Quality assurance procedures: Section C
Section C: Guidelines for the validation of joint honours or major with minor subject courses
C1. Introduction
Specific arrangements apply to courses who deliver and identify in the course title more than one subject. This can be either as a ‘Joint Honours award’ (for example ‘Business and Finance’, or ‘Business, Finance and Politics’) or a major subject in combination with a minor subject, for example, ‘Business with Finance’.
In relation to major and minor subject combinations, both subject areas must already be validated single-subject courses.
C2. Naming Conventions for the title of joint honours or major with minor combinations
Where students study more than one subject, up to three separate fields of study which make a significant contribution to the course may be identified in the title with or without the addition of ‘combined studies’. Subjects given equal weight in the course will appear in the form ‘Subject A and Subject B’, while major/minor combinations will be indicated by ‘Subject A with Subject B’, or ‘Subject A with Subject B and Subject C’ or ‘Subject A and Subject B with Subject C’.
C3. Proposals for courses using major with minor subjects
A proposal for an undergraduate course that uses a ‘Major with Minor’ subject course title, for subject areas which are already validated as single honours degrees, must first be sent to the Head of Quality Assurance, such courses will be validated by Tier 1. Joint courses which do not fall within the identified parameters below or include any subject areas not yet validated as a single honours degree should be notified to Registry who will determine the nature of the event in accordance with Section B3.
C4. Requirements for major/minor combinations
Major with minor undergraduate courses must conform to the following requirements:
|
Course structure |
Major Subject |
Minor Subject |
|---|---|---|
|
Total credits at foundation level |
80 |
40 |
|
Total credits at post-foundation level |
160 |
80 |
|
Minimum core credits |
200 |
100 |
|
Maximum optional credits to be taken |
40 |
20 |
Once a named major or minor subject has been approved it must use the same set of modules in all pairings.
C5. Validation
The procedures for validating a Joint Major/Minor combination proposal will be the same as for a University validation for a course delivered at the University (see Section B of the Quality Assurance Procedures for Taught Courses and Research Awards), with the following additions:
Title
The joint, major and minor subjects named in the course title should normally be the same as those of the pre-existing single-subject courses; explanations for any discrepancies should be provided.
Rationale, aims and learning outcomes
These should be described for each named subject component with an emphasis on the rationale for the combination of modules, the aims of the components and the learning outcomes to be achieved.
Entry qualifications
Regulations for admission will be in accordance with Section D of the University’s Regulations for Awards. Additional regulations for admission should be in line with the pre-existing single-subject course documents.
Structure
The core, compulsory and optional modules for each named subject should be identified in the Course Specification Document and MSD.
Opportunities for transfer into or out of the joint or major/minor subject should be described where these are available.
Assessment
The general principles and regulations governing assessment shall be in accordance with the University Regulations for Awards. Where appropriate, these should be supplemented by the assessment regulations prescribed in the course documents for the major combination included in the award. Any specific regulations not included in these documents should be specified at the validation stage.
C6. Responsibilities
Staffing and management
The School providing tuition in the major discipline will be responsible for the admission of students. Where a joint honours is delivered by more than one School, a lead School should be identified as part of the validation process.
Responsibility for the teaching assessment and quality assurance of the course will be shared appropriately between the Schools/Departments responsible for the joint major and minor disciplines involved.
Annual evaluation will be undertaken in association with that of the parent single-subject courses.
Each School will designate a ‘major/minor subject leader’ for each subject area where applicable, who will be responsible to the Dean of the School for the recruitment, admission, teaching assessment and pastoral care of the students.
Course Assessment Meetings (CAMs)
Decisions about the award of credit for modules, student progression, condonement, extenuating circumstances and the classification of awards will be made by the Course Assessment Meeting for the course from which the major combination is drawn. Membership of the Board should include at least one representative from each minor subject.
Where a joint honours is delivered by more than one School, a lead School should be identified as part of the validation process. Decisions about the award of credit for modules, student progression, condonement, extenuating circumstances and the classification of joint honours awards will be made by the Course Assessment Meeting of the lead School. Membership of the Board should include at least one representative from the other School.
Guidance and counselling
The School providing the major course will allocate each student to a personal academic tutor and be responsible for the pastoral care of students. Where a joint honours is delivered by more than one School, the lead School identified as part of the validation process will be responsible for these processes.