PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE PAC/APP/4 1 Awarding Institution: University of Exeter 2 School(s)/Teaching Institution: School of Biosciences 3 Programme accredited/validated by: 4 Final Award(s): MSc; Postgraduate Diploma 5 Programme Title: Aquatic Biology & Resource Management 6 UCAS Code (if relevant): 7 FHEQ Level of Final Award(s): M 8 QAA Subject Benchmarking Biosciences Group: 9 Date of Production/Revision: June 2007 10 Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules, Credits and Awards Programmes of Study Students study a 180-credit degree programme, which is largely University-based, although various fieldwork components will require day visits to appropriate freshwater and marine sites away from campus, in addition to ~1 week research cruise onboard the Cefas "Endeavour". Normally, all full-time students are required to study 180 credits during a one-year stage, although provision for part-time study can be made. Part-time students negotiate the pattern of modules over the agreed time scale of their programme of study. The following describes the programme as planned for delivery at the time of this specification. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced in future years as a consequence of normal programme development. Details at any time may be obtained from the School web sites. A module may be taken only if the necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, if the timetable allows, and if the module or an equivalent module has not been taken previously. Other modules and study components can be taken only with the approval of the Programme Director. Modules are not always available every year; options are not available within the current version of this MSc programme. The credit rating of a module is proportional to its overall workload and one credit is nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work. The pass mark for award of credit in an individual module is 50%. The overall mark for the classification of the final award is calculated in proportion to the credit value of the programme's constituent modules. Full Assessment and Classification Regulations are available on the University and School web sites. MSc in Aquatic Biology and Resource Management The programme comprises the following modules (credit values in brackets). All modules must be taken to complete 180 credits. In some cases the maintenance of a coherent programme means that the choice of an option module depends on option modules chosen concurrently or previously. MSc students take the following modules: BIOM509 - Professional Skills (15 credits) BIOM520 - Fisheries Science (15 credits) BIOM521 - Marine Fisheries - Practical Field Skills (15 credits) BIOM522 - Freshwater and Estuarine Science - Practical Field Skills (15 credits) BIOM523 - Aquatic Environmental Perturbations (15 credits) BIOM524 - Aquatic Conservation & Management (15 credits) BIOM526 - Masters Research Project in Aquatic Biology & Resource Management (90 credits) 11 Educational Aims of the Programme In accord with those of the University as a whole, the general aims of this programme are: To provide education for students intended to give them competence in their chosen discipline, and to
encourage them to develop their intellectual capabilities within an institution that is committed to advancing research, scholarship and learning, and to disseminating knowledge. More specifically, this programme aims: 1. To provide students with knowledge and understanding of topics that underpin our understanding of research-informed frontiers in aquatic biology and resource management. 2. To provide students with a scientific, intellectual, and practical training that will enhance their employability and prepare them for autonomous lifelong learning. 3. To enable students to experience a supportive learning environment that fosters their academic and personal development. 12 Programme Outcomes In accord with those of the University as a whole, the intended general outcomes of this programme are: Successful students will have demonstrated a systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of study, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge that is informed by the forefront of the discipline The intended specific learning outcomes for the Programme are that a student will be able to: Subject knowledge 1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in Aquatic Biology & Resource Management, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the field of study; 2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of a range of techniques applicable to research in Aquatic Biology & Resource Management; Core academic skills 3. Demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline; 4. Demonstrate a conceptual understanding that enables them to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline, to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses. Personal and key skills 5. Be able to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences; 6. Be able to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level; 7. Be able to continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level;
The programme broadly conforms to the QAA Benchmark Statements for Biosciences with the QAA's Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - January 2001 13 Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods Within the programme, teaching and learning activities are designed to encourage acquisition of subject knowledge and skills by independent learning. The programme uses a diversity of teaching, learning and assessment methods. Teaching and learning activities include: lectures; seminars; workshops; laboratory classes; fieldwork (including on board sea-going vessels); work involving specialised facilities and equipment; research project or dissertation; and group work. Students have online access to learning materials via WebCT. Assessment takes place through short answer and multiple choice tests; practical work and reports; quantitative problems; project report or dissertation; oral presentations. Students are made aware of the marking criteria for all major pieces of work. Students have frequent opportunities to receive feedback on their performance from the Programme Director (or designated academic) and they are encouraged to employ the University's provision for planning their own educational and personal development. 14 Support for Students and Students Learning The Programme Director will offer every student a meeting each term with an academic who provides guidance and feedback on assessment performance. The Schools' fileservers and websites include the student handbook and learning materials. Every student has access to computers and printers within the Schools. Each student can expect reasonable access to all teaching staff through appointments. The Student/Staff Liaison Committee of the participating School enables students and staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision. In addition, students are provided with Induction course before the start of their first year (2 days) Library induction sessions Student handbook and module guides Year Tutor who follows the cohort from stage 1 through to graduation Cohort meetings each semester Access to School Disability Officers The University provides a wide range of student support services including: Student Counselling Service; Study Skills Service; Student Advice Centre (Guild of Students); International Office; Student Health Centre; Nursery (Streatham campus); Chaplaincy; English and Foreign Language Centres; Disability Resource Centre. The University Library maintains its principal collections in the main library buildings on the Streatham and St Luke's campuses, together with a library at Tremough and a number of specialist collections in certain Schools. The total Library collection comprises over a million volumes and 3000 current periodical subscriptions. Information Technology (IT) Services provide a wide range of services throughout the University including open access computer rooms, some of which are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Additionally, some Schools have their own dedicated facilities. Computers are available for use by students in the Richards Building on St. Luke s campus and the Geoffrey Pope and Hatherly Buildings on the Streatham campus. Helpdesks are maintained on the Streatham campus, while most study bedrooms in halls and flats are linked to the University's campus network. In addition to these generic facilities, the MSc in Aquatic Biology and Resource Management will have its own dedicated laboratory/desk area with computing and printing
facilities specific to these students. The University Careers Advisory Service provides expert advice to all students to enable them to plan their futures, through guidance interviews, psychometric testing, employer presentations, skills events, practice job interviews and CV preparation. 15 Admission Criteria Candidates must satisfy the general admissions requirements of the University and of the School of Biosciences. University entrance requirements for degree programmes are found in the University of Exeter Prospectus. The University is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity and aims to provide an admissions procedure that is free from unfair discrimination. The entrance requirements for the Aquatic Biology & Resource Management programme are as follows. University graduates A minimum of a lower second class (2.2) honours degree in a relevant science subject. These include those directly involved with Biological Sciences or Environmental Sciences. Other applicants Applications are welcomed from mature people [over the age of 21], those with non-standard qualifications, and overseas students. Each will be considered on an individual basis and possibly will be invited for interview. It is valuable if applicants have undertaken some recognised systematic course of study within the last three years [e.g. validated Access course, Open University, GCE, BTEC]. Overseas students must show proficiency in English and have an appropriate qualification (e.g. Certificate of Proficiency in English of the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, IELTS, TOEFL and other equivalent examinations). The Schools will consider sensitively and sympathetically any application from disabled or widening participation applicants. All teaching and examination materials (including WebCT) will be prepared according current university guidelines to facilitate accessibility. Some modules include fieldwork components, including a short cruise (~ 7 days) aboard the Cefas research vessel Endeavour. Any student with a disability that prevented them participating in such fieldwork will be provided with an equivalent landbased exercise that allows them to achieve the same intended learning outcomes and complete the same assessments. For example, in place of the Endeavour marine research cruise a student could review of fish market and post-catch processing technologies on land, and/or visit(s) Cefas site(s) (e.g. Weymouth, Lowestoft etc.) to review data handling processes, computer modelling, remote sensing technologies used as part of marine fisheries fieldwork. 16 Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed School assessment marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures. The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the external examiners appointed for each programme. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code for external examiners and include access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. Attendance at the Board of Examiners and the provision of an annual report are both required. Clear procedures are also in place for the monitoring of these annual reports at both School and University level. See the University's TQA Manual for details of these processes (http://www.ex.ac.uk/admin/academic/tls/tqa/). 17 Indicators of Quality and Standards
The University and its constituent Schools draw on a range of data in their regular review of the quality of provision. The annual produced Performance Indicator Dataset details admission, progression, completion and first career destination data, including comparisons over a five-year time-span. The Department of Biological Sciences was subject to QAA Subject Review in 2000, when the provision was rated as excellent (22 out of 24 points). 18 Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards The University has procedures in place for the regular review of its educational provision, including the annual review of both modules and programmes which draw on feedback from such sources as external examiners' reports, student evaluation, student achievement and progression data. In addition, subject areas are reviewed every three years through a subject and programme quality review scheme that includes external input. These procedures are recorded in codes of practice contained in the TQA Manual. The School of Biosciences Learning and Teaching Committee and Student/Staff Liaison committee meet termly to consider business related to this MSc programme and report to the School Meeting. Student evaluation of modules is collected and considered by these committees. 26.10.06 dfb/progspecs/progspec8