Do you only offer your courses online?
No. HGA Academy specialises in an integrated training i.e both face to face and online education. Our face to face courses are crafted for the purpose to impart industry knowledge, business know-how and strategies to our students and apprentices in wedding and event planning. They are taught personally by Hannah and her pool of veteran trainers in the region. Students are equipped to kick start their business effectively, with creative selling skills, event business and management skills, and apprenticeship programmes. You can find out more about our face to face schedule in our masterclass webpage and the HGA video page.
For our student certification path, we also offer online training which we call the Virtual Campus. This is created so that our students can continue to learn and grow their learnings in the events and wedding faculty and further deepen their knowledge, It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, or what time of day you prefer to study, when you study with the Academy of Wedding and Event Planning.This is accessed by a username and password. One of the benefits of this is that you have access to your course 24/7, which means you can set your own study schedule and learn at your own pace from your own home or office. The good news is all our certifications are awarded by NCFE who are a recognised Awarding Body in the UK.
Below is a list of FAQ pertaining to our online courses and certifications.
- What am I actually getting?
Our online courses are delivered in a multi-media format. Each unit of the course will consist of a mixture of printed material, videos, podcasts, quizzes, reference material, tasks and assignments. The courses are divided into Sections and each section is divided into units. There is one assignment per section and a number of shorter tasks which we call Projects.
- Can I try before I enrol the online courses?
Yes! We invite you to take a look around our Virtual Campus and sample some of the course material by signing up for a no obligation, free trial here.
- Will I have to complete Exams or Assignments for the Online Courses?
There are no Exams with our courses. Instead you will complete a number of Projects and Assignments. These are submitted to your Tutor who will mark your work and provide feedback and comments based on their own experience, for you to learn from. Projects are shorter question and answer tasks and Assignments are more detailed. Projects are not graded but must be submitted. Your Assignments are graded.
- Do I have to do a Certificate before I do a Diploma?
No. The Certificate courses are building blocks for the Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. For example, the Wedding Planning units in the Diploma in Wedding & Event Planning are the same units offered in the Certificate in Wedding Planning. The difference between these two courses is that the Diploma also includes the Event Planning and Business units. This means that if the Diploma or Advanced Diploma course better suits your needs, you can enrol directly into it. However, if you do prefer to start with a Certificate, you will be able to credit the units and the cost of the course to a higher qualification later.
- What if I fail an Assignment?
At the Academy our mission is to help you successfully complete your course. If you have not satisfied the requirements of any piece of Assessment, your Tutor will provide written ‘redirection’. You can then re-submit the piece of Assessment.
- How long will it take me to complete the online course?
Our courses are self-paced. This means you work through the course material in your own time and submit your work when you have completed it. Students are given 12 months to complete any of our Certificate courses and 2 Years to complete our Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. However the time it takes students to complete varies from student to student. On average students completing Certificate courses take 3-4 months to complete a Certificate, 6-8 months to complete a Diploma and 8-12 months to complete the Advanced Diploma.
- Can I get help setting a study schedule?
Yes. If your goal is to complete your course in a specific amount of time, or you would like to have a disciplined approach to your study right from the start, we can help you to set up a study schedule. This is managed by you but our experience can help you to design a schedule that sets you up for success.
- What if I have questions?
As a Student of the Academy you are fully supported by your own Tutor. You will be able to send your Tutor questions about any aspect of the course, including for help completing your Projects and Assignments. We also have a friendly Admin Team who are on hand to help you with any aspect of your Enrolment including payment of fees and extensions.
- Can I meet my Tutor and other Students?
Your Tutor is a working wedding/event professional. We have put in place a very effective process for you to be able to communicate with them online and this is the best way to contact them about anything to do with your course work.
As a student you will also be invited to join our private Facebook Group, Academy Live. This is a very supportive community, made up of students from around the world, Tutors and members of the Academy team and even our Board. This is a great place to go for support and inspiration and of course news about what is happening at the Academy and in the industry generally. You will also find work experience and casual work opportunities posted here.
Throughout the year you may also have the opportunity to attend networking and education events. You will be sent details of any of these as they occur. These are not compulsory and do not relate to your course work in any way (not attending will not disadvantage you as a student).
- How will I gain experience if I am studying online?
Each of our courses has been designed to give you as much practical experience as possible. As part of your Project and Assignment work you will be completing tasks that you would actually have to complete if you were working on a real event, for example; creating checklists, timelines, event concepts and budgets, designing inspiration boards and preparing proposals, researching and interviewing suppliers, preparing for site inspections and wedding/event day plus much more. Most Assignments are based on real life event situations, which also helps you to gain practical experience of working on an actual event.
- Are your courses recognised in the industry?
Absolutely. We have campuses across the world including Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, the UK, and the US. We also have an Advisory Board made up of 30 international wedding and event professionals who all lend their expertise to the Academy and help our students with a variety of opportunities.
Is this a proper qualification?
Yes. All our courses are Level 3 and 4 Courses which are awarded by NCFE who are a recognised Awarding Body in the UK.
Will I get a Certificate or Diploma when I graduate?
Yes. Upon Graduation you will receive a letter from the Academy with ‘digital Certification badges’ attached. These badges are logos that you can display on your website, social media pages, Resume or with your digital signature for email. Within 6 weeks you will also receive a physical Certificate or Diploma depending on the course you complete from our accrediting body NCFE.
- Are there any hidden fees?
No. Everything you need to complete your course is included in the price including any software that you will be required to use. From time to time we may suggest online software or Apps that you may like to try and these may have fees associated with them, but they are not required to complete the course and there will always be free alternatives suggested as well.
- Can I get a refund if the course is not right for me?
As we offer sample video for you to trial the learning interface, we therefore do not offer any refund for our online courses.
- What happens if I don’t finish my course before the expiry date?
We understand that sometimes ‘life’ will get in the way of your studies. We offer extensions in blocks of 12 months to students who need more time to complete.
- Are your courses only suitable for someone wanting to launch a business?
No. Each of our courses will prepare you for working within the industry and this includes being an employee of someone’s else’s business. We have many students who find employment upon Graduation and even before.
- I want to launch a business upon Graduation. Can I take a Certificate course or do I have to take a Diploma?
You can take a Certificate course if you would like to launch a business but a Diploma or Advanced Diploma course may be a better option as these do include business training. The Certificates cover just one stream of learning (wedding planning for example) and don’t include business modules. If you have business experience this may be enough but the benefit of taking our business units is that they are specific to working in the wedding/event industry. If you are unsure of which option is best for you talk to one of our Course Advisors.