University awards and programmes (5.6 - 5.17)

University awards

5.6

These regulations cover awards made at levels 4, 5 and 6 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ), the national framework for qualification levels. Level 6 awards are at bachelors level. The regulations also cover integrated masters awards which are at level 7 of the FHEQ. Standalone Master's awards such as MA, MSc and others are covered under Senate Regulation 6.

5.7

All programmes are built using credits. A credit represents a notional unit of study with its own workload allocation. Credits are combined to form a module. One credit represents 10 hours of workload, which may include teaching sessions, preparing for assessments and independent study.

5.8

The number of credits required to achieve an award will vary depending on the award in question and are set out below.

Foundation Certificate

• Standard length (full time): 1 year
• Award level: FHEQ level 3
• Credit requirement: 120 at Foundation Year

Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)

• Standard length (full time): 1 year
• Award level: FHEQ level 4
• Credit requirement: 120 at year 1

Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

• Standard length (full time): 2 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 5
• Credit requirement: 240 (120 at each of years 1 and 2)

Arts Foundation Degree (FdA), Science Foundation Degree (FdSC)

• Standard length (full time): 2 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 5
• Credit requirement: 240 (120 at each of years 1 and 2)

Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Hons) Top Up, Bachelor of Science (BSc) Hons Top Up, Bachelor of Science (BSc) Hons Intercalated

• Standard length (full time): 1 year
• Award level: FHEQ level 6
• Credit requirement: 120 at year 3 (at University of Leicester)

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons) Graduate Entry and JD Pathway

• Standard length (full time): 2 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 6
• Credit requirement: 240 (120 at each of years 2 and 3)

Ordinary (non-honours) awards

Bachelor of Arts (BA)*, Bachelor of Science (BSc)*, Bachelor of Laws (LLB)*, Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)*, Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMedSci)*

• Standard length (full time): 3 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 6
• Credit requirement: 300 (including 120 at year 1 and 180 credits across years 2 and 3, with a mininmum of 60 from year 3)

Honours awards

Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Hons), Bachelor of Science (BSc) (Hons), Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons), Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) (Hons), Bachelor of Medical Sciences* (BMedSci) (Hons)

• Standard length (full time): 3 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 6
• Credit requirement: 360 (including 120 at each of years 1, 2 and 3)

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)

• Standard length (full time): 5 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 7
• Credit requirement: Not credit weighed

Master of Biological Sciences (MBiolSci), Master of Chemistry (MChem), Master of Computing (MComp), Master of Engineering (MEng), Master of Geology (MGeol), Master of Mathematics (MMath), Master of Physics (MPhys), Master in Science (MSci)

• Standard length (full time): 4 years
• Award level: FHEQ level 7
• Credit requirement: 480 (including 120 at each of years 1, 2, 3 and 4)

*Available as an intermediate award only

5.9

Some awards may also include a period spent in Industry or abroad. In such cases whilst the programme length may be longer the level of the award remains the same.

5.10

These regulations apply to the degree component of degree apprenticeships. Additional requirements may apply to the award of the apprenticeship.

Structure of programmes

5.11

All University programmes consist of years which are studied sequentially.

5.12

All programmes will contain 120 credits in each of the years contributing to the overall award. This is set out as follows:

5.13

A year of study will typically be delivered within a single academic year for full time students or over a longer period for part time students or those on a flexible study arrangement. At the end of a year of study there will be a progression point where a Board of Examiners will determine whether students have met the requirements to progress to the next year of study.

5.14

Students will not undertake taught modules to a value of greater than 120 credits per year of the programme.

5.15

Programmes will not use modules outside of their defined year. For example, a year 3 module will not be used in year 2 unless the module has been specifically redesigned for delivery at that level.

5.16

Some programmes include a year spent on a placement either studying abroad or undertaking work experience in industry. Such placements are typically not integrated, meaning that they do not contribute any marks or credits to a student’s degree classification.

5.17

In some cases, a placement may be integrated meaning that it does contribute marks and credits to a degree classification. The inclusion of an integrated placement will increase the total credit load for the degree but will not change the FHEQ level of the award.