevant qualification at the next relevant level.
We deliver interactive, live online sessions every 2 weeks generally between 6pm and 8pm GMT. Each course is supported by Francis James workbooks, assignment
workshops which are sessions to equip our learners with the understanding and methodology to write a successful assignment all with dedicated support by tutors.
You will be given your own account to our online platform, where you will be able to upload your assignments, receive feedback, message for any support that you need
and view your overall progress.
Programme Overview
Enrolment
For our learners, getting started is very quick, with a short application form followed by an interview. Once payment has been organised you will be invited to an induction session which will be followed by your schedule of delivery sessions.
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Induction
Our induction is delivered live in the evening to all new learners. This is an important step in starting your qualification with us. The session has been designed to welcome you to our team, to set the scene to what you should expect from us, when and what is expected from you.
We share detail about how to use our systems, check that all usernames and passwords have been received along with your schedules, set out what is expected within an assignment, how to conduct plagiarism checks and more. At the end of the session you will be fully prepared for your first delivery session.
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Delivery
All delivery is via an online meeting link. Your tutor will introduce themselves and explain what will happen in the session. You will be introduced to a number of different tutors over the time you are on your programme. There are several reasons for this, however the main reason is that we aim to provide the most experienced tutor for the course you are currently studying. We also have a number of associate lecturers, who are experts in their field and generally work in the industry, so will be up to date in their knowledge and able to relate theory back to the real work environment.
Courses
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​At levels 4 and 5, you will study 8 courses worth 15 credits each. At level 6, you will study 7 courses - one 30-credit course and six 15-credit courses.
Each course that you study with us as part of the programme of study will follow a similar pattern and will be detailed within your personal schedule. You will receive a delivery session supported by workbooks and be issued with an assignment brief with detailed instructions as to what is expected within the course assignment. There will be a deadline to when the assignment has to be completed.
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Assignments
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Assignments will vary in the length and their requirement. They are designed so that you can demonstrate that you have learnt the knowledge needed within the course you are studying. They are generally requested in a Word / Google doc format and once produced, you will need to reference your material and then upload to the online platform.
You will be issued with an assignment brief which will give detailed instruction to the content needed to complete and you will have a deadline to submit the assignment.
Your tutor will give you the best advice on how to write an assignment and can even review your assignment prior to submission to set you up for success. Your course
will also include dedicated workshops designed to give you the knowledge needed to write your submission.
Marking
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We operate with a standalone experienced marking team, this allows our tutors to concentrate on delivering learning only. Your assignment will be allocated as soon as possible and the marker will then assess and complete a feedback sheet for your review confirming the grading for your work. If you are unsuccessful at passing the assignment first time, you will be given a further opportunity to submit again.
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Support
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The key to our success is the support we provide to set our learners up for success.
Our tutors are a dedicated team of professionals who are accessible to you via direct dials and emails.
In addition to our tutors we also operate a central, office based coordination team who are there to support you with any questions or help that you require. We are committed to providing learner excellence and any contact request to our offices will be dealt with in a timely manner.