SEVENTY students from East Lancashire have graduated with degrees and diplomas from Bolton Institute.

They are among students from 50 countries around the world, studying everything from engineering to textiles and the arts.

Bolton Institute hopes to become a fully fledged university, "The University of Bolton" in the near future.

"For some time now Bolton Institute has fulfilled all the basic criteria for recognition as a university," said its principal, Professor Bob Oxtoby.

"We have more than 7,000 full and part-time students and a strong record of academic achievement in the areas we cover."

The Institute is also offering new courses for students starting in January and February and has a hotline for courses on 01204 528851. HIGHER National Diploma (HND) Building Studies: J Lyons (Burnley). Higher National Certificate (HNC) Building Studies: R Hewetson (Blackburn), J Jennings (Rossendale). HNC Civil Engineering Studies: D Clough (Burnley). BSc (Hons) Construction Management: L Strahan (Blackburn), J Woods (Blackburn, L Wickers (Darwen). BEng (Hons) Automobile Engineering: L Emmett (Barnoldswick). BEng (Hons) Electronic and Computer Engineering: J Payne (Burnley), K Riley (Colne), B Smithies (Accrington). HNC Engineering (Manufacturing/Mechanical): A Cartledge (Ramsbottom). MSc Digital Signal Processing Applications: S Birch (Burnley). HNC Textile Studies: C Hunter (Burnley), M Tipper (Rossendale).

BSc (Hons) Textile Studies: D Parker (Darwen), D West (Rossendale). HND Design: L Barker (Darwen), P Blackburn (Rossendale), S Musgrove (Clitheroe). BA (Hons) Combined Studies: K Benedict (Blackburn), M Cassidy (Blackburn), V Kenny (Blackburn), M Laycock (Blackburn), F Poulson (Accrington). BSc (Hons) Psychology: C Burgess (Burnley), D Hunter (Darwen), J Peyton (Colne), J Watson (Blackburn), J Whittaker (Rossendale). BSc (Hons) Psychology with Biology: C Jackson (Clitheroe). HNC Public Administration: M Fletcher (Blackburn). BA (Hons) Business Adminstration: C O'Neill (Rossendale). Master of Business Administration: J Duerden (Rossendale), M Memon (Darwen), P Snell (Accrington).

Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) Management Studies: C Berry (Ramsbottom), H Bowyer (Darwen), G Collins (Blackburn), T Egan (Rossendale), A Srivastava (Nelson), S Tabassum (Nelson). Certificate in Education (cert Ed): C Briggs (Darwen), M Dixon (Accrington), S Henry (Darwen), S Shorrock (Blackburn), N Stephenson (Burnley), J Walsh (Blackburn), M Whatmough (Burnley). Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PG Cert): C Boardman (Blackburn), E Burns (Blackburn), E Cocker (Darwen), D Corran (Darwen), S Coughlin (Darwen), A Doherty (Darwen), A Gupta (Blackburn), K Keigher (Blackburn), D McKIllop (Blackburn), S Pearson-Moore (Darwen), L Pilling (Darwen), J Stewart (Clitheroe), A Westall (Blackburn).

Cert HE (School Nursing): S Marland (Burnley). Diploma in Professional Studies in Health Visiting: E Brierley (Burnley), S Crorken (Burnley), J Houghton (Blackburn), D Ross (Burnley). BA (Hons) Professional and Vocational Education (in conjunction with University of Manchester): M Ahmend (Nelson); S Carus (Darwen). BA (Hons) Professional and Vocational Education and Health (in conjunction with University of Manchester): G Bradley (Rossendale).

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