The British School of Leather Technology is part of The University of Northampton and offers a wide range of training and education courses in all aspects of leather processing. The full time courses range from one year to three years in duration, but shorter courses are also available. The School has its own tannery and laboratories where students gain practical experience in making and testing a wide variety of leathers.
All the courses offered include a large practical element. Students also have access to all the resources of the university. These include on campus accommodation, with many of the rooms having en-suite facilities, an extensive library and 24 hour/7 day per week computer access.
The BTEC Certificate is a one year course which can be used as a foundation year for the BSc. It includes fundamental science and mathematics as well as an overview of the leather making process.
The BSc is a three year course giving an in depth coverage of all aspects of the leather making process. Modules in Leather Technology, Leather Science and Testing are compulsory but others are optional so that students can tailor the content to their own needs. A new module on Finishing has been introduced into this course.
The Leathersellers Certificate is of one year duration and is for those who have been working in the leather industry for a while and want to improve their knowledge and skills. Students will normally be at least 20 years old.
MSc and MBA courses are offered for those who already have first degrees but wish to gain a higher qualification. These are both available in distance learning format.
A three month short course is run from the beginning of October to the middle of December each year. This covers the whole of the leather making process and some aspects of leather testing.
