This page contains instructions for the approval of new programmes of study to be offered by the University on all campuses. This includes approval for new mico-credential programmes offered by UoNO.
The purpose of the approval process is to ensure that appropriate academic standards are set and maintained, and that programmes offered to students make available learning opportunities which enable the intended learning outcomes to be achieved.
To meet the responsibility for academic standards and quality of learning opportunities, please consult the UK Quality code for HE advice and guidance, QAA Characteristics statements and QAA Subject benchmark statements (see links below). The University regulations on minimum expectations relating to teaching and learning must also be consulted.
2.1 Free speech
When developing a new programme, appropriate regard must be given to the importance of promoting free speech.
Please consult the following for further information about the Freedom of Speech Act:
The UUK document ‘How can Universities prepare for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act?
Office for Students guidance on free speech.
2.2 Academic freedom
In relation to programme and module development, approval, and delivery, it should be noted that academics would not be prohibited from developing or delivering a programme or module on the ground that it involves giving serious consideration to ‘controversial or unpopular opinions’. This is not a reason that the programme would be approved, rather it is not a reason it could be declined. For instance, there will remain business or logistical reasons to not grant approval to a programme or module.
2.3 Timeline for approval and CMA considerations (UNUK Only)
To meet the university’s UKs publishing deadlines for the undergraduate and postgraduate prospectus, and to achieve a full cycle of marketing, Schools must aim for their programme to be developed and approved at least 5 weeks ahead of the publishing deadlines in the table below.
UK Prospectus publishing dates for UG and PGT programmes
| Undergraduate |
1 March in the calendar year before students commence the course (e.g. 1 March 2025 for 26/27 entry with changes to prospectus information being completed by 1 December 2024) |
| Postgraduate Taught |
1 July in the calendar year before students commence the course (e.g. 1 July 2025 for 26/27 entry with changes to prospectus information being completed by 1 April 2025) |
There may be occasions when Schools request the introduction of a new programme after the release of the online prospectus. Each request will be carefully considered by RAA, Marketing, Admissions, the Legal team and other key individuals in the University as appropriate. For new programmes, the main consideration would be whether there would be a viable cohort of students recruited without a full marketing and recruitment cycle. In these circumstances the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (FPVC) or FPVC nominee will be presented with information about potential recruitment or CMA risks and asked to decide whether to proceed as planned or delay, weighing up the benefits against the outlined potential risks.
2.4 Latest dates for programme approval (all campuses)
The latest possible dates for programme approval are detailed in the table below.
Colleagues should consider building in time contingences to their development timelines to allow for possible delays, for example if the Programme Review Panel ask for major revisions to be submitted to the next panel or if the stakeholder consultation surfaces issues which need time to be resolved. It is recommended that colleagues aim for one or two panels earlier than the latest possible dates to ensure programmes are approved in time for planned start dates.
Latest dates for obtaining university approval for new programmes
| Require UCAS recruitment | Require timetabling | Latest date for university approval |
|---|
| Yes |
Yes |
31 July in the calendar year before students commence the course |
| No |
Yes |
31 January in the same calendar year students commence the course |
| No |
No |
31 July in the same calendar year students commence the course |
For further advice and guidance about timelines for submission and approval, please email: ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk
3.0 Roles and responsibilities
Endorsement from the School and Faculty must be sought prior to developing a new programme of study. Then, the School are responsible for completing the programme outline form and for preparing the appropriate business case (see below). This includes liaison with stakeholders e.g. affected Schools, employers, students and external advice as appropriate.
RAA colleagues will review the programme outline form and later the appropriate business case (or form) and liaise with necessary University colleagues.
The process set out i below should be read in conjunction with the programme approval process flow charts for each campus, which can be accessed here:
Please note, colleagues in UNM and UNNC complete each of the required steps for new programme approval but vary the order of completion due to local campus structures. These are reflected in the flow charts.
4.1. School and Faculty endorsement
Endorsement from the School and Faculty must be sought prior to developing a new programme of study. In the UK, endorsement at School level must come from the Head of School, Head of School nominee or School Committee, and endorsement at Faculty level must come from the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (FPVC), FPVC nominee or Faculty level committee (e.g. Faculty Education and Student Experience Committee). In UNM endorsement must come from Head of School or Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee. In UNNC endorsement at School level must come from the School Meeting and endorsement at Faculty level must come from Faculty Executive Board.
Consideration should be given at this stage as to whether the new programme contributes to School, Faculty and University level strategic priorities.
There may be local variations for seeking endorsement depending on Campus and/or School structures; however, at the end of this stage there must be clear support from both the School and the Faculty to proceed to the next stage.
Endorsement can be recorded via email or noted in committee minutes. Colleagues are advised to keep evidence of this for future audit purposes.
4.2 Completion of programme outline form
Once endorsement from School and Faculty has been obtained, Schools must complete the Programme Outline form (link below) to provide a brief overview of the proposed new programme to ensure that relevant university colleagues are aware of developments.
New Programme Outline Form
4.3 University review of the new programme request
The data collected via the MS Forms will be reviewed by Registry and Academic Affairs (RAA) and shared with other internal stakeholders, as appropriate, for business planning purposes. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to:
- Admissions
- Marketing
- Faculty Curriculum Design Managers (if applicable)
- Teams within Registry and Academic Affairs
- Other teams as appropriate to the programme of study or campus
- Professional and Workbased Learning Team (if relevant)
The purpose of providing information this stage is to understand the number of new or revised programmes in development to prepare for business partnering and business planning. RAA will only follow up on submissions if content appears to deviate from regulations, has unusual delivery aspirations which may present problems operationally (i.e. compatibility with systems), or may present Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulation challenges. If there are any issues or questions, RAA will notify School colleagues promptly. Queries at this stage need not hold up development of the business case (if applicable), but issues identified by RAA must be considered and resolved as early as possible in the development stage to save time later.
4.4. Development and approval of business case
Business case template to use: The School is required to develop a full business case for most new taught programmes of study using the following templates:
For new apprenticeship programmes, contact the Institute for Professional and Workbased Learning Team for support with business case development.
In the following scenarios in UNUK and UNNC only, a full business case is not required and an addendum business case or an alternative form must be used instead of the full business case template. Please note, a full business case is required for all new programmes which will be delivered at UNM.
Alternative forms are received and approved by the Curriculum Approvals and Advisory Team on behalf of QSC. See 4.5 for more information about approval of business cases and business case addendum.
Alternative forms where full business case is not required scenarios
| Scenarios | Form |
|---|
| Introduce a new programme which is based on an existing programme of study (Mirror Programme offered on another campus) |
Business case addendum |
| Introduce a higher award where a lower award already exists |
Business case addendum |
| Introduce a placement or industrial year to an existing programme |
MS Form |
| Introduce a new programme with no qualification |
MS Form |
| Introduce a new PG Cert or PG Dip where a Masters programme already exists |
MS Form |
| Introduce a new research degree |
MS Form |
| Introduce a fall-back award (for exit awards only) |
MS Form |
| Introduce a pathway(s) to an existing programme |
MS Form |
Please note colleagues in UNM require a full business case for all new programmes.
For further advice and guidance about development of the business case or relevant forms, please contact - ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk
4.4.1 Consultation about the business case
Schools are expected to proactively engage with internal and external stakeholders, including students, alumni and employers, for appropriate advice and guidance in developing their full or addendum business case. The details of this engagement with stakeholders must be recorded in the appropriate section of the full or addendum business case document.
An up-to-date list of internal contacts is available to assist with this process, which can be accessed here:
Other sources of appropriate advice might include:
- Internal academic staff from related subject areas
- Contacts made through partnerships with other educational institutions, industry, professional practice or through research collaborations
- Contacts from academic subject associations and Advanced HE
- Employers, for example, through industrial advisory boards
- Organisations in communities with which the programme may be involved.
Key stakeholders, as identified in the full business case template, must complete the recommendation section, reporting any areas of concern which need addressing. Recommendation options for key stakeholders are:
- 1 – Support
- 2 – Support with amendments
- 3 – Do not support
4.4.2 External advice for the business case
External experts, including relevant Professional, Regulatory and Statutory Bodies (PSRBs), employers and other external stakeholders, contribute to course design and review. Schools are expected to seek appropriate external advice for all new programme submissions which require a full business case. The external advice form must be submitted with the business case.
The external advice form can be accessed here:
4.5. Approval of full or addendum business case
It is expected that full consideration will be given to business viability, recommendations and feedback from stakeholders and external advice on the business case. Business cases will not proceed further in the process without appropriate sign off.
Business cases may be held at this stage until the relevant authority is satisfied (i.e. if revisions, further development, evidence, or consultation is needed) or be rejected.
4.5.1 UK Campuses
When the full or addendum business case is completed (as applicable), the School must fill out the Submission of Business Case form and attach the full or addendum business case to it. The external advice form must also be submitted along with any full business case.
The Submission of business case form can be found here:
Submission of a business case (UNUK) - MS Form 
The submitted form will be automatically routed to the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (FPVC) or FPVC nominee for consideration and sign off. The paperwork then gets sent to RAA for the next step in the process.
UK Apprenticeship programmes require further approval from the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Experience and the Academic Director of Degree Apprenticeships.
4.5.2 UNM / UNNC Campuses
In UNNC, when the full or addendum business case is completed (as applicable), the School must send the business case (with accompanying external advice form for full business cases) to the Planning and Resources Committee for non-curriculum sections approval and then for approval by the Education and Student Experience Committee.
In UNM, when the full or addendum business case is completed (as applicable), the School must send the business case (with accompanying external advice form for full business cases) to the Campus Teaching and Learning Committee, Planning and Resources Committee and the Global Engagement Committee (if applicable).
Once the business cases are approved as above, then the approved business cases and accompanying external advice forms (as appliable) must be emailed to ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk for the next step in the process.
4.6. Development of curriculum documentation
The next step in the process is for the School to prepare the curriculum documentation, i.e. the programme specification, the module specification and the curriculum map, plus any partnership agreements (if required).
Upon receipt of the approved full or addendum business case, RAA will assign a Business Partner to work with the School to assist in the development of their curriculum documentation (programme specification, module specifications and curriculum map).
The partnering process will ensure Schools receive appropriate and useful advice about University regulations and operability of programmes of study in any systems. RAA will seek advice from relevant professional services colleagues on any areas which might need specialist input.
If the new programme also requires a partnership agreement, Schools must submit curriculum documentation with the partnership agreement to the Partnership Operational Development Meeting (POD) so they can be considered together.
The Business Partner from RAA will confirm with the School when they are satisfied that all the curriculum documentation is completed, and any concerns about operability or adherence with Quality Manual regulations have been addressed. At this point, the application will proceed to the next stage.
4.7. Consultation on curriculum documentation
RAA will make available the curriculum documentation (programme specification, module specifications, curriculum map, partnership agreement), external advice and full/addendum business case (as applicable) to a wide range of internal stakeholders across the University, including Schools, Faculties and Professional Services Departments, for a two-week period for scrutiny. This is the final opportunity for stakeholder queries to be raised.
During this process the stakeholders may send comments/queries for the School to address.
The School must respond to the comments/queries raised by stakeholders during this consultation process in a timely manner and address them to the stakeholder’s satisfaction. Otherwise this may lead to delays in approval.
Any unresolved issues raised during this consultation period will be referred to a Programme Review Panel for consideration and approval (see below).
4.8. New Programme approval – no outstanding issues
Programmes of study which have full stakeholder support for the full/addendum business case (if applicable), no unresolved issues from the consultation with stakeholders, and do not present any challenging operational or regulatory issues, will be approved by the Associate Director (Curriculum & Timetabling) or the Senior Manager (Head of Curriculum) on behalf of Quality and Standards Committee (QSC).
4.9 New Programme Approval - at a Programme Review Panel
All other programmes will be put forward for consideration at the next available Programme Review Panel for approval. Representatives from the School must attend the Programme Review Panel to respond to questions.
Panel dates are published prior to the start of the academic year, with around six meetings scheduled in each academic year. The ‘next available date’ will take into consideration time for the Programme Review Panel to consider the documentation in advance. As a general guide, papers for the previous step need to be submitted to RAA at least one month prior to the Programme Review Panel to allow time to complete the two-week Stakeholder Consultation (see previous step) and for the Programme Review Panel to consider the documentation in advance.
The Programme Review Panel at a minimum will consist of two QSC members, one of which will take the role of Chair, and senior representation from the RAA: normally the Senior Manager (Head of Curriculum) or delegate. The academic lead(s) for the programme of study being considered will be expected to attend the panel and answer any queries put to them. Other colleagues may be invited to attend the panel if they have noted issues on the business case or during the consultation that are yet to be resolved.
In considering the curriculum documentation, the Programme Review Panel will:
- Make a judgement on any issues that fall outside the current scope of the Quality Manual.
- Review the operability of the proposed new programme, considering stakeholder feedback in relation to this.
- Consider the key academic aspects of programme specification – that is, the learning outcomes and how they will be taught and assessed. This consideration will be largely limited to ensuring that the learning outcomes are appropriate to the level of qualification being awarded.
- Ensure that there has been adequate consultation with other affected Schools, and that any comments or objections from these other Schools have been appropriately addressed.
- Ensure that the overall programme has coherence in terms of logic in structure, intellectual integrity and assessment methods being aligned with programme content, learning outcomes and learning and teaching activities.
The Panel can either:
- Approve (either outright or with minor changes which can be returned for final approval by Chair’s Action within an agreed timeframe)
- Ask for major revisions to be submitted to a future panel
- Reject the proposal
The decision of the Programme Review Panel will be communicated by RAA to the School and other university stakeholders.
4.10 Regulatory approval (UNM/UNNC only)
Programmes in UNM and UNNC will require a further approval from their respective local authorities before a programme is launched. In UNM approval is required from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). In UNNC approval is required from the Ministry of Education (MOE). These additional approvals will be managed locally in UNM and UNNC.
4.11 After the programme is approved
After approval is obtained for the new programme (see previous steps), the programme will be created in the student records system, UCAS codes created (if applicable) and opened for marketing/recruitment. Programme and module specifications will be published online in the Online Course Catalogue, which then becomes the definitive record.
Students may not be registered on a programme until the programme has been fully approved.
5.0 Related regulations, policies and procedures
6.0 Version control table
Version control table
| Version Number | Purpose/Change | Approving Committee | Date |
|---|
| 1.0 |
Changes to clarify the process to request a new programme. Also, reformatted to align with the new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework |
QSC |
August 2024 |
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