How long is the Certificate in Automation Technologies?

The Certificate in Automation Technologies runs three to six months. The Certificate in Automation Technologies is scheduled in short weekly blocks suitable for part-time study.

Do I need a technical background?

No. The Certificate in Automation Technologies uses low-code and no-code tools. The Certificate in Automation Technologies only assumes GCSE-level maths and English.

Is this Certificate UK recognised?

The Certificate in Automation Technologies is a UK Level 3 short award drawing on BCS foundational themes and articulates into LSCE Diploma-level study.

How is the Certificate delivered?

You can study on-campus in London, fully online or by distance learning, joining the same weekly tutor-visible cohort for the Certificate in Automation Technologies.

What does the Certificate cost?

Fees are quoted per intake with instalment plans. LSCE admissions reviews scholarship and payment options for the Certificate in Automation Technologies at application.

Certificate in Automation Technologies | LSCE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Automation Technologies is a UK Level 3 short award that runs three to six months across on-campus, online and distance-learning routes. The programme is designed for beginners exploring industrial and business automation as a structured route into robotics, RPA and integrated control systems, and cohorts progress together with weekly tutor visibility, structured critique and formative feedback across every module. Delivery is aligned to UK professional-body standards including BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT), Alan Turing Institute, UK AI Safety Institute, and the syllabus draws on current practice inside the AI and data community across London and the wider UK.

By the end of the Certificate in Automation Technologies you will be able to explain the automation pyramid; identify PLC and SCADA components; recognise RPA use cases; read a basic control diagram; move on to a Diploma in Automation or Mechatronics. Assessment blends coursework, applied artefacts and a closing project, capstone or dissertation depending on the level, and marks are moderated to UK Level 3 standards. Every module includes reflective practice and structured written communication, so graduates leave the programme with a portfolio of assessed work that stands up to external professional review.

Key Features

Short award taught in small tutor-visible cohorts at the LSCE central London campus, online with provisioned lab access, or by distance learning.
Syllabus mapped to BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) and Alan Turing Institute technical guidance for the AI and data discipline, and refreshed each intake against sector expectations.
Weekly clinics, code, design and critique reviews run by a named programme tutor with cohort-wide feedback and one-to-one time.
Careers-service introductions to the Alan Turing Institute, the UK AI Safety Institute, London fintech data teams and AI scale-ups clustered around Kings Cross during the taught stage, with warm handovers into placement or graduate roles.
Three parallel study modes so applicants can complete the Certificate in Automation Technologies around work, family and international relocation timelines.
LSCE places Automation Technologies learners close to IET Savoy Place events and the London-region automation community, exposing beginners to serving practitioners.
Alumni network extending into UK AI and data employers for mentoring, referrals and continued career support after graduation.

What You Will Learn

Explain the automation pyramid from field instruments to enterprise systems.
Identify PLC, SCADA and MES components in a manufacturing environment.
Recognise robotic process automation use cases in office environments.
Read basic control diagrams and process flow schematics.
Understand IEC 61131-3 languages at an introductory level.
Reference IET and InstMC guidance on automation professional practice.
Recognise the safety implications of machine automation under UK regulations.
Plan next-step study into a Diploma in Automation or Mechatronics.

Who This Course Is For

Beginners exploring automation careers without prior engineering study.
Factory operators moving toward technician roles.
Office staff exploring RPA and business process automation.
International applicants seeking UK-referenced entry-level automation evidence.
Career changers preparing for a Level 4 Diploma in Automation.

Career Pathways

Automation Technician trainee
PLC Programmer entry track
RPA Developer entry pathway
Controls Technician trainee
Field Service Engineer trainee
Manufacturing Operative moving into technician track
Robotics Support Technician trainee

The LSCE careers service supports graduates of the Certificate in Automation Technologies with structured CV and portfolio reviews, application coaching for AI and data employers, and warm introductions across its London industry network. Every student is matched with one-to-one careers time in the final stage of study, and alumni continue to receive job-alert access, senior-role introductions and application coaching after graduation.

Entry Requirements

GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4/C, or an accepted equivalent qualification.
Applicants must be 17 or older at the start of study, with no prior degree required.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) is expected for non-native English speakers.
One reference from an academic tutor, employer or professional contact.
A short statement of intent, one paragraph explaining your interest in the subject.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and international applicants receive dedicated visa, accommodation and English-language guidance alongside the academic decision.

Why Study at LSCE

The London School of Computing and Engineering is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small tutor-visible cohorts. LSCE partners with UK professional bodies including BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) and UK AI Safety Institute, and the central London campus places students within a short tube ride of the Alan Turing Institute, the UK AI Safety Institute, London fintech data teams and AI scale-ups clustered around Kings Cross. This proximity to the AI and data community means guest speakers, placement conversations and industry-attended review boards are routine rather than exceptional.

Every intake joins the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support, whether the applicant chooses on-campus, fully online with provisioned lab access, or distance learning with the same remote provisioning. Three parallel study modes make the Certificate in Automation Technologies accessible around work, family and international relocation timelines, and the careers service maintains a working contact book across UK employers in the AI and data sector to support progression at graduation.

Students at LSCE also benefit from the wider Harold International College resources, including a shared library, careers-service connections and elective-module access across the college programme catalogue subject to availability. Applicants routinely combine the LSCE cohort experience with London professional-body events, regional meet-ups and employer-hosted evenings, so the UK sector network is visible from induction onwards rather than only at graduation.

Apply for Certificate in Automation Technologies

Get your first credential on the LSCE ladder. Click Enrol Now and admissions responds within one working day with intake dates and payment options. Whether you are applying from the UK or from another country, admissions responds within one working day with intake dates, payment options and any credit-transfer or scholarship guidance relevant to the Certificate in Automation Technologies. Rolling intake dates mean early applications receive the widest choice of module electives, supervisors and supporting information. Enrol Now