B1: Programme design and approval

• QAA - Quality Code B1: Programme, design and approval 

Overview of course approval, monitoring and review

The University assures and enhances the quality and standards of its academic awards through three key processes, which are those for:

• establishing new academic awards
• continuous monitoring of academic awards
• the periodic review of academic awards

These processes apply equally to University awards delivered on-site and off-site. Course approval and review are carried out by Course Approval and Review Teams CART (CART). Each academic School is assigned a CART with the remit to consider proposals for the approval of new award courses and modules and major revisions to existing award courses; the CART is also responsible for the periodic review of existing award courses.

From 2011/2, the process for regular monitoring of all taught provision will become a continuous process of enhancement planning. This will replace annual monitoring, which provided a ‘snapshot’ view of provision in the previous academic session and was therefore essentially backward looking. More detailed information will be published and publicised during 2011/2.

The processes of course approval, monitoring and review are managed on behalf of the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee by the Academic Quality Unit (AQU). Each School is supported in the development, approval, monitoring and review of courses by an Academic Quality Officer.

There is a summary of the Guidance documents on this site.