In recent decades the doctorate and its purposes have undergone fundamental change. The scholarly model has evolved from one of 'apprentice' to independent, supported learner and the doctoral training process has been revolutionised; many candidates now experience cohort-based, structured research. The UK's final PhD examination, however, has…

Practice-based research is now widely accepted at doctoral level, and it is recognised that creative practice can be the mode, method, tool, object, subject and/or embodiment of research in the arts and humanities PhD. The growth of creative methods and arts-based methods also means that data is increasingly gathered through creative means in many…

Maintaining the value of a degree is a priority for universities. During the pandemic, many universities had to put measures in place to make sure students were not unfairly disadvantaged by changes to their course. This statement details the Universities UK members' commitment to returning to pre-pandemic levels of firsts and 2:1s awarded in…

The PhD by retrospective published work remains an under-researched area within doctoral education. Introduced into the United Kingdom (UK) in 1966, this variant of PhD is one of several models of doctoral qualification that exist across the globe that include published research in the final submission. Although the retrospective model is an…

Despite the viva being an essential component of all PhD and other doctoral qualifications in UK universities, there is little research into their accessibility for autistic students, or the process of adjusting them to individual students' needs. Autistic student voices about the viva are almost completely absent from the literature. This paper…

The UK government aims to increase both the number, and also the status, of workers with intermediate-level skills, with a view to creating a "modern class of technicians" who can help to bolster economic growth and prosperity. This article considers the prospects for such a policy by focusing on one particular, but neglected, group of…

This paper argues that all students, whatever their linguistic identities, can benefit from an explicit and structured introduction to academic writing. It argues that this tuition should no longer be seen as support, and therefore marginalised, but as a transformative process of acculturation that needs to be located in the mainstream of the…

In 2006 UCL implemented new scenario-centred degree programmes in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The new curriculum can be characterised as a hybrid of problem-based, project-based and traditional approaches to learning. Four times a year students work in teams for one week on a scenario which aims to integrate learning from lecture and…

The education of nurses, midwives and allied health care professionals in the UK is guided by professional bodies and the over arching Health Professionals Council (HPC)/Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each of these professional bodies provides regulatory frameworks and guidance notes on the educational content of the degree level programmes…

This theoretical paper examines current practice in work-based studies where recognition of prior unaccredited work is normally limited to around 50% of the total programme. The basis of this limiting concept is challenged and consideration is given to a number of factors that have contributed to it. Comparison is made with the current practice of…

Studied concerning the methods of establishing equivalences between degrees and diplomas in six countries; Czechoslovakia, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, and the United States are reviewed. An appraisal of the methods of establishing equivalences between degrees and diplomas…

Academic standards at British Commonwealth African universities are considered and the relevance of Western academic traditions for the universities is discussed. It is concluded that building academic excellence is of greater importance than increasing manpower output. (MSE)

Lists physics courses at universities, colleges of education and technology, and polytechnics in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Includes honors degree courses, course structure, special entry requirements (if any), special notes, and name of contact person. (SK)

Includes honors degree courses; special entry requirements; course structure; courses regularly available; notes; and how to obtain further information on 42 universities, 28 polytechnics, 12 colleges of technology, and 13 colleges of education in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Some schools have advertisements listing additional…