Who awards your qualification? Pearson, IATA or Aspire
Not every qualification at Aspire is awarded by the same body, and it is worth knowing which is which before you choose. Each course page states who awards that specific qualification. Here is the full picture.
Awarded by Pearson BTEC
Pearson is the United Kingdom's largest awarding organisation, and Aspire is a Pearson BTEC Approved Centre, approved at BTEC Levels 4, 5 and 7. The college states that the Pearson BTEC certificate earned in Colombo is the same one issued to students in Britain. These are the Pearson BTEC programmes:
- HND in Aviation Management
- Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership (Aviation Management)
- HND in Business
- Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership (Business Management)
- HND in International Travel & Tourism
Awarded by Aspire College
Aspire awards its own Foundation, Diploma and Certificate programmes. They are Aspire qualifications, not Pearson ones, and several are built as stepping stones: for example, completing the Diploma in Aviation Management qualifies you for direct entry to the Pearson BTEC HND.
- Foundation in Aviation Management
- Diploma in Aviation Management
- Diploma in Business
- Certificate in Digital Marketing
- Diploma in Procurement & Supply Management
Awarded by IATA
Aspire is an IATA Authorized Training Center (Classic), which means it can teach IATA's own travel and tourism diplomas. IATA awards those diplomas, not Aspire, and it is a separate accreditation from Pearson's. Read our guide to the three IATA diplomas.
Registration and approvals
The college is registered with Sri Lanka's Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), and it is a Pearson VUE Authorised Test Centre, approved to invigilate computer-based professional certification examinations on site. The approvals are shown on the home page.
Why it matters
- Want a UK-written qualification you can build on? Look at the Pearson BTEC programmes.
- Starting out? An Aspire Foundation or Diploma can be your way in, and several lead directly into a Pearson BTEC HND.
- Aiming at a travel agency? The IATA diplomas are built for that.
Not sure which suits you? A counsellor will assess your qualifications at no charge.