5. Credit
5.1. The University’s credit framework, which summarises the amount and level of credit required to receive a University award, is reproduced on the following page.
5.2. The amount and level of credit specified in the tables should be regarded as the minimum. If a school wishes to diverge from these amounts, the faculty must seek University level approval, through the University Education Committee.
5.3.
The University’s Credit Framework:
| Qualification | FHEQ level | Total credits required | Minimum credits required at the highest level | Equivalent ECTS credits | Additional credit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taught Masters degree | 7 | At least 180 | 160 | The minimum requirement is 60, however, a range of 90-120 is more typical. | |
| Integrated Masters degree | 7 | At least 480 | 120 | Where the programme includes a year away from the University: at least 60 credit points at level 6 in the year spent away from the University and at least 60 credit points at level 7 in the final year | |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 7 | At least 120 | 100 | Remaining credits to be at level 4 or higher | |
| Postgraduate Certificate (including the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)) | 7 | At least 60 | 40 | ||
| Bachelors degree with honours | 6 | At least 360 | 100 | 180 - 240 | Remaining credits to include at least 100 at level 5 or above |
| Bachelors degree (Ordinary degree) | 6 | At least 300 | 60 | ||
| Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) | 6 | At least 60 | 40 | ||
| Graduate Diploma | 6 | At least 80 | 80 | Students may undertake a curriculum of 120 credit points | |
| Graduate Certificate | 6 | At least 40 | 40 | ||
| Foundation Degree | 5 | At least 240 | 100 | ||
| Diploma of Higher Education in (Faculty name) (Subject) | 5 | At least 240 | 100 | Approx. 120 | Remaining credits at level 4 or above. |
| Certificate of Higher Education in (Faculty name) (Subject) | 4 | At least 120 | 120 |
* The highest level is the level of the qualification
Notes:
1 This table should be read in conjunction with the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Awarding Bodies. The University’s credit framework will apply in cases where the credit requirement is higher than that stated in the national credit framework.
2 The MB,ChB (Medicine), BDS (Dentistry), BVSc (Veterinary Science) and Gateway undergraduate programmes are not included in the University's modular structure.
3 At the discretion of the faculty joint honours degrees may vary from the minimum of 100 credits at level 6 because of the need for more flexible structures in joint programmes.
4 The University’s qualifications relate to the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA) as follows:
- Doctoral degrees - Third Cycle Qualifications (Not typically credit rated)
- Masters degrees - Second Cycle Qualifications (Min. 60 ECTS credits, however a range of 90-120 ECTS credits is typical)
- Integrated Masters degrees - Second Cycle Qualifications (As above)
- Bachelors degrees with Honours - First Cycle Qualifications (180-240 ECTS credits)
- Foundation degrees - Short Cycle Qualifications (120 ECTS credits)
- Diplomas of Higher Education - As above
Credit points
5.4. In assigning credit points to units, faculties and schools are required to use total student input per normal full-time year of study as a measure. An average of 40 hours per week of total student input in teaching time is suggested as an appropriate measure of the time an average student will need to spend to be able to complete the assessment for a programme successfully. One credit point represents approximately 10 notional hours of student input.
5.5. The attainment of additional credit points in any year of study cannot be carried forward in such a way as to reduce the volume of credit that must be taken in any succeeding year, or to accelerate a student's progress towards any award.
5.6. A unit shared by students studying on more than one programme must always be allocated the same credit points.
5.7. For awards of the University of Bristol, credit points may only be used once and not towards two or more taught awards of this University or of another higher education provider and this University. The exceptions are:
- where an award at one level may be subsumed into an award at a higher level;
- where a University award or award of another institution has independent standing as a professional qualification and is accredited by a professional body;
- where a medical, dental or veterinary student of this University intercalates a year of study for a specified degree in this University or elsewhere, or where a medical, dental or veterinary student from another institution intercalates a year of study for a specified degree in this University.
The use of credit or a lower award from this University towards an award of another institution is at the discretion of that awarding institution, including as part of articulation agreements where a partner institution might count the credit or qualification obtained at Bristol towards their own award.
5.8. It is the responsibility of the relevant exam board to determine whether a student has satisfied the criteria for the award of credit points.