Policy on Foundation Degrees
Manual of General Regulations
1. Introduction
We have an institutional commitment to the inclusion of a portfolio of Foundation Degrees within our academic programme. This policy sets out the framework for their development.
Foundation Degrees integrate academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and programme providers, and work-based learning is central to the degree. They are designed to be highly valued within the job market and to meet skills shortages at the higher technician and associate professional levels. The distinctiveness of the Foundation Degree can be found in the integration of the following characteristics: accessibility; articulation and progression; employer involvement; flexibility; and partnership. Thus subject content will be employment-related and core skills will be developed through work experience and/or work-related assignments and assessments. Approval will be completed through the appropriate procedures.
2. Programme Design and Structure
Foundation Degrees should be developed in accordance with the Academic Framework modular regulations (manual of General Regulations, Part 3). A programme leading to the award of a Foundation Degree consists of 240 credits including:
- 120 credits at Level One or Higher
- 120 credits at Level Two or Higher
In addition, a Foundation Degree may include the requirement for the student to undertake preparatory work prior to entry, and progression from the Foundation Degree to the bachelor's degree with Honours may involve a bridging programme.
For all programmes a Programme Specification is required.
A Foundation Degree will be linked to at least one named Honours degree on to which a student may progress after successful completion of the Foundation Degree. Programmes that are designed to articulate with honours degrees at the University of East London will normally be designed on the basis of 20 credit modules. In exceptional circumstances, as for example in the case of programmes that are designed to articulate predominantly with programmes at consortia partner institutions, they may be designed on the basis of 15 credit modules. This should be resolved with the appropriate consortia partners before starting the design process.
In designing the Foundation Degree, programme designers should have regard for the definitions of awards and intended learning outcomes at each level as set out in Part 1 of the General Manual of Regulations (Descriptions of Awards), and the generic outcomes for holders of Foundation Degrees as identified in the QAA Benchmark Statement on Foundation Degrees.
3. Awards
The Foundation Degree award titles that are available are set out in Part 1 of the Manual of General Regulations – Description of our University's awards.
4. Admissions Requirements
Entry requirements will be specified in the Programme Specification. The minimum level of attainment for entry to the start of a Foundation Degree will be the equivalent of passes in two subjects at Advanced Level, including one subject at A2, supported by passes in three other subjects at GCSE or equivalent. Programme Specifications will specify any specific subject requirements.
Prospective students without formal qualifications will be admitted on the basis of an assessment of prior learning, in accordance with the A(E)L Policy.
5. Partnership
Foundation Degrees are Higher Education programmes predominantly delivered in further education colleges. The approval document should include for each programme the ways in which further education partners are involved in the design and delivery of the programme, and the partnership arrangements should follow our University policy on arrangements for collaboration with other institutions. Further education colleges can also play an important role in the recruitment to Foundation Degree programmes.
6. Employer Involvement
Employer involvement is a key characteristic of a Foundation Degree, and employers must be involved in the design and review of programmes.
The approval documentation for a Foundation Degree must make clear the way in which employers have been involved in the design of the degree and the provision made for their continuing involvement. It is highly desirable that the approval panel include at least one employer representative.
7. Skills Development
In line with all our University programmes, the development of core skills will be an integral part of the Foundation Degree. Foundation Degree programme structures should ensure the embedding of our skills curriculum at both levels 1 and 2. Programme teams will decide on the basis of the overall programme structure, together with the linked Honours degree with which the Foundation Degree is intended to articulate, the most appropriate skills module to offer at level 2.
8. Employability
Foundation Degree programmes are designed to enable students to benefit from the interpretation of ideas and the experience of practice, within the wider context of employment. Authentic and innovative work-based learning is thus an integral part of Foundation Degrees and their design. It is essential that learning is focused within a work context, which may be achieved in one or more of the following ways:
- Integrated work placements
- Current or previous employment
- Real work environments
The work-based element must be defined and assessed in relation to the learning outcomes identified. It may be achieved by work-based learning modules, case studies drawing on work experience, and/or work placements. Programme designers are encouraged to offer vocational modules that explain how enterprises work and promote self-employment.
The approval documentation for a Foundation Degree should identify the ways in which the curriculum has been designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply skills in a work context and to gain an understanding of how enterprises operate.
9. Progression to Honours Degree
Clear routes that facilitate opportunities for successful progression from Foundation Degrees towards another qualification are an important feature of Foundation Degrees.
Each Foundation Degree must, at the point of approval, provide a defined route into at least one honours degree programme. The approval documentation must specify the honours degree(s) that a student can progress to, and clearly identify the details of any additional modules required, including any bridging programme. The additional study required should not normally exceed 1.3 years for a full time equivalent student.
10. Professional Accreditation
Designers of Foundation Degrees should also give consideration to the possibility of obtaining accreditation for the programme from a professional body or Sector Skills Council. Where such accreditation is sought, accreditation should take place in parallel with the approval activity, and the approval event should wherever possible include the requirements and representatives of the professional or vocational body. If this is not possible, the approval documentation should identify the timescale within which it is aimed to achieve this.
Approved by Academic Board March 2005
