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A range of information is available on academic standards and academic quality but you need to understand how this is measured as there have been a lot of changes in the last 10 years or so.
Universities and colleges have their own 'internal quality assurance' mechanisms to ensure the academic standards and quality of their own awards meet required standards and are consistent.
In addition, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) also judges how reliably the universities and colleges fulfil this responsibility. This is known as 'external quality assurance'.
Since the early 1990s, both external and internal quality assurance processes have evolved and been adapted for different parts of the UK.
The QAA publish external reviews which concentrate on institutional-level management, with some scrutiny at subject level.
These institutional review reports contain a summary of the review team’s findings, which highlight good practice and strengths and, if necessary, areas for improvement. It is this part of the report that you are likely to find most useful as a potential student.
The reports also contain a judgment on the reliability of the information each university or college publishes on standards and quality, including their information on courses and the quality of teaching.
In addition, NHS-funded healthcare courses in England, are subject to comprehensive review by QAA in partnership with professional bodies, as is higher education provided by further education colleges and foundation degrees.
Our University finder profiles contain links to QAA reports at institutional and subject level.
The Unistats website also contains key information on academic standards and academic quality. The site also contains the results of the National Student Survey which asks students what they thought of their courses.
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