Curriculum development

2. New schemes and modules should be developed within academic departments, drawing on good practice in curriculum design, and taking account of QAA level descriptors and subject benchmark statements. Consultation with students, and external consultation with external examiners, subject specialists, PSRB bodies or other advisory boards should take place at an early stage of scheme development, and documentary evidence of this process will be considered by a standing academic scrutiny panel. Departments should consider the staffing implications of any new developments to safeguard the resilience of the portfolio, and also take account of the two-year planning cycle to ensure that the scheme approval process can be completed in good time to ensure effective marketing.

3. In designing a new study scheme or module, departments will need to take account of the criteria as detailed in the Scheme Development Forms (SDF) and Module Approval Forms. These will be scrutinised as part of the approval processes which are outlined within Section 2 of the AQH.