The range, number and structure of student choice and the use of free electives within programmes should therefore be a material concern of programme development. The following expectations aim to reduce complexity in this regard.
Expectations
- The range of options and electives should be attractive to applicants and current students. Consideration should be given to programmes at competitor institutions, research with prospective students and the voice of current students.
- The range options and electives should meet the programme’s educational aims.
- The Options choice lists should be reliably delivered each year and changes to options lists from year-to-year should be be minimised. (It is clearly not possible to ensure that there are no changes to options lists from year to year (due to unforeseen circumstances, staff changes, research leave etc.) but the curriculum should be designed such that the list of options choices available to each successive year is not significantly different. It is tempting to suggest that it becomes an expectation that options choice lists should not change by more than, say, 25% year on year, but it is hard to assess the impact of a specific figure).
- Students should be able to easily predict the effects of option choices on future options or pathways.
Useful Links
Customise your degree
Online Option Choice: Open Periods
Online Option Choice - FAQs
Framework for Taught Programmes
Progression, Determination and Classification of Results: Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes