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Barnsley College is near to offering postgraduate students the opportunity to combine a research degree with undergraduate teaching experience.

The college, now in the final stages of negotiating the deal with Sheffield University, is thought to be the first in the further education sector to enter the postgraduate arena.

Initially, 15 students from across the curriculum will be offered up to ten hours' paid teaching per week on degree and HND programmes at Barnsley.

At the same time the college will pay the students' fees for research MPhil degrees at Sheffield University, at a cost of Pounds 90,000 this year. Barnsley said the postgraduates would be recruited jointly from a range of academic areas of interest to the college.

The two institutions already have close links as Barnsley college has 1,200 higher education students of its own. Degree programmes are validated by Sheffield University alongside others validated by Leeds and Nottingham. A science foundation year is also on offer leading to a range of science degrees at Sheffield.

Principal David Eade said: "This will bring new blood to the teaching community and will give the students a measure of financial support which will not be less than that of a normal grant."