Accreditation of Prior Qualifications
APQ and Advanced Programmes in the School of Education
The School of Education operates an APQ process for Master’s programmes through which applicants may claim credit for qualifications achieved through examination by another institution. All applications for APQ must normally be submitted at the same time as an application for a place on a programme. Applications for APQ will not normally be accepted once a student has accepted a place on a programme.
In order to qualify for APQ, the applicant must demonstrate clearly how the claim they are making meets the learning outcomes for the programme from which they are seeking credit. APQ will normally be granted only where learning is clearly shown to be of an equivalent level and volume to that on the Programme from which credit is sought. Evidence presented must be valid, sufficient, authentic (ie related to the applicant’s own efforts and achievements), current, and relevant.
It is the responsibility of the applicant seeking APQ to present evidence that learning has taken place and that equivalence can be demonstrated. Appropriate evidence may include transcripts, portfolios, essays, unit outlines, interviews, work-based projects, vivas or completion of the usual assessment associated with the unit(s) for which equivalence is being claimed.
Applications for APQ will be considered based on credit which was awarded no more than 5 years prior to date the application is submitted.
Each application for APQ will be scrutinised by two members of the School’s academic staff with appropriate expertise; at least one of these staff will not normally have had any involvement in advising the applicant about this application for APQ. A joint recommendation for APQ will be made to the Advanced Programmes Committee where the final decision about APQ will be made as follows:
- application for APQ granted in full
- application for APQ granted in part (eg 30 credits instead of 60)
- application for APQ referred for resubmission on one further occasion only
- application for APQ refused with no right to resubmission
All applications for APQ, including supporting documentation, will be reported to the relevant Examination Board, and will be made available for scrutiny by external examiners as part of the portfolio of work presented for examination.
The School will provide guidance for students who wish to present an application for APQ. This guidance will normally be limited to not more than two meetings with an appropriate member of staff, lasting not more than 1 hour each (ie a maximum of 2 hours). From September 2007 the following fees for an application for APQ will apply:
- fee for APQ application - £100
- fee for guidance on APQ application - £150
- no fee is payable for an application for APQ where the credit for which APQ is sought has been awarded by the University of Southampton
Applications for APQ are subject to the regulations of the University and subject to change. Following an unsuccessful application for APQ, an applicant has the right to request a review of the conduct of the process under which the application was considered; this review will be carried out under normal University procedures. No appeal against the final decision itself will be considered as this is a matter of academic judgement.
APQ and progression
In order to provide a framework for APQ where students are progressing from an award in the School of Education which confers credits in another programme (as is the case, for example with progression based on a completed PGCE(M) with 60 M-level credits to PCES, MA(Ed), MSc(Ed) programmes etc), the School has a list of prescribed routes for progression, Any progression via a route outside this list will normally require a formal application for APQ.
Advanced Programmes Committee
November 2006
