Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, completion of the Programme Proposal (Part A: Strategic Approval)takes approximately 4 months:

• 2 months: Completion of the form alongside the market research and consultation with Business Partners (Marketing, Finance, and Planning, as well as the College Academic Policy Partner).
• 1 month: Circulation to expert reviewers elsewhere in the University and responses to their comments as required.
• 1 month: Part A considered by CEC and then College Board, with feedback provided at each stage.

Completion of the Programme Proposal (Part B: Operational approval) takes approximately 5 months:

• 2 months: Completion of Part B alongside additional documents, in consultation with Business Partners.
• 1 month: Part B and accompanying documentation sent to independent external adviser for comment, as well as expert reviewers at UoB.
• 1 month: School responds to feedback and amends paperwork as necessary prior to School approval. 
• 1 month: Part B and accompanying documents considered by approval by CQAAC (before submission to UQAC).

These timeframes are based on the College Academic Policy Partners' experience for new programmes, and should be taken as a minimum timeframe. How long it takes paperwork to be written depends on the nature of the proposed programme and the staff resource/effort involved in completing the paperwork. 

No, you can do this on one proposal/modification form and one specification, just be clear that you require a full- and part-time pathway. The full- and part-time versions will be given separate programme codes. If the part-time version can be studied flexibly, please ensure you specify the minimum and maximum lengths on the programme specification. 

The University of Birmingham’s Regulations (24-25) - Section 5 (PDF - 188KB) state that: ‘For taught postgraduate and graduate taught programmes, the standard pattern of attendance, for a full-time Registered Student, is based on a credit load of up to 180 credits per University Session. This equates to attendance of up to forty hours per week over 45 weeks.’ There is no definition of part-time, to provide flexibility as it is expected that workload will vary by subject. 

For Taught Postgraduate programmes, the norm is that full-time programmes last one year and part-time versions last two years. There are, however, many instances in which it is preferable to offer more flexibility, particularly for part-time programmes; the Regulations allow that ‘Students are normally expected to complete an Award within the period specified in the programme requirements’. If a programme can be studied flexibly part-time it is essential that the programme specification provides the minimum and maximum periods of study.

When considering the appropriate length for a programme, it is important to consider the possible implication for students’ eligibility to apply for the Masters loan. The guidance states that, for students to be eligible, Masters courses can be ‘full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years’, ‘part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years (no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course)', or ‘part-time for up to 3 years’ if there is no equivalent full-time course. See the form bank for further information around PGT funding.

The programme needs to be approved by the College that will ‘own’ it, e.g. the College that runs most of the modules. The partner College should be consulted. The modules attached to the programme will need to be approved by whoever owns them (all modules have to have an owning department).

The number of credits to be undertaken by students in the/each subject named in their degree title are as follows:

• For a Bachelor's degree, 160 credits in a major subject area (and for a 'joint' degree, both subjects are major), 100 credits in a minor subject area. 
• For an Integrated Masters degree, 220 credits in a major subject area, 120 credits in a minor subject area.

With regards to qualification titles the University recommends following the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), in its Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies, states in section 6.23: 

'Qualification titles that reflect the subject focus of programmes of study in two disciplines (for example, a joint honours qualification) adopt nomenclatures based on:

• 'A and B', where there is an approximately equal balance between two components.
• 'A with B' for a major/minor combination where the minor subject accounts for at least a quarter of the programme.’

 

No, the College Marketing and Communications team will do this for you as they have the necessary expertise. Get in touch with your College's Head of Marketing and Communications as soon as possible.

Ideally, yes. As well as giving approval committees and stakeholders the opportunity to understand the programme as a whole, it ensures there are no inconsistencies in the paperwork that can arise if they are not developed side-by-side, e.g. differences in module titles between what is listed on the programme specifications and in the module paperwork. Moreover, it is best practice for the external adviser on new programmes to have access to the module proposals when making their comments. 

Please contact your College Academic Policy Partner, who will be able to advise. Considerations when ascertaining the classification of modification include the risk involved, whether additional resource is required, and the similarity in content to the existing programme. 

No (see the major modification section on the Modifying an Existing Programme page) - a new module can be added to multiple programmes via the module proposal process, as the programmes to which the new module will be added will be listed on the module specification form. (Ensure you include any information about the module's grouping, e.g. if the module is part of a particular subject theme or list/basket of optional modules). This will provide the Curriculum Management Team with all the information they need to add the modules to the relevant programmes without requiring a programme specification.

Similarly, a module withdrawal form can be used to remove an optional module from multiple programmes, without requiring a programme modification or revised programme specifications. 

For large-scale changes to the optional module portfolio, programme specifications are recommended in order to ensure the options are clearly mapped and the semesters are balanced. 

If the modification will result in a new Apprenticeship, Distance Learning, or Dubai programme then the Programme Proposal (Part A: Strategic Approval) must be completed before proceeding to the programme modification (see more information on the Proposing a New Programme page. Note that Part A must be approved before the exceptional programme modification form is submitted.

To add a pre-existing University of Birmingham intercalated year to a programme, e.g. a Year in Computer Science or a Year in International Business (Dubai), please submit a message to CMT via the relevant College Teams site. The message should confirm:

• which intercalated year is being added;
• all existing programme codes to which the intercalated year is being added;
• from what academic year the year will be added to the programme(s);
• the year of study when the intercalated year will be studied; and
• that the appropriate conversations and approval have taken place with all relevant parties e.g. at School and College level where appropriate (particularly that receiving the School can accommodate the students). 

No programme modification or specification form is required as the Curriculum Management Team will already have a record of which modules are available on the intercalated year.

Please note: the addition of a placement such as a year/semester abroad or a industrial placement requires the completion of a placement proposal form (see the Modifying an Existing Programme page). 

If you need further guidance please contact your College Academic Policy Partner, who will be able to advise.

Changes to a programme’s admissions requirements do not follow the normal programme modification process (as admissions requirements are not captured on the programme specification). To make changes to an admissions requirement please speak to your College Director of Education or Head of Marketing and Communications for guidance. Depending on how substantial the change is approval for it could lie at College or University level. A substantial change requiring approval by URAT (the University Recruitment, Admissions and Targets Board) could include changes to grades needed or English requirements; a minor change (likely to require College approval) could include adjusting the definition of allowable subjects. Your College Director of Education or Head of Marketing and Communications will be able to guide you on what the process is and what approval is needed.

Due to the length of the marketing, recruitment and admissions cycle there are hard deadlines for changes to admissions criteria to ensure prospective students can make an informed decision about whether to apply. For substantive undergraduate changes it is recommended that they are submitted by February of the preceding year (e.g. February 2024 for a change to the 25/26 academic year), with the final deadline being May of the preceding year. For substantive PGT changes it is recommended to submit changes by June of the preceding year, with September as the hard deadline. 

Competition and Markets Authority guidance may need to be considered for any modification submitted after students have accepted their offer. In these cases in particular, colleagues are asked to consider whether the proposed change is going to make a difference to something that prospective/current students are expecting to experience and, if it is, to make an appropriate risk-based decision about whether to proceed with the change and whether/how to communicate with prospective/current students. (The Module Development page also contains useful guidance on making changes and consultation required). 

The University have put together a short Canvas course where you’ll learn about the University’s obligations under Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance, and how we can make sure that we are providing up-to-date, accurate and timely information to prospective students. If you’d like to complete the course then please contact Lauren Neale, who can add you to the course on Canvas.

The CMA's 'Higher Education: Consumer Law Advice for Providers' (updated 31/05/23) can be accessed here. 

When considering programme changes and their impact on students, it is useful to take into account what information students have about the programme. Sources of information available to students before they arrive include: the prospectus, Coursefinder and other marketing materials, the online Programmes and Modules Handbook, and the Programme Factsheet. The Programme Factsheet is a PDF document made available alongside offer letters that provides key information about the relevant programme of study and forms part of the University’s contract with offer-holders.

Each Programme Factsheet contains the key summary information specified in CMA guidance including a list of compulsory modules and an indication of the broad allocation of assessment methods across the programme, as well as a link to the Programmes and Modules Handbook (PMH). The full suite of Factsheets is hosted on our website (on the Information for Applicants page). 

Sources of information provided to students on/after arrival include student handbooks produced within the School/Department, module choice information provided to students, etc.

Verbal sources of information should also be considered, such as Open Day and Offer-Holder Visit Day talks (some of which are available to students online afterwards) and/or their accompanying slides, which outline details of the programme.

 

Minor programme changes

As minor modifications are largely of an administrative or operational nature, in many cases the changes will not affect prospective students (or relate to information used to promote the programme), so your College Marketing Team do not need to be consulted.  If, however, these changes relate to the addition or removal of optional modules, please advise Marketing once the changes have been approved so that any marketing materials can be updated accordingly; where new modules are introduced this could also provide an opportunity to initiate positive communications with the prospective students as a conversion activity.

Major/exceptional programme changes

Please be aware that your College Marketing Team is not able to publicise programme changes until they have been formally approved, as it is important that the approved version of a programme is promoted at all times. However, it is helpful if you can advise Marketing colleagues when significant changes are in progress so that they plan accordingly – for example, to ensure that updates to print materials are scheduled at appropriate times. 

Some changes may also require you to communicate with prospective students. If you are in a position where you need to communicate with prospective students, you should work with your College Marketing Team to develop the communication (contact your College Marketing Team for further information).

Programme withdrawals

These should be processed in time for Marketing to reflect the withdrawal in the print and online prospectuses. In the case of undergraduate programmes, Admissions will also be able to ensure that the withdrawal is reflected on the UCAS website.

The CMA has focused on undergraduate programmes, but the University is applying the same principles to postgraduate programmes (although students on postgraduate programmes do not receive a Programme Factsheet).

If it is not considered possible to make a risk-based decision within the College (e.g. because it is a particularly complex or high risk issue) then either your College Academic Policy Partner or College Marketing Team will contact Legal Services on your behalf.

The specification outlines the programme’s aims, learning outcomes, and modules, so generally each programme will have its own specification. This includes distance learning or transnational versions of campus programmes (e.g. programmes running in Dubai), as these programmes will have different modules attached (as well as other differences, such as location of teaching). When creating a new Dubai programme, for example, the UK version of the specification would generally be used as a basis for the Dubai version, with the necessary alterations being made (with changes untracked). Having separate specifications also reduces the chance of confusion, e.g. between which modules are available on which programmes. 

There are some exceptions. Part-time programmes can be included on the same specification as the full-time version, assuming they have the same structure. Make sure the programme code is included and that it is clear (if you are submitting a programme proposal) that a part-time version is required.

Similarly, alternative exit qualifications can appear on the same specification; the programme requirements section can be used to outline the modules associated with each award (CertHE, DipHE etc.). 

There are programmes that have programme codes but that do not have specifications. These include standard PhD programmes (that have no taught content) and affiliate programmes, i.e. programmes set up (often at the department level) to allow students to register on a small number of modules. There are some PGR programmes that require a specification, such as professional doctorates, PhDs with integrated study, or MRes programmes, i.e. programmes that include any taught content. As for any taught programme they should provide the programme’s aims, learning outcomes etc. and the modules that are attached the programme.

The programme aims are published on the University of Birmingham’s website. They are intended to provide information to prospective students, current students and, potentially, to employers looking at students’ transcripts.

As long as no prospective student has been issued with or accepted an offer, a programme can be withdrawn with minimal risk. This is because no binding contract will have been formed with any prospective student, as it is the point at which an offer is accepted that a binding contract is formed. In these circumstances, Marketing are able to remove the programme (or the ability to apply for the programme) from the website.

In the case of undergraduate programmes, Admissions can also ensure that the withdrawal is reflected on the UCAS website. Prospective students (i.e. enquirers and applicants) will need to be contacted immediately once the withdrawal has been formally approved. You should work with your College Marketing Team to develop the communication, which can be sent using the CRM system (contact your College Marketing team for further information).

Please note, the undergraduate prospectus is published more than 18 months before the corresponding intake. For example, for September 2025 entry the prospectus is published in January 2024.

This carries very significant risks and so can only be done in exceptional circumstances. Please contact your College Academic Policy Partner, as the University’s Student Protection Plan may need to be used.

The decision to withdraw from a collaborative arrangement should be taken in agreement with senior staff at School and College level. The Apprenticeships and Partnerships Team can advise on how best to proceed, depending on the circumstances and to avoid any potential issues (reputational, financial etc.).

If the full programme is being withdrawn (i.e. it will not be offered outside the collaborative arrangement) the programme withdrawal form will need to be completed.

Taught or Research Student Administration in Registry will be able to inform you of any students who have the right to retrieve a failure in this programme or if there are students on a leave of absence.

Many Undergraduate programmes can be ‘fed’ by Foundation pathways run by the Birmingham International Academy. These programmes are advertised to students seeking to undertake the foundation pathways, to illustrate the programmes to which they can progress and their requirements. It is therefore crucial that the Birmingham International Academy are informed of any changes in offering so that the marketing material can be amended accordingly.  

The list of UG programmes that are currently being advertised to prospective BIA students is available on the Degree Finder on Kaplan's website. This searchable list should be consulted whenever a decision to withdraw or suspend a UG programme is being made.

Module attributes can be recorded on module specifications. These are relevant where it is useful to put modules into categories, such as a subject-based category, e.g. to indicate that a module can contribute to a specialist minor/pathway (if not already obvious from the programme requirements). It could also be used to put modules into a themed category, such as 'Languages for All modules'. 

Note this box is not mandatory and can be left blank if not relevant/helpful. 

A pre-requisite module is one that students must have taken in a previous academic session in order to be eligible to register on the later, higher module. (A pre-requisite module would not normally be a compulsory module, as students are registered on these automatically).

Note that students simply need to have attempted the pre-requisite module, rather than pass it. Failing a pre-requisite module would not have implications for progression and a student would not be required to wait for resits before registering on the higher module.

If a School requires a pre-requisite module to have been passed, e.g. because the knowledge cannot be obtained elsewhere during the year/will have detrimental effect on the following study, this must be noted in the module specification and in the programme requirements section of the programme specification (and in progression documents). 

There is also a space on the module specification where additional pre-requisites, that are not other UoB modules, can be entered if applicable, e.g. a particular language requirement or other prior knowledge.

A co-requisite module is a module on which students have to register at the same time as another module (in the same academic session), but not pass before undertaking the other, i.e. students cannot take one without the other. Again, these would not be compulsory modules as students are automatically registered on these. 

The module specification form includes a question on whether the module has an approved exemption from Regulations, including exceptions relating to the semesterised teaching year structure. This structure requires modules to be delivered in a single same semester.

If a module has an approved exemption, please detail this in the relevant section of the module specification (or if you're using an older template, simply add a row if required).

If the programme as a whole has an exemption, this does not need to be detailed on each module specification; rather, it should be outlined in the relevant section of the programme specification. On the module specifications, simply write, e.g., ‘Approved programme level exception, see programme specification for details’.

If you wish to request a new exception, this will require the completion of a form with College and UoB-level approval. Your College Academic Policy Partner can provide guidance on this.

All modules, including those delivered via Distance Learning, should include a breakdown of contact hours, e.g. the number of hours in lectures, seminars etc. (hover over each type of contact on the module specification for a definition). 

Note that each credit amounts to 10 hours of 'student effort', so a 20 credit module should have 200 hours total, the majority of which will be made up of 'guided independent study', i.e. work undertaken by students outside contact hours, such as revision, work towards an essay, research etc. 

It is left to the module leader’s discretion as to what contact time is most appropriate for the subject. Some departments may have a standard number of contact hours across their modules to ensure consistency, e.g. 20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars for a UG module, but there is freedom with this as long as the total amount of student effort adds up to the correct number of hours for the credit value.

For modules delivered via Distance Learning, the total student effort should be stated as usual and module leaders should put contact hours and some freetext commentary in the individual contact hours boxes to explain how the module will be delivered (note the hours can be indicative only), e.g.:

• Lecture: 'Approx. 10 hours of video lectures plus 19 hours of teaching material (1 hour per unit)'; '16 hours of content presented via Canvas, including video material'; '20 hours of online asynchronous lectures and online interactive activities'. 
• Seminar: '4 hours of live seminar'; '8 online synchronous seminars with mandatory attendance'.
• Tutorial: '3 hours, via online contact'; '12 hours of tutor support through discussion'; 'Students must attend 2 online synchronous assessment 'clinics''.
• Project supervision: '8 hours supervision on dissertation project'.

The remaining hours would be included in guided independent study as usual.

Some top tips are:

• Focus on outcomes not processes, i.e. what should students be able to do by the end of the module?
• Start each outcome with an action verb, e.g. 'identify', 'compare', 'analyse'.
• Use only one action verb per outcome.
• Avoid vague verbs e.g. 'understand' ('demonstrate an understanding' is preferable).
• Check that the verbs reflect the level of learning required, e.g. verbs such as 'summarise', 'outline', 'discuss', and 'illustrate' would be more appropriate for a LC module, where students are introduced to an area, whereas 'evaluate', 'appraise', and 'assess' are more appropriate for LH and higher, where students are expected to be able to make critical judgements based on a sound knowledge base.
• Ensure that outcomes are measurable and linked to the module's assessment, e.g. if students are expected to demonstrate interpersonal skills this cannot be assessed purely through an essay.
• Limit the number of outcomes.

The level of the module indicates its complexity, depth of study, and is often linked to the year of study, outlined below:

Levels

OfS Sector-recognised standards	UoB
Level 4	C: Certificate Level, equivalent to UG Year 1
Level 5	I: Intermediate Level, equivalent to UG Year 2
Level 6	H: Honours Level, equivalent to UG Year 3
Level 7	M: Masters Level
Level 8	D: Doctoral Level

It is possible to offer a module at multiple levels, e.g. at LH and LM; these modules will have different module codes and module specifications. Modules at different levels would be expected to be differentiated in the learning outcomes, e.g. students at a lower level might only be expected to 'summarise' or 'outline', whereas at the higher level they would be able to 'critically appraise' or 'evaluate'. The level of the module would also be differentiated through the assessment; while the method of assessment can be (but does not have to be) the same for all levels, the criteria/rubric against which it is marked would be different, i.e. the expectations would be different for an LH 4000 word essay compared to an LM 4000 word essay. Processes such as moderation and external examining ensure that modules are assessed against their correct level.

The module specification provides information on the overall method of assessment: it should not contain granular information about the assessment itself, e.g. the subject/topic of coursework, names of specific software that may be used, or how many questions will be asked, thereby giving module leads the flexibility to change these as required without requiring approval. The information in the specification should be the minimum required to check the assessment is an appropriate and suitable means of assessing the learning outcomes and to ensure alignment with the principles of the assessment load guidance (PDF - 225KB) and the course's assessment strategy and/or accreditation requirements. This would generally be the type of assessment (see the section on the coursework and examination assessment categories for examples), the word length for written work, and the time in minutes/hours for presentations/exams. 

Yes, within limits. Students could have the option to choose between, e.g., a 2000 word blog post or an essay, a literature review or a presentation (i.e. assessments in the same assessment category), as long as the School and College are satisfied that the module paperwork demonstrates: a sound pedagogic reason for giving students the choice; that the options would require equivalent student effort; and that either assessment would allow students to meet the module’s learning outcomes. The choices would also have to be made clear to the students.

Due to the complexity of organising centrally timetabled exams, this could not be one of the options; to provide students with the opportunity to choose an exam, it would have to be timetabled internally (and it would be up to the School/College to decide if there was sufficient resource to allow this). 

In this answer you should refer to the Birmingham Teaching and Learning handbook and the three guiding principles to embed sustainability into our teaching and learning. Examples of good practice are also included here e.g. including specific case studies, guest lectures or the relevant SDGs. Answers may also highlight which of the Birmingham sustainability education principles are included and specific examples of how/where they are achieved. It would be appropriate/useful to refer to which of the sustainability competencies are included in the module and specifically highlight if sustainability is included in assessment.

If you are unsure about how/where to embed sustainability into your module, but would like to, please contact the Academic Director of Sustainability Education (Prof Julia Myatt; j.p.myatt@bham.ac.uk). It may not be suitable/possible for all modules to refer to sustainability. If this is the case for your module, please highlight how/where students receive exposure to sustainability elsewhere in their degree programme.

Example answer: Students will be introduced to the core SDGs covered in this module (SDGs 2, 13, 14 and 15) during the introductory lecture (principle one). The complexity of the challenges across the three pillars and other SDGs are also considered in a later discussion session (enabling students to develop their systems-thinking and integrated problem-solving competencies; aligns with principle two). Students will choose their own current topic for their group assessment (to produce a public engagement video; aligns with principle three), and the themes suggested will include the climate crisis and the food insecurity. This assessment enables students to develop the sustainability competencies: futures-thinking, normative, collaboration and critical-thinking.

No, changes to the semester in which the module is delivered and to the module lead can be made simply by emailing the Curriculum Management Team. Changes to formative assessment also do not require formal approval; any changes to formative assessment should be made by administrative staff in your School (a revised specification can be sent to CMT for their records once the changes have been made locally).

• Changes to the title of an existing module. 
• Changing the level of an existing module, e.g. from LC to LI.
• Changing the credit value of an existing module, e.g. from 10 to 20 credits.

When making changes that will result in a new module code, it is important that the deadlines related to Timetabling are adhered to. If a late change that will result in the generation of a new module code is being proposed, please consider whether the change can be postponed. 

No - one modification form can be used to cover numerous modules to explain the changes and rationale. Separate specifications are required, however.

Similarly, multiple modules can be withdrawn on one withdrawal form, if the rationale is the same.