Qualifications and Credit Framework

1.1 The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) applies to all academic qualifications, undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research degrees and courses of study, awarded by the University of Warwick.

1.2 The QCF replaces the Credit and Module Framework and sets out a shared expectation of the design and structure of qualifications to be awarded by the University of Warwick. It establishes the University’s policy on the design and structure of academic awards and applies to all new courses or revised courses submitted for approval from the academic year 2025/26 onwards. This policy is approved by Education and Student Experience Committee. This policy is implemented by University staff who work on the design, delivery, approval and review of the University’s qualifications and awards. It is subject to yearly review.

1.3The QCF should be read in conjunction with other University regulations, policies, codes of practice and frameworks as follows:

• Degree conventions and Rules for Award which set out the University’s regulations for the successful achievement of a qualification.
• Ordinance 8: Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates which lists the awards the University can confer.
• Curriculum and Partnerships Approval Policy which sets out the process for approving new and amended curriculum and partnership provision.
• Recognition of Prior Learning Policy which sets out the process for credit accumulation and transfer.
• Policy Statement for the Accreditation of Placement Year in Industry and Year Abroad

2.1 The Qualifications and Credit Framework:

• Provides a clear and consistent structure for courses and modules leading to a Warwick qualification.
• Promotes a clear and consistent understanding of the characteristics of credit at Warwick.

• Provides a reference point for setting academic standards when designing, reviewing, and approving modules and courses, and in the development of educational partnerships.
• Ensures that Warwick qualifications align with regulatory requirements and sector-recognised standards for their respective academic level.
• Facilitates the portability of credits awarded by the University within the UK and internationally. NB: the recognition of prior learning for credit towards a Warwick qualification is governed by the Recognition of Prior Learning Policy.

3.1 The QCF is informed by the following sector reference points:

• The UK Quality Code for Higher Education.
• The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (FHEQ).
• The Higher Education Credit Framework for England.
• The Office for Students Sector-recognised Standards.
• The QAA Degree Characteristics Statements (Doctoral, Master's, Foundation Degrees).
• The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
• The Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA).
• The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
• The requirements of Professional Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs).

5.1 Each module, stage and qualification must have a specified academic level. Academic levels in the Warwick QCF correspond directly to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). The FHEQ defines distinct levels of higher education learning and corresponding qualifications based on the relative complexity, demand and/or depth of learning required at each level. Higher levels indicate more challenging qualifications.

5.2 Modules may share teaching and content but must maintain distinct learning outcomes and assessment criteria that correspond to their respective levels.

5.3 Courses may be designed to allow students to take a defined amount of credit at higher or lower levels than the current stage of the course. This must be clearly identified in the Course Specification. Departments may have local rules for approving credit taken at a higher or lower level and may require sign-off of module choices at a higher or lower level by the Head of Department, Course Director, or other representative.

5.4 The Course Specification may permit a student to take modules for the award of credit at a lower stage than that of the current stage of their course. The following conditions apply to modules taken at a lower stage:

• The requirements set out on the Qualifications Table in Section 7 of this framework must be observed;
• The total number of credits taken at FHEQ Level 4 after Stage 1 must not exceed 30; and
• Modules with FHEQ Level 4 learning outcomes may not be taken in the final stage of study of an undergraduate degree or in either the penultimate or final stage of study of an integrated masters degree.

5.5 The academic level of a module remains unchanged regardless of the course in which it is offered

6.1 Credit is a way of measuring learning and is awarded in recognition of achievement of learning outcomes at a specified level. In line with the wider sector, Warwick equates 1 credit with 10 hours of learning effort or notional learning time. Notional learning time is the number of hours expected that a learner will spend on average to achieve the specified learning outcomes at a particular level. This can include different combinations of contact and directed learning time, self-directed learning time, and assessment. 'Contact time' broadly refers to time that students spend learning in direct contact with teaching staff or dedicated support staff such as technicians. This can be in-person or virtual, and can include office hours as well as lectures, seminars, laboratory sessions, studio workshops, site visits, webinars, video conferencing, web-based discussion forums etc. A module allocated 30 credits should require students to commit approximately 300 hours of work to achieving the learning outcomes for the module.

6.2 The use of credit enables learners to accumulate credit and facilitates the transfer of that credit within and between education providers. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means of comparing academic credits across the European Union. In common with other UK universities, the University of Warwick equates 2 Warwick credits to 1 ECTS credit.

6.3 A module is the minimum unit of awarding credit. The award of partial credit for a module is not permitted. A module is considered to be passed and the full credit value of the module is awarded when the learning outcomes have been met. The amount of academic credit awarded does not vary based on student performance on the module. The learning outcomes and criteria for meeting the learning outcomes are described in the approved module specification. Please refer to the Rules for Award for more details on pass marks and requirements for awarding credit and qualifications.

7.1 The table below defines the minimum amount and level of credit required for each qualification awarded by the University. Each course must have a Course Specification that sets out the level of the qualification it leads to, the number, level, and combination of modules required, and the total credits needed at each level that make up the qualification. The full set of information that comprises a Course Specification is defined in the Curriculum and Partnerships Approval Policy. All courses should correspond to a level defined in the FHEQ.

See Appendix 1 for a list of threshold qualification requirements for typical Warwick qualifications.

7.2 Some pre-existing CPD awards, short courses, or professional qualifications might not conform to conventions above. Departments should conform to the table above when designing new courses. Exceptions to the QCF require approval via the Quality and Standards Subcommittee.

7.3 Where applicable, Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements should be incorporated into the course design and detailed in the Course Specification. Where PSRB requirements necessitate a deviation from the requirements of the Qualifications and Credit Framework, exemptions must be approved by the Quality and Standards Subcommittee. Where PSRB requirements necessitate a deviation from any other University regulations or policies, a variation or exemption must be approved the appropriate committee.

7.4 In recognition that students’ performance is likely to be affected detrimentally through attempting a higher than necessary number of credits, the University advises that the nationally recognised loads for undergraduate and postgraduate courses should be observed when designing courses:

• Full-time undergraduate degree courses should be designed to require students to attempt 120 credits per academic year. Part time and flexible learning routes may vary.
• Full-time postgraduate degree courses should be designed to require students to attempt 180 credits per year. Part time and flexible learning routes may vary.

Certain courses may be designed with more than the nationally recognised credit load per stage for sound academic reason. The rationale for this should be set out during the course approval process.

7.5 Some courses may permit students to take a credit load greater than that required in the Course Specification, however many do not. Where it is permitted, students may request to take a credit load greater than that outlined in their Course Specification, however departments have the right to decline overloads. Undergraduate students may only register for a maximum of 150 credits of assessed modules in a stage. Departments should publish their policy for requesting, considering, and approving registration for credit overload.

7.6 Some modules are available as an audit-only route (without assessment) or as 0-credit versions. Undergraduate and postgraduate taught students may request to register on audit-only or 0-credit modules in addition to the modules comprising the credit load detailed in their Course Specification; however departments have the right to decline such requests. Departments should publish their policy for requesting, considering, and approving registration on audit-only or 0-credit modules.

7.7 Departments may permit students to register for more modules than required, and subsequently de-register from some of those modules, reducing their load to the standard level. Students may not de-register from a module after a significant proportion (more than 10%) of the assessment has been undertaken.

7.8 Degree Apprenticeships

7.8.1 A degree apprenticeship course is delivered through a work-integrated programme where the theory is taught through lectures, seminars, and labs etc., and theoretical learning should be consolidated through application in the workplace. Apprentices are employed and must remain in employment for the duration of their apprenticeship.

7.8.2 There are two types of training that comprise notional learning time for degree apprenticeships:

• On-the-job training: On-the-job training is delivered by the employer to enable apprentices to perform the work they have been employed to do. It constitutes 80% of an apprentice’s designated work hours. On-the-job-training allows the apprentice to carry out their job duties and offers them the opportunity to consolidate learning from their off-the-job training.
• Off-the-job training: Off-the-job training is defined as learning which is undertaken outside of an apprentice’s day-to-day work duties but takes place within the apprentice’s normal (contracted) working hours. Off-the-job training must equate to a minimum of 20 percent of the apprentice’s total working hours, and the minimum off-the-job training for a full-time apprentice is an average of 6 hours per week. The purpose of off-the-job training is to teach the required skills, knowledge and behaviours for the apprenticeship.

7.8.3 The credit value of the qualification is indicative of notional learning hours. On-the-job training and off-the-job training are distinct elements that both count towards the total amount of notional learning hours for the degree apprenticeship.

8.1 A module is a self-contained, formally structured unit of study, with a coherent and explicit set of learning outcomes and aligned assessment criteria that describe how the learning outcomes for each module will be met.

8.2 Modules are combined to form courses (degrees, diplomas, certificates, awards) as set out in the relevant Course Specification.

8.3 Every module is approved with a specified credit value.
At FHEQ levels 4-6, the standard credit value of modules is expressed in multiples of 15, e.g. 15, 30, 45, 60, 120 credits.
At FHEQ level 7, the credit value may differ depending on the discipline with the following credit values being common: 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 45, 60.

8.4 Exceptions to the standard credit values have been agreed for a small number of departments(Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics) to manage interdisciplinary provision at undergraduate level. In these cases, a credit value of 10 credits for undergraduate modules has been approved.

8.5 Departments may not permit students to take modules that are outside the Course Specification unless approval has been granted by the Quality and Standards Subcommittee.

8.6 Special arrangements are made for visiting exchange students who study for part of a year and may not be able to complete full modules or standard assessments. The University adapts assessment criteria to accommodate their specific needs while maintaining academic standards. Please refer to the Examination Arrangements for Visiting and Exchange Students.

8.7 Modules can carry different designations depending on their role within a course. Course specifications must set out the module designation for each module available on a course. The following designations are in use at Warwick:

9.1 Courses are approved by the Curriculum Approval Panel in line with the Curriculum and Partnerships Approval Policy.

9.2 The format of the award title should include:

• The award itself (e.g., “Bachelor of Arts with Honours”).
• The field of study (e.g., “Business Management”).

The full award title would therefore be: “Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Business Management,” shortened to “BA (Hons) Business Management.”

9.3 Courses with two or more fields of study (for example, a joint honours course) determine their titles based on:

• 'A and B', where there is an approximately equal balance between two components
• 'A with B' for a major/minor combination where the minor subject accounts for at least a quarter of the credits of the course.

9.4 A precise credit limit for ‘and’ degrees has not been defined to allow for a level of flexibility. It is expected that a split of 40% to 60% would be advisable if a 50% and 50% is not possible, excluding where available optional modules sit outside of the subject discipline.

9.5 Courses may include one or more routes within them. A route is a named subdivision of a course with a specific curriculum structure, typically defined by a subset of the Course Specification detailing specific combinations of modules available.