COMMON ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

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1 COMMON ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK 1 Introduction 1.1 The purpose of the University of Brighton is two-fold: i) to protect and enhance the University s collective academic standards through the use of a shared and common framework for the design and structure of the University s awards. The Framework links to relevant national and European frameworks; ii) to promote equity, transparency, choice and opportunity for students and staff: Equity: there should be consistency in principles, practice and procedure across the institution in the design of curricula and assessment, and the consideration of student performance. Transparency: the structure and assessment for all courses should be clear and well-understood by staff and students. Choice: students should be provided, where possible, with the opportunity to broaden their education by choosing some elements of their course from beyond the core subjects of the programme. Opportunity: to develop new and innovative programmes of study and to facilitate multi-disciplinarity where desirable through the possibility of combining, sharing and joint development of modules across Schools. 1.2 These main aims are achieved through the use of common principles as outlined below. 2 Qualifications (see table 1 for award framework) 2.1 The qualifications/ awards offered by the University, and in common with awards offered by other UK Universities, are aligned to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) published by the Quality Assurance Agency. Awards of the University are expected to achieve these standards (and where relevant, to be in accordance with PSRB requirements). 2.2 The awards of the University are, in addition, aligned with the European Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (Bergen 2005) in accordance with current national expectations. 3 Regulations 3.1 The General Examination and Assessment Regulations for Taught Courses (GEAR), outlines the regulations by which all taught courses are governed, and includes the University s policy on, and principles relating to, assessment. All courses offered by the University must comply with GEAR; exceptions are normally only where a PSRB requirement must be taken into account. 3.2 The Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degrees outlines the regulations by which all research degrees are governed. 1

2 4 Credit 4.1 All courses (except MPhil/ PhD) leading to an award of the University are creditbearing. These are known as CATS points (Credit Accumulation and Transfer System). CATS points refer to notional student learning hours, where 10 CATS points is equivalent to 100 hours of learning. 4.2 CATS points are used as a means of designating the level and extent of study, and their value is determined in accordance with the principles of the Southern England Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SEEC), of which the University is in membership. 4.3 The University s awards are expressed using CATS, but in order to facilitate student mobility the University recognises the use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) as a means of designating credit for higher education learning within the European Union and uses the accepted exchange rate of 2 CATS points being equivalent to 1 ECTS point. 5 Modularity 5.1 All courses offered by the University are made up of modules which are described in terms of their learning outcomes and assessment criteria. These criteria, rather than the mode of delivery or place in the course structure, determine the basis upon which modules are assigned a specified number of credits at a given level. 5.2 All modules will have a credit rating of a whole-number multiple of 10 points (for example, 10, 20, 30, 40). The associated hours of total student learning are measured pro rata. 5.3 Each module has learning outcomes which are commensurate with one of five credit levels (Level 4, Level 5, Level 6, Level 7 and Level 8) i. An individual module cannot be offered at more than one level. Level 0 is reserved exclusively for foundation year courses. 5.4 The relevant credit is awarded to a student who demonstrates that he/ she has achieved the specified learning outcomes, and not for time served. 5.5 Each module is assessed independently during the semester(s) in which it is delivered. The assessment criteria are specific to the module, and form part of the module description agreed at validation. The assessment regime is specified in the module description. 5.6 Modules can be common to more than one course, and have their own assessment criteria which apply irrespective of the course which utilises the module. Methods for recording performance in an individual module are specific to that module, and not to the courses utilising the module. 5.7 The designation of the module for each of the courses should be specified when the module is approved according to the following criteria: Mandatory: those that must be taken and passed; Compulsory: those that must be taken but may be compensated for; Optional: those that may be taken to broaden the programme of study, and which may be compensated for or replaced by an alternative optional module in the event of academic failure and as agreed by the Course Examination Board. 5.8 A module will normally be delivered by a particular school and it therefore will be the responsibility of that school. In some cases several schools may contribute and under those circumstances agreement will be reached as to which school will have 2

3 lead responsibility, usually on the basis of the school whose subject area constitutes the majority of the content of the module. 5.9 A module is normally the responsibility of one, and only one, Area Examination Board, or exceptionally, Course Examination Board Award classifications are determined by an algorithm whereby marks are weighted according to the module credit value. 6 Award titles 6.1 All awards have a dedicated award title. ly, no two awards will have the same title. Table 2 sets out general principles relating to the naming of awards. 6.2 The title of Master of Science (MSc) shall be used where studies are substantially science-based. Science-based is understood to denote content (for example in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering), and/ or methodological approach (for example in social science, business and management, and where knowledge is derived from empirical approaches of observation and data collection). 6.3 The title of Master of Arts (MA) shall be used in art and design, and the arts and humanities, and where the former criteria relating to methodology do not apply. 3

4 Research Third cycle credit not defined Research Postgraduate (taught) Second cycle Typically represented by ECTS (min of 60 ECTS) Graduate (taught) No equivalent in European Framework First cycle Typically 180 to 240 ECTS Undergraduate (taught) Short cycle (within 1 st cycle) Typically 120 ECTS Table 1 University Of Brighton Award Framework Award Certificate of Higher Education Cert HE 4 FHEQ Level ii Europe Level iii total credit value minimum credit at level of award FTE study (normal) Maximum registration iv year 4 years Diploma of Higher Education Dip HE years 6 years Foundation Degree Arts FdA Foundation Degree Science FdSc Foundation Degree Engineering FdEng years 6 years Bachelor of Arts BA Bachelor of Science BSc Bachelor of Engineering BEng 6 v to 3 years 8 years Bachelor of Arts BA (Hons) Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Engineering BEng (Hons) Bachelor of Laws LLB (Hons) years 8 years vi Graduate Certificate Grad Cert months 3 years Graduate Diploma Grad Dip months 4 years Professional Graduate Certificate in Education ProfGCE vii year 4 years Postgraduate Certificate PG Cert months 3 years Postgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE months 4 years Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery years 7 years ix BM BS viii Postgraduate Diploma PG Dip months 4 years Master of Architecture MArch years 6 years Integrated Masters degree years 10 years Master of Engineering MEng Master of Pharmacy with Honours MPharm (Hons) Master of Design MDes Master of Fine Art MFA Master of Computing MComp Master of Chemistry MChem Master of Arts MA year 6 years Master of Science MSc Master of Business Administration MBA Master of Public Administration MPA Master of Law LLM Master of Teaching and Learning MTL years x 5 years Master of Research MRes year 6 years Master of Philosophy MPhil 7 N/A N/A 2 years 3 years (4 years p/t) Professional Doctorate years xi 6 years Doctor of Education EdD Doctor of Midwifery D.Mid Doctor of Nursing D.Nursing Doctor of Occupational Therapy D.Occ.T Doctor of Physiotherapy D.PT Doctor of Podiatry D.Pod Doctor of Social Work D.S.W Doctor of Business Administration DBA Doctor of Counselling and Psychotherapy D.C.P Doctor of Biomedical Science DBMS Doctor of Healthcare DHC Doctor of Pharmacy DPharm 4

5 Award FHEQ Level ii Europe Level iii total credit value minimum credit at level of award FTE study (normal) Maximum registration iv Doctor of Engineering EngD years 6 years Doctor of Medicine MD xii 8 Doctor of Philosophy PhD 8 N/A N/A 3 years 5 years (6 years p/t) Foundation Year year 4 years University awards xiii No equivalent in European Framework Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector CTLLS year 3 years Certificate Cert months 3 years Foundation Certificate FCert year 4 years Certificate in Education CertEd Part-time = 2 years 5 years Foundation Diploma FDip year 4 years Diploma Dip years Diploma in Professional Studies DPS not specified Certificate in year not specified Diploma in Studies DMS not specified Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) year 4 years 5

6 Table 2 University of Brighton principles relating to award titles Title element Usage Example "and" 1. May be used between subject areas which could be award titles in 1. BSc(Hons) their own right, where the two subjects are equally weighted. Biology and "with" "for" 2. May also be used as a conjunction to indicate two linked areas within a single larger focus. Used between subject areas which could be award titles in their own right, but where a major award is listed first and minor award second this normally represents a weighting of subject areas of two thirds/one third. Synonymous with "used in", "with applications in" and "of relevance to". It may be used to indicate a skills orientation of the course content. Chemistry 2. BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering BA(Hons) History with Politics Mathematics for Brackets Used to denote pathways, specialisms or the bias of the course. FdSc Computing (Software Engineering) "by" Used to denote mode of learning (in exceptional circumstances). Design by Independent Study "" 1. Denotes reference to an approved field (equal, major or minor) and is indicative of the inclusion in its key topics, skills and techniques which relate to subject of study commonly called "". 2. Used in conjunction with an industry, service or business sector. Principles are not studied in general, but with particular reference to sector. 3. Describe activities at a functional level within an organisation and indicates course content which focuses on acquisition of skills to particular management function. 1. BSc(Hons) Physics with 2. MA Retail Services 3. MA Change "Studies" 1. Indicative of a broad (not focused) coverage within subject area. 1. BA(Hons) Cultural and "Science/s" "Environmental " "International" "European" 2. Add to a noun which would not in itself be indicative of an academic subject area. Indicates a particular methodology. Knowledge base of content should be that which has been established from observation, experience or data collection. Course content gives consideration to relevant factors and processes relating to and impacting upon the environment. 1. Added to a subject area which could be an award title in its own right, is indicative of the course including an awareness of that subject within an international context. 2. When used in a professional context it indicates that the course considers the role of that professional person within various countries. 1. Added to a subject area which could be an award title in its own right, is indicative of the course including an awareness of that subject within a context appropriate to the European continent. 2. When used in a professional context it indicates that the course considers the role of that professional person within (some) European countries. Historical Studies 2. Business Studies Biomedical Sciences Environmental Sciences MA International BA (Hons) International Accounting and Finance European Computing MA European Health Promotion 6

7 (CAF) Footnotes i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii The University has adopted the national framework of levels which spans further education and higher education module/ credit descriptors: levels 1 to 3 denote FE levels and levels 4 to 8 denote HE levels. Level 0 is reserved for use for Foundation year course modules. The previous nomenclature (HE level 0, 1, 2, 3 and M level) will fall out of use following implementation of the new framework. These credit level descriptors bring the University in line with the national credit framework (Higher Education Credit Framework for England). The FHEQ refers to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications published by the QAA. It describes qualifications levels in terms of award level descriptors 4 through 8 with 4 referring to Certificate level, 5 to Intermediate level, 6 to Honours level, 7 to Masters level, and 8 to Doctorate level. The previous nomenclature will fall out following implementation of the new framework. Europe Level refers to the Framework for Qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA), agreed at Bergen in 2005, which includes 3 cycles of higher education, and the typical ECTS points associated with the completion of each cycle. The maximum registration for taught courses refers to the maximum time a student is permitted in which to complete the course/programme, beginning when they first register for the course and ending with completion of that course. It is applicable to full-time and part-time modes of study (unless PSRB requirements state otherwise, the duration is approved at validation of the course and is clearly stated in course handbooks for students). A key principle determining the maximum registration is that the time taken to study 360 credits is set at 8 years and successive 120 credits are equivalent to 2 years worth of study; a lowest maximum registration is set at 3 years. (Further details can be found in ASC07-45). To note the proposed national level of the ordinary degree is at level 5 but remains at level 6 within the CAF. For one year undergraduate top-up awards leading to a BA/, the maximum registration period is 4 years; for two year BA/ awards, the maximum registration period is 6 years; for four year BA/ (including 4-year sandwich courses), the maximum registration period is 10 years. The Professional Graduate Certificate in Education may be referred to as a PGCE at other institutions. Joint award with the University of Sussex. 8 years where an intercalated degree is incorporated into the study. University of Brighton award is 3-5 years part-time only. University of Brighton award is 5 years part-time. Joint award with the University of Sussex. Awards specific to the University which do not form part of a national framework. 7