- Level
- 3-Year Advance Diploma / Accelerated Programs
- Duration
- 2 year higher national diploma
- Open intake
-
Off-shoreSep 2027
- Field
- Fine and Performing Arts
- Institution
- Public University
- Offer speed
- Superfast Offer Speed2–3 days
Program overview
A two year higher national diploma in jewellery making, covering silversmithing, casting and fabrication, stone setting, design development and workshop technique.
This is the only higher national diploma in the BCU catalogue, and it accepts 50 percent rather than the 60 percent the bachelor degrees ask.
Higher National Diploma in Jewellery and Silversmithing is taught at the Birmingham City University, a UK university with degree awarding powers. Because the jewellery HND is a degree, it supports an application under the UK Graduate Route, which gives two years of unsponsored work in Britain after the jewellery HND ends, or three years for a doctorate. To claim it after the jewellery HND you must be inside the UK on a valid student visa when you apply. One limit applies to the jewellery HND as to every taught course in Britain: the rules introduced in January 2024 stop taught students bringing a spouse or children as dependants, so the jewellery HND cannot support a family move.
Candidates for Higher National Diploma in Jewellery and Silversmithing present Class 12 or equivalent at 50 percent. The English requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5, and tuition for the jewellery HND is recorded at GBP 18,970 a year. BCU charges no application fee, so applying for the jewellery HND costs you nothing, and no scholarship is recorded against it. the jewellery HND lists three September entry windows, in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Apply Study Visa manages the the jewellery HND application, the deposit, the offer, the CAS and the UK student visa as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: Class 12 or equivalent at the percentage stated for this course.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5; TOEFL iBT 72 with reading 18, writing 17, speaking 20 and listening 17; or PTE Academic 59 with no component below 59. BCU does NOT accept the Duolingo English Test on any course.
- Application and deposit: BCU charges NO application fee, so applying costs you nothing. Confirm the tuition deposit and its refundability in writing before any money is transferred.
- Scholarship: No scholarship is recorded against this course. Budget the full tuition.
- Additional requirement: This is a higher national diploma rather than a bachelor degree. Confirm the top-up route to an honours degree and the visa implications of the shorter credential before applying.
- Graduate Route: the jewellery HND is a degree, so it supports a UK Graduate Route application giving two years of unsponsored work after you finish. You must apply from inside the UK on a valid student visa. Students on taught courses cannot bring a spouse or children as dependants under the January 2024 rules.
- Student visa: Apply Study Visa prepares the CAS request, the financial evidence and the UK student visa submission with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Jewellery Maker: workshops and independent practice
- Silversmith: craft and commissioned work
- Bench Technician: production settings
- Workshop Assistant: jewellery manufacturers
- Independent Maker: self employment route
- Further Study: topping up to a bachelor degree
Reality check: an HND is a shorter credential than a degree, so confirm the top-up route to an honours degree if you want the full qualification and its Graduate Route position.
About Birmingham City University (BCU)
- Type
- University
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.7
- World rank
- #1189
- Established
- 1843
- Reference No.
- 10007140
