Phnom Penh — In a historic move for Cambodia’s higher education sector, Paragon International University is set to introduce the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Advanced Diploma in Business in the forthcoming academic year. This will make Paragon.U the country’s first recognised SQA Centre, offering a two-year programme that permits graduates to proceed directly into partner universities abroad to complete the final two years of a bachelor’s degree.
The two years at Paragon.U will cover the equivalent of the first 120 UK credit points (or SQA’s Advanced Diploma level), equipping students with foundational and advanced business skills including accounting, marketing, economics, business law, human resource management, and ICT. Upon successful completion, students will be eligible for direct transfer into undergraduate degree programmes at SQA credential-accepting universities. According to SQA documentation, its Advanced Diploma is equivalent to the first two years of degree study, and recognised by over 50 university progression partners around the world.
Provost Dr. Bradley J. Murg emphasised the importance of this structure: “This is not simply a diploma; it is a pathway. Students spend two years here, fully supported, then step into universities overseas with credit already earned. It lightens the financial burden, and accelerates both education and opportunity.”
Among the many institutions in Australia acknowledging SQA Advanced Diploma credentials are RMIT University in Melbourne, Central Queensland University, and Southern Cross University. In the UK, leading universities such as Heriot-Watt University, Glasgow Caledonian University, and the University of Stirling also offer advanced entry for students holding SQA Advanced Diplomas. Graduates with strong results, especially in the graded units, may transfer into Year 2 or Year 3 of comparable degree programmes.
The curriculum at Paragon.U will mirror the international SQA design: two years of full-time study, combining core business theory, project-based assessments, graded units, and professional skills training. Students will be assessed across both years, with the second year including a project investigation component. Success in graded units is necessary for advanced entry recognition abroad. The grading scale mirrors that of SQA: an A-C band pass; anything below is a fail.
This arrangement has multiple implications for Cambodian students. First, it offers an affordable route to obtain a globally recognised undergraduate degree. Rather than undertaking all four years overseas with attendant costs of tuition, living and relocating, Paragon.U’s students will do the initial two years locally under international standards. Second, graduates will benefit from more options: students may apply to international universities in the UK, Australia, and other countries that are in the partner list. Third, it improves employability: having a credential from an institution meeting SQA’s quality assurance standards and a possible degree from abroad strengthens resumes in both regional and global job markets.
Ms. Socheata Kim, Head of Business Administration Department: “Many talented Cambodian students are constrained by cost or visa issues. This model softens those barriers. Spend two years here, achieve the SQA Advanced Diploma, then go into the third year of a degree programme abroad if you wish.”
Ms. Sophear Pok, SQA Programme Coordinator at ParagonU: “We have engaged with universities in the UK and Australia; they respect the SQA grading and credit transfer. Paragon.U students who perform well will not be disadvantaged by having done their first two years here, but will in fact be recognised for those years.”
In sum, Paragon.U’s implementation of the SQA Track A programme is both ambitious and strategic, bringing Cambodia into closer alignment with internationally accepted educational pathways. By delivering a two-year programme with the promise of direct transfer into overseas universities, Paragon.U positions itself as a gateway for Cambodian students to achieve global academic credentials without having to leave home for the entire duration of their studies.
As Phnom Penh’s student community and families weigh options, this new programme offers hope: a quality, recognised start in Phnom Penh; and the possibility of finishing a degree abroad with reduced time, cost and uncertainty.