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What are Diploma Courses?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Diploma courses are educational courses that end with the granting of a diploma instead of a degree or certificate. This type of diploma is not always intended for a high school credential, however. These courses are often offered to individuals who have already earned high school diplomas or their equivalent and are hoping to continue their education without earning a degree. A diploma from a diploma course is often meant to demonstrate that a person has completed a particular educational course or training program. In some cases, it may also be used to show that the holder has mastered a particular skill.

There are many types of educational institutions that offer diploma courses. A person may enroll in a program that leads to a diploma at a community college or four-year university. Many vocational schools offer diploma programs as well. In fact, there are even some hospitals and other medical facilities that offer diploma courses. As with other education and training options, diploma courses are often offered in a traditional classroom setting, but they may be offered online as well.

A person who wants to pursue a career in fashion design may take a course that ends with a diploma, rather than a degree.
A person who wants to pursue a career in fashion design may take a course that ends with a diploma, rather than a degree.

Some diploma courses are intended for individuals who did not graduate from high school. For example, an adult who dropped out years ago may decide to enroll in a diploma course in order to earn a high school diploma. Sometimes these courses end with the granting of a general educational development (GED) diploma instead. In some places, these courses are even open to people who have passed the age of compulsory education but are not yet adults. They may provide an alternative for a teen who has dropped out of high school and wants to earn a diploma through a non-traditional program.

There are many types of educational institutions that offer diploma courses.
There are many types of educational institutions that offer diploma courses.

More often than not, a diploma program is completed by an individual who wants to prepare for a career, but doesn’t want to spend a long period of time in school and earning a degree. For example, a person who wants to get started in bookkeeping may take a bookkeeping diploma course, and an individual who wants to learn about fashion design may seek out a course that ends with a diploma rather than a degree. Additionally, there are some diploma programs that are intended to provide additional education and training to individuals who have already earned degrees. For example, a post-graduate business management diploma course may help a person who already holds a degree to improve his business management skills.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a PracticalAdultInsights writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

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Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a PracticalAdultInsights writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

browncoat

@Fa5t3r - That doesn't mean they aren't worth doing for some people. My sister never managed to finish high school, but she's doing a correspondence diploma course now to get her GED and she's got a lot more confidence from it.

She works long hours, so she wouldn't be able to do a course that required her to go into classes, but I don't think she'd know where to start if she was trying to just research all that stuff by herself.

There's no shame in doing a diploma course online, and it can be very helpful if you pick the right one.

Fa5t3r

@MrsPramm - It's not just the reputation you need to look at. There's no point in going into more schooling to learn something you can learn in an entry level position (which is likely all a diploma is going to get you).

I would look very carefully at any education opportunity and ask myself if there is anything it can provide that I can't learn at my local library? That's not just a rhetorical question, because in some cases there are things that you just can't learn from books. You need skilled tutors.

I somehow don't think you're going to get much of that hands on help from distance diploma courses though.

MrsPramm

You really have to be careful when selecting a diploma course. Most people, including employers, realize that the term "diploma" can refer to anything from a two day course to a four year course and can have a lot or very little significance.

I would actually call up whoever you are hoping to impress with your diploma (if you're going for a diploma in catering, for example, I would call up any potential employers, or other caterers) to ask for their opinion of that particular course. I would also ask around online in forums and things as much as possible.

I've heard too many stories of people handing over a lot of money, or even going into debt for a course, particularly online diploma courses, to get a diploma that wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

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    • A person who wants to pursue a career in fashion design may take a course that ends with a diploma, rather than a degree.
      By: melihturhanlar
      A person who wants to pursue a career in fashion design may take a course that ends with a diploma, rather than a degree.
    • There are many types of educational institutions that offer diploma courses.
      By: zimmytws
      There are many types of educational institutions that offer diploma courses.
    • There are some diploma programs that provide additional education and training to individuals who have already earned degrees.
      By: michaeljung
      There are some diploma programs that provide additional education and training to individuals who have already earned degrees.
    • More often than not, a diploma program is completed by an individual who wants to prepare for a career, but doesn't want to spend a long time in school preparing for a degree.
      By: Lisa F. Young
      More often than not, a diploma program is completed by an individual who wants to prepare for a career, but doesn't want to spend a long time in school preparing for a degree.
    • Online courses can often be accomplished around someone's existing work schedule.
      By: elnariz
      Online courses can often be accomplished around someone's existing work schedule.