(page last reviewed March 2024)

The new taught course approval form can be found here; please read the information below before completing it.

Faculties and Departments are encouraged to discuss the development of new courses with their EQPO liaison officer at the earliest possible opportunity.

For new postgraduate research courses, please contact the Postgraduate Research Team in the first instance for advice, a new course form and information about the approval process.

All new taught courses which will lead to a qualification or award of the University (including sub-degree awards) and will be included in Statutes and Ordinances, must be formally approved by the Academic Standards and Enhancement Committee before they can be advertised. New triposes or awards new to the University may require approval by the General Board or its Education Committee: your EQPO liaison officer will advise.

Faculties and Departments must provide evidence of consultation with academic experts who are external to the University (such as External Examiners), with their students and (for matriculated undergraduate courses) with Colleges (for a new course in a cognate subject area, this may be with existing Directors of Studies; for entirely new subjects, this may be with the Senior Tutors’ Education Committee in the first instance: EQPO will advise).

Development

Faculties and Departments are also strongly advised to discuss course development plans at an early stage with:

• The Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning
• Academic and Financial Planning and Analysis (financial sustainability and fees)
• The relevant School(s) and/or the Institute of Continuing Education for approval of the business case and student numbers
• Planning and Resources Committee for approval of additional resources
• The Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) Service for designing a blended curriculum and making most effective use of digital tools for teaching and learning.
• The International Student Office for possible implications on international students
• The University Libraries (embedded link)
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team and the Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre for ensuring that courses are designed and delivered in an inclusive way. The Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning also offers a variety of resources to support inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Cambridge Admissions Office, Postgraduate Admissions, or ICE Admissions (prospectus deadlines and widening participation)
• Faculty or departmental student representatives

Faculties and Departments developing new courses are expected to take due regard of the following regulatory, advice and guidance documents:

• UK Quality Code for Higher Education
• The Office for Students Sector Recognised Standards 
• Quality Assurance Agency Subject Benchmark Statements, where relevant 
• Quality Assurance Agency Degree Characteristics Statements
• Competition and Markets Authority compliance guidance 
• Postgraduate Course Length Policy
• For non-matriculated courses, the Interim Framework for Administering Bodies

Further guidance is available for the following areas:

• Key principles and definitions when developing course educational aims and learning outcomes
• Guidance on working with educational partners, or organisations outside the University who may be involved in delivering the course
• Assessment practices, expectations and types of assessment.

Contact your EQPO Liaison Officer to discuss any of the above.

Process

All new courses proposals must be approved by the relevant Faculty Board (with Degree Committee input where necessary) and School.  A New Course Approval form should then be completed; courses involving a collaborative element with a partner institution should complete both the New Course Approval Form and the Collaborative Education Form.  Postgraduate courses with collaborative elements should also review our Framework for Collaborative Provision of Postgraduate Education.  

The indicative process is set out below for postgraduate taught courses. New undergraduate non-matriculated courses follow a similar path. New triposes, or other matriculated undergraduate courses will require review and endorsement from the Senior Tutors’ Committee making the approval process more complex. Additionally, publication of the undergraduate prospectus is further in advance than the postgraduate prospectus.

Faculties and Departments intending to introduce a new Tripos should discuss with EQPO as soon as possible.

It is good practice to submit a draft version of the paperwork for feedback from the Academic Standards and Enhancement Committee prior to approval being sought.

Deadlines

All new undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses
For 2023-24, the final meeting of the Academic Standards and Enhancement Committee where approval may be sought for new courses is 24th April 2024.  Approval at this meeting allows new taught postgraduate courses to be implemented in October 2025 and a new Tripos, in October 2026 (at the earliest).  Paperwork must be submitted to your EQPO liaison officer no later than 10th April 2024.