Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Taught Programmes

Version: 1.0

Document Title: Curriculum and Assessment Framework

Author Name: Academic Standards

Approved Date: 25th January 2018

Approved By: Academic Board

Date for Review: 25th January 2022

Amendments since Approval

Detail of Revision: Date of Revision: Revision Approved by:

Contents1. Introduction and General Principles2. Programmes3. Courses Units4. Assessment5. Practicalities of Assessment6. Learning Outcomes7. Practice Credits, Placement & Work-Based Learning and International Exchange8. University Foundation Year

Version Control Statement

Introduction and General Principles1.1 This Framework defines the curriculum and credit structures for all undergraduate and taught postgraduate Programmes at Manchester Metropolitan University. It is consistent with the QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ), which specifies the level and volume of study required for specific types of awards, and the Higher Education Credit Framework for England. It provides assurances regarding institutional alignment with the Quality Code for Higher Education.

1.2 All undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes leading to Manchester Met awards shall conform to this Framework, unless there is a strong rationale for deviation (e.g. professional body requirements). Programmes wishing to operate outside of this Framework must formally articulate the rationale for doing so during Programme Approval.

1.3 The University’s curriculum structure is based on a hierarchy with three defined levels: Programme, Course Unit and Component. These levels inform curriculum structures and processes for the management of, and reporting on, academic provision. Each level within this hierarchy has a set of defined characteristics.

Programmes

2.1 Programmes will be:

1. described in an approved Programme Specification;

2. identified as either

Undergraduate or Postgraduate;3. the focus of institutional

academic quality processes (approval, monitoring and review);

4. the entities to which students are recruited, admitted and enrolled, and from which they graduate;

5. composed of an agreed number of credits at one or more academic levels, normally leading to a named academic award and associated variants;

6. made up of Course Units, the majority of which are owned by the parent Department.

7. managed by a designated Programme Leader, with defined responsibilities;

8. coded consistently within the Student Records System and within other internal and external systems (e.g., the e-prospectus database and UCAS).

2.2 At Programme level, it will be necessary to:

1. identify variants of a Programme that result in the same award, where differences relate to one or more of mode of study, start date within a defined academic period, and location of delivery (including Foundation Years);

2. show how Course Units are combined for every variant of a programme within each defined academic period;

3. report on students’ progression for both programmes and the individual variants.

2.3 Programmes must conform to the credit requirements, stated academic level and naming/designatory letter conventions (e.g. BA/BSc, MA/MSc) for approved awards as defined

within the Regulations for the Academic Awards of the University. Any new University awards must be formally approved by the Academic Board

2.4 Each Programme should be distinct, have a defined structure and specific Learning Outcomes. Each approved Programme must have a sufficiently distinct curriculum to distinguish it from other Programmes.

2.5 A named Bachelor’s Degree Programme must have a minimum of 60 credits unique to its curriculum across Levels 5 and 6 - of which at least 30 must be at Level 6. A Master’s Programme must have a minimum of 60 credits distinct to its curriculum at Level 7. Under no circumstances should it be possible for students studying identical Course Units to receive different award titles.

2.6 Programmes should be constructed to enable students to progress through the levels of study and, on achievement of the Learning Outcomes and credit requirements, to qualify for an award of the Manchester Metropolitan University.

2.7 The planned length of a Programme must be specified and must relate to the normal duration in the definition of the award. The part-time duration of a Programme must in all cases be longer than the normal full-time duration. There is no University-wide maximum period of registration for programmes. There may, however, be instances where there is a discipline-specific rationale for a maximum limit to be imposed. In such cases, this shall be clearly articulated in the Programme Specification.

Manchester Met’s Curriculum and Assessment Framework provides a set of definitive principles and structures that govern the design and approval of all taught programmes.

About this Framework

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2.8 Where appropriate, Undergraduate Programme documentation should articulate destination programme(s) onto which a student may transfer at the end of Level 4. These destination programmes should be those for which level 4 credits from the home programme would be pre-accepted in order to enable a student to continue their study without interruption.

Programme Titles

2.9 All Programmes require a distinct title, which must be articulated consistently across all platforms including the Programme Specification, Student Records System, E-Prospectus, and all other promotional materials. Where a Programme contains an approved placement or international exchange mode of delivery, variants of the programme title should convey this specialism (e.g. BA (Hons) X (sandwich)) and be articulated clearly within the Programme documentation.

2.10 Joint Honours programmes should carry a title which conveys both subject areas (e.g. BA (Hons) History and English), and comprise an equal number of credits at each level for each discipline. Where a Joint Honours programme is created from existing Programmes with differing award titles (e.g. BA/BSc) an academic decision on the most appropriate award title should be made, informed by the content of the curriculum.

2.11 Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes may, where appropriate, carry an option for a bracketed specialism to be conveyed in the final award title. All available bracketed specialisms, along with the routes by which these may be attained, should be set out at the point of Programme Approval and clearly defined in the appropriate programme documentation. Bracketed specialisms may be offered based on a minimum of 30 credits of specific optional content at both Level 5 and Level 6. There is no upper limit on the amount of specific optional content that may be required in order to confer a bracketed specialism.

2.12 Interim exit award titles (e.g. CertHe/DipHE, PgCert/PgDip) should be available on all Programmes. Where specific interim exit award titles are available, distinctiveness

must be demonstrated with a minimum of 30 credits distinct at the highest level of the award.

Course Units

3.1 Course Units will be:

1. the entities through which student learning is delivered and to which specific learning outcomes are attached;

2. made up of an agreed number of credits at a designated academic level, each of which equates to 10 hours of student learning;

3. owned by a Department, Faculty or institutional unit and assigned to one or more Programme;

4. managed by a Unit Leader, with defined responsibilities;

5. available to students on Programmes to which the Unit is assigned who meet any approved pre- and/or co-requisites;

6. coded consistently within the Student Records System.

3.2 A Unit Specification will define the structure and content of a Unit. All Unit Specifications must be formally approved through University quality processes.

3.3 Course Units are identified by credit value and by level. Course Units are designated by Levels 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. The level is an indicator of the complexity, depth of learning and learner autonomy and is demonstrated by the Learning Outcomes and assessment. As students successfully take and pass Course Units they accumulate credit towards specific awards. Academic credit given in respect of successful fulfilment of the requirements of a Unit can be awarded only once and cannot be double counted.

3.4 Consideration must be given within all Course Units to the distribution of student effort. The ratio of directed study to independent learning may vary according to the level of study.

3.5 With the exception of Uniwide Languages, where the same Course Unit content is offered at more than one level, students may be co-taught but a separate Unit Specification must be presented for each level of study. Each Course Unit should have clearly differentiated Learning Outcomes and assessment appropriate to the level of study. Each Course Unit must have a unique code.

Credit Requirements

3.6 Course Units within Undergraduate Programmes may be 15 or 30 credits in size. Undergraduate Programmes may be designed based on a 15 credit Unit structure, a 30 credit Unit structure or a combination of both at Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. Exceptionally, 60 credit Course Units may be offered for independent study provision at Level 6 of a BA/BSc and Level 7 of an Integrated Master’s award only.

3.7 Course Units within Taught Postgraduate Programmes may make use of a range of credit structures and sizes, reflective of the specialised nature of taught postgraduate study. Permitted Unit sizes are as follows:

Unit Size Learning Time

ECTS Credits

10 credits 100 hours 5 credits

15 credits 150 hours 7.5 credits

20 credits 200 hours 10 credits

30 credits 300 hours 15 credits

40 credits 400 hours 20 credits

60 credits 600 hours 30 credits

3.8 Course Units are mapped against the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) to facilitate international recognition of qualifications.

Unit Size Learning Time

ECTS value

15 credits 150 hours 7.5 credits

30 credits 300 hours 15 credits

60 credits 600 hours 30 credits

Undergraduate Course Unit Delivery

3.9 All Course Units for Levels 3 - 6 of Undergraduate Programmes should sit discretely within the one of the terms, as defined by the Academic Calendar (term 1, term 2 or term 3), with assessment completed and ratified within the associated schedules. The only exception is Level 6 Independent Study Course Units, as detailed in 3.19.

3.10 Course Unit delivery within the first and second terms should mirror one another, sharing the same footprint in terms of delivery structures, contact hours and credits to ensure that student workload is comparable across both terms. Where appropriate to the Programme and operationally possible, repeat

teaching of large core Course Units may take place in term 1 and term 2.

Core Course Units

3.11 Core Course Units are compulsory, and must be completed by all students on a particular Programme of study.

3.12 Each level of study has set requirements for the minimum number of core Course Units.

• Level 3 will comprise 120 credits of Core Course Units*;

• Level 4 will comprise 120 credits of Core Course Units*;

• Level 5 will comprise at least 60 credits of Core Course Units;

• Level 6 will comprise at least 30 credits of Core Course Units;

• Level 7 will comprise at least 30 credits of Core Course Units.

* For the purpose of this Framework, Uniwide Languages 15 and 30 credit units are considered ‘core’ at levels 3 and 4 where they form an integrated part of the Programme structure

Option Clusters

3.13 All Undergraduate Programmes must include at least 15 credits of optional Course Units across Levels 5 or 6.

3.14 Optional unit content should be clustered into a common envelope, with shared Learning Outcomes, assessment methodology, delivery structures and contact hours. Options within a cluster will normally be timetabled in the same slot, and the number of options should be appropriate to the number of students undertaking the programme.

3.15 Option Clusters are approved at institutional level at the point of Programme Approval / Periodic Review, and the information regarding the common themes and objectives of the Cluster used for marketing the programme.

3.16 Subject-specific content and strands within the Option Cluster is developed and approved locally. All new strands within the cluster must conform to the common Learning Outcomes, assessment methods, delivery structures and contact hours. Programme Leaders are responsible for maintaining ongoing oversight of the coherence and appropriateness of the academic content within Option Clusters.

3.17 Option Clusters may be shared by more than one Programme. Shared Clusters must define the ‘owning’ Programme in the relevant Programme Specification. Option Clusters retain the code designated by the ‘owning’ Programme regardless of how many or which Programmes they are shared with.

Independent Study Units

3.18 For Undergraduate Programmes, supervised independent study Course Units (e.g. dissertation, research project) should comprise of 30 Level 6 credits. Independent study Course Units will demand that a significant proportion of the total student effort will be self-directed learning.

3.19 Independent study Course Units are permitted to be delivered, where appropriate, across two terms, provided that they do not require room bookings or have timetabling implications. Independent study Course Units requesting to be delivered across two terms will be subject to scrutiny at Programme Approval / Periodic Review.

3.20 For Taught Postgraduate Programmes, supervised independent study Course Units (e.g. dissertation, research project) should comprise a minimum of 60 Level 7 credits. Independent study Course Units will demand that a significant proportion of the total student effort will be self-directed learning.

3.21 For all taught Programmes, Supervised independent study is equivalent to a dissertation, though it need not take the form of a conventional written dissertation. The specific subject requirements for supervised independent study, including the entitlement to supervision and any technical support, should be clearly stated in the Unit Specification.

Pre-Requisites & Co-Requisites

3.22 Course Units may have pre-requisites, i.e. Course Units that must be passed before another specified Unit at a higher level of study can be taken.

3.23 Pairs of Course Units at the same level may be specified as co-requisites, i.e. a Unit required to be taken within the same level of study as another Unit.

3.24 Careful consideration should be given to the use of pre- and/or co-

requisites in relation to progression between levels of study, particularly for part-time students or those admitted part-way through an academic year.

Enhanced Third Term

3.25 The Enhanced Third Term makes use of the May-June teaching period to offer students on Undergraduate Programmes the opportunity to engage with credit-bearing provision outside their standard programme structures (either in disciplinary focus, or in approach). It places particular emphasis on activities which support development of skills and attributes which support graduate employability.

3.26 Through the Enhanced Third Term, undergraduate students may accrue additional credits beyond the standard 360. Enhanced Third Term content is available as 15 and 30 credit Course Units. As per the Undergraduate Assessment Regulations, students engaging with the Enhanced Third Term are permitted to undertake up to 150 credits at each of levels 4, 5 and 6; requiring 120 credits to pass each level.

3.27 The Enhanced Third Term offer comprises a combination of centrally-managed provision which is available to all students, and a range of Faculty-managed activities. Any Faculty-managed content must be formally approved through University quality procedures before it can offer academic credit through the Enhanced Third Term.

3.28 All Undergraduate Programmes are required to provide access to Enhanced Third Term content within their curriculum structures in at least one level of study.

Assessment

Components

4.1 Each Unit must contain one or more assessment components, through which students’ achievement of the learning outcomes will be tested.

4.2 Components will be:

1. detailed within the relevant Unit Specification;

2. consistent with the relevant Assessment Regulations;

3. completed within the same

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academic period as the delivery of the Course Unit;

4. categorised as either ‘assignment’ or ‘examination’;

5. weighted to make a specified contribution to the final mark for the Course Unit.

4.3 For Undergraduate Programmes:

• each 15 credit Course Unit must contain no more than two summative assessment components.

• each 30 credit Course Unit must contain no more than three summative assessment components.

• each 60 credit Course Unit must contain no more than three summative assessment components.

4.4 For Taught Postgraduate Programmes:

• each Course Unit below the value of 30 credits must have no more than two summative assessment components.

• each Course Unit of 30 credits or greater must have no more than three summative assessment components

Principles of Assessment

4.5 The principles of assessment at Manchester Met are as follows:

• Assessment is valid in relation to its form, quantity, level, content and Learning Outcomes, whilst avoiding assessment overload.

• Assessment is designed so that the threshold requirements are achievable for any student admitted onto a course of study.

• Assessment is facilitative and supports and promotes student learning by the provision of appropriate feedback on students’ performance.

• Assessment is reliable and consistent in the judgements made.

• Assessment processes are explicit with all parts of the assessment process being made clear to students, staff, and External Examiners.

• Assessment processes are equitable with all students being assessed fairly on their own individual merit and ability.

• Student performance for specified assessment is gradable, using a full range of marks.

Summative and Formative Assessment

4.6 Assessment may be classified as either ‘summative’ or ‘formative’. Summative assessment is a mandatory component of all academic provision, and provides the mechanism against which student progression and achievement of Learning Outcomes is measured. Formative assessment does not contribute towards Unit marks or overall classifications. Academic teams are encouraged to make use of formative assessment throughout Programmes of study as a means of delivering early feedback and facilitating student success.

Summative assessment is moderated assessment which provides a measure of achievement or failure in respect of a student’s performance in relation to the intended Learning Outcomes and which determines credit accumulation, progression and award.

Formative assessment is designed to provide students with feedback on progress and inform development. It does not contribute towards the students’ credit accumulation, progression or award but instead supports academic development and preparation for summative assessment.

Assessment Strategies

4.7 All Programmes are required to define an assessment strategy at the point of approval. In defining an assessment strategy, Programme Leaders should be particularly cognizant of how the load, spread and schedule of individual assessment components combine into a coherent Programme-level strategy that facilitates student success.

4.8 The spread and load of assessment should be designed with student success as a core principle. The spread of assessment within all Programmes should enable students to demonstrate the relevant learning outcomes using a range of media and a diversity of skills, without an over-reliance on formal examinations.

4.9 Assessment schedules must be defined at the point of programme approval, in order to ensure ‘bunching’ of assessments is avoided. Programmes should consider situating at least one summative assessment early in the

term, particularly at Level 4, in order to maximise the opportunity for early provision of feedback to students.

4.10 Academic Programme teams should have effective mechanisms in place for regularly reviewing and monitoring the effectiveness and suitability of assessment strategies. These will ensure that activities are appropriate, and do not place an excessive burden on students or staff. Such monitoring should be informed by student feedback, External Examiner feedback and student attainment data. Where Programme-level metrics provide cause for concern, the ongoing efficacy of the assessment strategy will be scrutinised during Education Annual Review.

4.11 Where changes to assessment strategies or requirements are to be implemented outside of the standard periodic review cycle, an appropriate period of notice must be given to staff, students, External Examiners and, if appropriate, Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, in line with the University’s published CMA approval windows.

Types of Assessment

4.12 All assessment components within a Programme must be categorised as either ‘assignment’ or ‘examination’. The overarching split of assessment for each level of study is defined and set at the Approval in Principle stage of Programme Approval/Review, with detailed assessment strategies defined and approved at a later stage through PEAR panels.

Examinations

4.13 Manchester Met defines an examination as an assessment undertaken within a constrained period of time, in a set location, following a specified rubric and which is formally included in the examination schedule and subject to invigilation. The University’s approved procedures provide a secure environment for examinations and for the fair treatment of all students undertaking them.

4.14 Examinations shall be subject to invigilation which will ensure that instructions to examination candidates are observed. Examinations shall be conducted in accordance with a set of institutional examination regulations.

Assignments

4.15 Assignments may take a variety of forms including, but not limited to, Essays, Reports, Portfolios, Presentations, Artefacts, Performances, and Groupwork.

4.16 Written assignments may be submitted electronically via Moodle. Submission dates for all elements of assessment must be provided to students prior to the commencement of teaching.

4.17 Where appropriate, portfolio assignments may consist of up to 3 distinct pieces of work (e.g. written and oral reports or series of practical exercises). Marks and feedback may be provided for individual sub-elements as appropriate within the standard University timeframe. Where a student is required to undertake reassessment in such an assessment, it is only necessary for those sub-elements that have been failed to be re-submitted.

Practicalities of Assessment

Verification

5.1 Draft assessment and reassessment tasks for each Unit should be produced simultaneously by the Unit Leader to ensure that assessment at each opportunity is equitable. Assessment task(s) must:

• meet the requirements detailed within Unit specifications;

• assess the Learning Outcomes;• be set at the correct level;

5.2 The Programme Leader should agree all assessments set for the Programme, prior to these being sent to the relevant External Examiner for verification. Every summative component of assessment that contributes to an award is subject to External Examiner verification. This process assures the maintenance of academic standards, and alignment to subject and sector expectations. Assessment tasks may not be published to students until verification has been completed.

5.3 All assessment and reassessment briefs will be submitted to the relevant External Examiner by the Assessments Team within Education Management via secure means. Assignment briefs sent to External Examiners should be accompanied by a copy of the relevant Unit specification.

5.4 The External Examiner will be asked to comment on the suitability of the assignment brief(s) with regard to the Unit specification, level of work expected and in relation to the standards of the tasks in comparison with similar Programmes at other institutions. Examiners are also asked to comment upon the clarity of the task, and on the guidance provided.

Submission of Assessment

5.5 All summative assessments must be submitted formally to the University for assessment via one of the following submission routes:

• Electronic submission (e.g. essays, reports).

• Physical artefact (e.g. models, artworks, products).

• Event (e.g. presentation, performance).

5.6 All written assignments should be submitted electronically by default. Unless there is a student-specific reason not to do so (e.g. an approved Personal Learning Plan), all written assignments must be word-processed.

5.7 The submission methods, along with the submission date, for all assessments should be set at the point of Programme Approval.

Communication of Assessment Arrangements to Students

5.8 Academic Programme teams are responsible for ensuring that students are provided with all assignment briefs at the commencement of each Unit. All assignment briefs should clearly indicate:

• how marks for individual pieces of work will be apportioned;

• the assessment criteria;• submission date;• method of submission; • the date and method for the

return of grades and feedback to students.

5.9 A schedule of formal, timed examinations, which will show the date, time and location of each examination, will be published at least 10 working days before the date of any examination shown in the schedule.

5.10 Where appropriate, the assignment brief should also outline any programme-specific assessment

rules or requirements, including any criteria that must be met to fulfil the requirements of Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies.

5.11 Where work-based learning forms part of a Programme and students are assessed on placements, Programme Leaders will inform students how their work will be assessed during the placement and, where appropriate, how marks will contribute to their summative assessment and / or their progression and award.

Language of Assessment

5.12 All teaching and assessment leading to an academic award of the University will be in delivered in English, apart from the following exceptions:

• Foreign language Units provided by the Department of Languages, Information and Communications.

• Academic content delivered and assessed by another university as part of an approved Student Exchange / Erasmus arrangement.

Grading Criteria and Marking

5.13 Student performance in assessment will be marked according to clear criteria as set out in the assignment brief. Assessment criteria will:

• examine the extent to which Learning Outcomes have been achieved by the student;

• be set at the required standard and level of the Unit;

• reflect the published aims and Learning Outcomes;

• be of a comparable standard to equivalent awards elsewhere in the UK, and in keeping with appropriate subject benchmark statements.

5.14 With the exception of assessment involving quantitative outcomes, all marks assigned to students for individual components should align to the University’s Stepped Marking scheme, which requires marks to be assigned to the lower, middle and upper parts of the grade band (2, 5 and 8).

5.15 The marks of summatively assessed work (both examinations and assignments) are subject to Assessment Board approval. A record of marks, evidence of second and / or

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anonymous marking, and comments from second markers will be made available for scrutiny by External Examiners.

5.16 Where possible and appropriate to the type of assessment, the identity of students should not be apparent to markers and work should only be identified by student number.

Moderation

5.17 Each Academic Programme Team must have effective systems and procedures in place for the internal moderation of all assessments within a Programme. Internal moderation seeks to verify the appropriateness of the marking based on the consistent application of clear, fair, common and transparent assessment criteria and marking schemes.

5.18 Following internal moderation, external moderation should be carried out by the relevant External Examiner. External moderation requires a review of a sample of scripts across the range of marks, to confirm the breadth of achievement and consistency of marking practice. The sample should be pre-agreed between the External and the Programme Leader.

5.19 Internal and External moderation processes should not seek to amend or determine the marks for individual students. Where an internal moderator or External Examiner raises serious concerns about the standard and equitability of marking, changes may only be applied to the cohort as a whole.

Feedback on Assessed Work

5.20 Feedback on assessed work is an essential mechanism for promoting student learning and facilitating academic improvement. Feedback should be provided for all formative and summative assignments. Individual written feedback is not a requirement for formal examinations, however it is recognised as good practice.

All feedback will:

• relate to the Learning Outcomes and assessment criteria;

• be relevant and meaningful;• be motivating, clear and

constructive;• be critical but with the intention

of enabling student development by consolidating learning

and advising on means of improvement;

5.21 Feedback may be:

IndividualIdentifying specific issues relating to one student’s work, or

GenericReferring to general points about the assessment as a whole, arising from an overview of the work produced by the student group.

5.22 Feedback on formative assessment should be given in time for students to make use of it prior to summative assessment. Explicit confirmation must be provided to students regarding the point in the Course Unit where it is no longer appropriate for staff to provide formative feedback, for example when a student is undertaking final dissertation drafts. This will be communicated to students at the time the assessment task is set.

Learning Outcomes

6.1 The award of credit and qualification is based on the achievement of the intended Learning Outcomes. Learning Outcomes are devised and approved at Programme and Unit level.

6.2 Programme-specific Learning Outcomes specify the knowledge and critical understanding, along with the skills and attributes, appropriate to the field of study. Learning Outcomes should identify the ways in which these will be developed and evaluated in the students. Unit level Learning Outcomes describe what students will be able to do by the end of the Unit. All Learning Outcomes should be set at the appropriate FHEQ level, and take into account the relevant Subject Benchmark Statement.

Practice Credits, Placement and Work-Based Learning and International Exchange

7.1 All sandwich awards must include 120 Practice Credits equating to a period of not less than 36 weeks of practical training, placement, supervised work experience, or clinical or professional practice within a single academic year. Practice credits are not assigned to a level and do not attract academic credit. They shall not contribute to the classification of an undergraduate

degree. In order to obtain a Sandwich award the performance of students during the supervised work experience must be assessed against defined Learning Outcomes.

7.2 International Exchange Courses must include 120 Practice Credits equating to a period of not less than 36 weeks residence overseas. The overseas residence must form a compulsory element with specified Learning Outcomes. In order to obtain a International Exchange award the performance of students during the period of overseas residence must be assessed - either through outcomes of academic study undertaken overseas or through a reflective end-point assessment.

7.3 Where the assessment of practice is accommodated within the academic credit structure it shall comply with the Assessment Regulations. Credit-bearing practice elements may be assessed on a pass/fail basis rather than being marked out of 100. When designing or ascribing pass/fail assessments, Programme Teams should consider the potential impact upon a student’s classification calculations.

7.4 Students remain with an employer throughout the duration of Degree Apprenticeship courses. Work-Based learning is therefore integral. Taught content is complemented by negotiated work-based projects, through which students apply business challenges and scenarios to credit-bearing assessment.

7.5 Students’ progression through their course may be made conditional upon satisfactory completion of practice credits. Where this is the case, it shall be clearly stated in the Programme Specification and students informed specifically of this progression condition. Practice credits may be subject to the requirements of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies.

7.6 Practice credits may not be used in lieu of the academic credits required to achieve an award.

7.7 Provision may be made within the approved Programme Specification for the award of a Certificate of Practice Achievement. The Certificate shall provide a transcript of the elements making up the practice credits. The award of such a Certificate shall be conditional upon the student having met the

requirements for the academic award to which the course leads.

University Foundation Year8.1 All Foundation Year Programmes must follow a standard design as follows:

Home Students

• Core Academic Study Skills Unit (30 credits)

• Core Subject Unit 1 (30 credits)• Core Subject Unit 2 (30 credits)• Core Subject Unit 3 (30 credits)

or

• Core Subject (15 credits) + Uniwide Language (15 credits)

Foundation Year International Route

• Core Academic Study Skills Unit (30 credits)

• Core Subject Unit 1 (30 credits)• Core Subject Unit 2 (30 credits)• English for Academic Study

(30 credits)

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