More students opt for two-year degree to keep costs down and get onto the career ladder earlier

BPP University College extends two-year degree programmes to eight regional centres.

In the run up to A level results on 16 August, BPP University College has seen a 97% increase in students applying for its undergraduate degrees, with its two-year programme proving popular again this year.

With higher tuition fees, rising accommodation costs and more competition for university places, students are looking for ways in which to minimise their financial outlay when studying for a degree. Some simply don’t want to spend three years in a classroom; others are keen to get on the career ladder as soon as possible.

BPP University College is one of the education providers that runs two-year degrees in business, law and psychology subjects and today announced that it is extending this programme to its eight city centre locations in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, London, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as at New College in Swindon, Wiltshire. The programme is exactly the same as the three-year degree, but instead of the standard term breaks, these are shorter; for example, in the summer, studies continue throughout August.

Carl Lygo, Chief Executive BPP University College, said:

"The 'one size fits all' approach to university study is long gone, and we have designed all of our programmes to fit different needs and lifestyles. This is not just a case of revamping a three-year degree – we have listened to students stating their preferences – some want to study full-time; others part-time; and some opt for longer or shorter periods. 

"Most like the two-year option because of time and money savings. Others like the idea of learning all the topics quite close together, and many prefer to move quickly onto the next stage of study or career."

"We’ve been able to do this as we have our own degree awarding powers. i.e. we are not affiliated with other universities, and as a non-research based organisation our faculty can focus on flexible timetabling. Our non-campus approach enables us to fully utilise our resources effectively across a number of regional centres."

In July 2010, BPP made headlines when it became the first UK private higher education provider to become a university college since 1976. It has seen an increase in interest for its two-year degree programme since it was first introduced in 2009; and the first ever cohort has just completed with some success stories, including one graduate who has just secured a role at a leading law firm.

The two-year degree is available on the following programmes across eight locations:

Accountancy and Business

• BSc (Hons) Business Studies
• BSc (Hons) Business Studies with Finance
• BSc (Hons) Business Studies with Psychology
• BSc (Hons) Professional Accounting
• BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance – NEW for 2012

Law

• LLB (Hons)
• LLB (Business Law) (Honours)
• LLB (Hons) Law with Psychology

Health

• BSc (Hons) Psychology

BPP’s tuition fees for its two-year degrees are £6k per year (£12k for the whole programme). Students at BPP University College are also eligible for the usual student loans, and the programmes are listed via UCAS.

Find out more about BPP University College on the Complete University Guide.