Higher National Diploma

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A Higher National Diploma (HND) is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.

The HND is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority in Scotland. The attainment level is one above that of a Higher National Certificate (HNC) and one below that of a bachelor's degree. Studied fulltime, the qualification normally takes two years.

It is usual for HNDs to cover roughly the same area as the first two levels of a comparable first degree. In Scotland, this is confirmed by their place in the SCQF- the Scottish Credit and Qualfications Framework.It is quite common for those who have achieved a HND to add to their qualification by progressing to other levels such as professional qualifications, or a degree.