The first 2 weeks of the course are an intensive crash course in study skills to enable students to study at the higher level required for a degree qualification and research methods aimed at equipping them with an academic tool kit; for the main programme students are required to attend College for formal lectures, plus additional work in their own time on coursework, reading and assignments; in addition, students can gain extra qualifications, e.g. advanced food hygiene or BIIAB national certificate for personal licenseholders; for those already working within the hospitality industry the College offers alternative modes of study e.g. this course can be studied by block release, where students are expected to attend a 5 2-day blocks throughout the year; students can also study through the option of day release, where they are expected to attend 1 day per week.