Gemmology and Jewellery Studies with a Foundation Year
Entry requirements
A level
A maximum of 4 subjects are considered. These can be other A/S Levels (as long in a different subject) A-Levels or Level 3 equivalents.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications (AS Levels must be in different subject to A-Levels) to obtain 80 pts
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at Level 3. Arts, Media and Science subjects preferred but other subjects also considered.
Must be in a topic related to the degree subject being applied for Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or above or English B - Grade 5 from the IB Diploma will be accepted For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above Standard Level Maths, grade 5 or above from the IB Diploma will be accepted
Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 80 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. This must include English Language and Maths taken at either Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4 (or A-C/A1-C3)) or Higher level minimum grade H1/H7 (or A-D / A1-D3 up to and including 2016
See level 3 entry under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades DDD. Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers).
Achieve a minimum of 80 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades DDD. Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken you must achieve (grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of DD in two Highers).
T Level
Pass (C and above)
in Science
UCAS Tariff
Contextualised reduced tariff offer: Please visit: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/offer-making-strategy for more information about contextual offers.
Considered with a maximum of 3 other Level 3 qualifications to obtain 80 pts
About this course
This four year undergraduate course has been specifically created to allow students who do not initially meet the entry requirements for a three year degree, to undertake additional level 3 study designed to ensure they are successful on their chosen degree.
After successful completion of your foundation year, you will have the opportunity to switch (should you wish to change direction) onto a number of related undergraduate degree courses within the School of Jewellery.
Our BSc Gemmology and Jewellery Studies degree is one of the only courses of its kind in the world. This gemmology course will enable you to gain the highest level of professionally-recognised gemmological skills.
Based in the heart of Birmingham’s thriving Jewellery Quarter, you’ll benefit from unrivalled expertise and facilities as you explore precious gems and all relevant aspects of the jewellery trade.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Vittoria Street
Birmingham School of Jewellery
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Minerals technology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Crystallography
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Applied geology
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After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Minerals technology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Minerals technology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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