Minimum expectations for levels of teaching and learning activity

Students would expect to spend 10 hours learning on average to gain one academic credit, including scheduled teaching and directed learning activities and private study time. This guidance refers to scheduled teaching and directed learning activity which includes synchronous teaching and learning and directed asynchronous learning activities completed onsite or remotely.

The provisions which are outlined on this page were first introduced as follows and have been applied from the start of the following academic sessions:

• 2012/13 Students on the Foundation Stage and Qualifying Stage of Honours Degree and Integrated Masters programmes
• 2013/14 Students on Part I of Honours Degree and Integrated Masters programmes
• 2014/15 Students on Part II of Honours Degree and Integrated Masters programmes and students on Part III of Integrated Masters programmes.
• 2021/22 Students on post graduate taught programmes

Scheduled teaching and directed learning activities include digital learning, delivered onsite or remotely and in-person teaching. Activities may be synchronous or directed asynchronous and include for example:

• Demonstrations
• External visits
• Fieldwork and placements
• Lectures
• Practical classes and workshops (including labs and clinical skills)
• Project supervision
• Seminars
• Supervised time in studio/workshop
• Tutorials
• Work-based learning

The levels below relate to a student following a typical programme of study (based upon modules comprising 120 credits per year and there being 22 teaching weeks in the year) and provide the minimum number of scheduled learning hours per 10 credits:

• 22 hours for students taking the Foundation Stage or Qualifying Stage of Honours Degree and Integrated Masters programmes
• 18 hours for students taking Part I of Honours Degree or Integrated Masters programmes
• 15 hours for students on Part II of Honours Degree or Integrated Masters programmes and for students taking Part III of Integrated Masters programmes.
• For a student on a post graduate taught course (based on modules comprising 180 credits per year and there being 22 teaching weeks per year) the minimum number of teaching hours per 10 credits is 7 hours. 

Study hours on placement modules may be counted towards the above totals. 

These are typical pathways. Any Schools which do not provide a typical pathway are still expected to aim for these levels as far as possible. This will not be directly applicable to UoN apprenticeship programmes where work-based learners have non-standard timetabling through each year of study (please refer to specific programme provision).

 

Every taught postgraduate student completing a full Master's qualification (whether full or part time, on a professional course, or on a distance learning course) must be allocated a Master's project supervisor and must be informed of who this is prior to the start of substantive work on the Master's project. The assignment of a supervisor to each student will be the responsibility of the appropriate personnel within each School. If the allocated supervisor cannot fulfil their duties for unforeseen circumstances (e.g. illness), the School will allocate a replacement supervisor and notify the student of the change in a timely manner. 

Regulation around Master's project supervision provides that;

• Schools will ensure that supervisors at least meet the minimum number of meetings and contacts described in the PGT supervision guidance document. It is also recommended that Schools ensure similar experiences for students by stipulating a maximum number of meetings and contacts and setting the date when supervision of the project will end.
• The same minimum and maximum numbers of supervisory meetings apply to all students regardless of visa status.  However, where the student is in the UK on a student visa they need to consider the timing of their supervision meetings as where there is no simultaneous teaching activity (normally June – August inclusive) the student must have a monthly PGT supervision meeting during this period in line with the UKVI guidance for staff (link provided below), whereas these would be optional for students not on a student visa.
• It will be the supervisor’s responsibility to initiate the introductory contact. Providing the student has been advised of who their supervisor is, it is the student’s responsibility to initiate any subsequent contacts required thereafter. Students that fail to respond or maintain contact with their supervisor do so at their own choosing for which the School will not be held responsible. Student visa holders who fail to respond or maintain contact with their supervisor will risk immigration compliance implications in accordance with the terms of their student visa.
• Supervisors will offer the opportunity to receive feedback if deemed necessary by the student, on the progress of the project prior to submission. Schools are to determine the level of feedback offered and to advise students accordingly e.g. one review of a chapter or a % of the document. If feedback is required, the work should be submitted in the agreed manner by the agreed deadline.
• Schools will ensure that additional support provisions are highlighted to their students (examples can be found in the PGT Supervision guidance) for students to access independently. 

For more information about PGT supervision please consult the PGT supervision guidance document:

PGT supervision guidance document

For more information about UKVI PGT supervision guidance, please consult the UKVI PGT supervision guidance document

PGT masters project visa guidance document