Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme

The Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (the Scheme) applies to all taught courses in the University and its Affiliated College, with the exception of the Bachelor of Medicine programme. Credit points are assigned by faculties to every unit in accordance with the principles set out in the Guide and Regulations (below). Details of unit credit ratings may be obtained from Faculty/ College Offices; in most cases they correspond to the proportion of the total course of which the unit forms a part. The Scheme is open to all students.

Qualifications and Credit Framework

Introduction

The Scheme allows students to qualify for awards of the University through the accumulation of credit points for units which are the building blocks of programmes of study. Students may be permitted to assemble individual programmes according to their needs and interests and credit points may be given for previous formal courses of study. A series of awards is available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Students undertake an overall programme of study which has stated aims, objectives and learning outcomes which demonstrate coherence, balance and progression through the units it contains. Units taken and credit points obtained are recorded annually and a transcript which also shows where credit points have been "cashed in" for an award, is available to the student.

The Scheme also permits students to study individual course units without the immediate aim of achieving an award.

Definitions

In this Guide the following definitions are used:

Credit: A quantified means of expressing equivalence of learning. Credit is awarded to a learner in recognition of the verified achievement of designated learning outcomes at a specified level.

Notional Learning Time: The number of hours which it is expected a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. The most widely used credit: notional learning time ratio used in England is 1 credit: 10 hours.

Credit Level: An indicator of the relative demand, complexity and depth of learning and of learner autonomy. The level identifies the relative demands of learning which will be required of a learner undertaking a module/unit of learning.

Credit Level Descriptors: A statement which describes the characteristics of learning demand which the learner will encounter at each credit level. The level descriptors are a guide (to the curriculum designer and to learners) as to the kinds of demands it is appropriate to make of learners at each of the designated levels. As such they are generic in nature and can be applied across subject disciplines and modes of learning. See Section 8 of the QA Handbook Table B for the University's guidance on assessment descriptors by level.

Programme of Study: Is the named award for which a student is registered.

Unit/Module: Is the component parts of a programme to which credit points are assigned.

Regulations

Introduction

1. These regulations govern the Framework in general. Detailed regulations relating to defined programmes of study are contained in other Sections of the Calendar.
   
   
2. The Scheme provides for the following awards:
   
   at undergraduate level:
   

Certificate of Higher Education
Diploma of Higher Education/Foundation Degree
Honours degree of Bachelor
Ordinary degree of Bachelor
Integrated Masters degree – 4 years

at postgraduate level:

Proposed Graduate Certificate) Graduate qualification
Proposed Graduate Diploma) in time but not in level
Postgraduate Certificate
Postgraduate Diploma
Degree of Master
MRes
Professional Doctorate

by the accumulation of academic credit points through programmes of study composed of units. A student's programme of study may be taken by full-time or, where permitted, by part-time study, and may incorporate credit points for appropriate prior learning and for the successful completion of employment-based training.

Principles

1. The University is committed to implementing the national credit framework as a means of motivating students by the cumulative recognition of their learning as they progress and to facilitate transfer from one programme to another, or from one institution to another.
   
   
2. Within programme specifications, staff have identified a series of formal learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria for each unit. The relationship between level, credit and learning outcomes define the standard which is met when all the relevant assessment criteria have been satisfied.
   
   
3. Grade Points
   The Faculties of the University have not found the use of grade points to be of benefit. Whilst the system has its strengths, it weaknesses outweigh them. As a profiling system, it does not accommodate standard numerical aggregation: as a result there is a need to convert beck into percentage or constantly reassess the profile of a student to arrive at an overall average mark. As from 2002/3 the system of grade points is withdrawn.
   
   
4. Re-use of Credit
   Credit may be kept and used to satisfy the credit requirements of any award for which the credit learning is deemed relevant. Credit may contribute towards a higher award (more credits at the same and/or higher level) but not towards another award of equivalent or lower status.
   
   Examples:
   
   A student who achieves a Foundation Degree could use the relevant credit towards an Honours Degree, but not towards an HND or a DipHE or another Foundation Degree.
   
   A maximum of 20 credits at H6 may be used towards a Postgraduate Certificate and a maximum of 30 credits at H6 may be used towards a Postgraduate Diploma. (See Section 2.2.3 of the QA Handbook).
   
   
5. Condonement
   Condonement is defined as the process by which an assessment board, in consideration of the overall performance of a student, decides that without incurring a penalty, a unit(s) that have been failed, do not need to be redeemed.
   
   The University does not favour the use of condonement unless it is assigned to the responsibility of a Special Consideration Exam Board which looks in detail at individual personal cases who have submitted extenuating circumstances as reason for failure or poor performance.
   
   
6. Compensation
   Compensation is defined as the process by which an assessment board may decide that a strong performance by a student in one part of a programme may be used as the basis for the award of credit in respect of a failed performance elsewhere. ASQC has considered the conflict that this practice clearly has with the main principles of a credit system that assumes that credit is only awarded for meeting prescribed learning outcomes.
   
   Our own Faculties and most of the institutions surveyed by the Academic Registrars' Council wish to permit some form of compensation and reject the idea that it should be removed in the credit-based system. Strathclyde's rationale is a good one and the University endorses their view that:
   
   "The big weakness of all credit systems is the excessive volume of summative assessment required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes in each individual module. Further, whilst 'knowledge content' is for the most part distinct between different modules, inevitably some learning outcomes in the areas of 'understanding' and 'generic skills' are duplicated, resulting in high work load for modest learning experience. 'Compensation schemes' are one way to address these issues and they should be accepted as legitimate provided they are appropriately designed and made clear to the students in advance, and on student transcripts."
   
   

The principles of applying compensation are as follows:

1. Compensation be permitted at all levels of undergraduate programmes.
   
2. Minimum credit values for each level of qualification be adopted in line with the recommended credit values of HE qualification as set out in the attached tables.
   
3. At each level, compensation may be allowed in up to a maximum 30 credit points; students may be permitted to proceed provided that performance in the remaining minimum credit points compensates.
   
4. Compensation is not permitted in either core units.
   
5. These arrangements permit flexibility for a student in level 2 to take non-core units up to a value of 30 credits in level 3 or vice-versa. It also permits a level 2/3 student taking ab initio option units up to 30 credits. This would facilitate a wider range of options being made available and allow students to be taught together. However in such instances different assessment criteria for both levels must be devised and the difference in assessment levels made very clear to students.
   
6. Faculties are required to adopt these principles as standard but retain discretion over their aggregation and classification schemes until a review is prompted following the restructuring of Faculties/Schools
   
   

Admission of Students

• The admission of students to the Scheme is governed by the established entry requirements of the University faculty and/or school or of the relevant college, as appropriate.
  
• The majority of students are admitted to complete programmes of study which lead to an award. However, students may be admitted with credit points from previous study elsewhere. Approval of such admission with advanced standing is at the discretion of the University or the college concerned and is subject to there being sufficient evidence available to arrive at a judgement of both the level and equivalent credit points of the student's prior learning, which may include the evaluation of prior experiential learning and industrial training.
  
  It is also possible for students to study for credit points associated with individual units, for example continuing education modules, but without the immediate aim of achieving an award.
  

Credit Framework

Credit Framework for the University of Southampton

* The highest level is the level of the qualification

** Graduate qualifications in time but not in level e.g. PGCE or qualifications in Nursing: The QAA designate these at level 6.