British Psychological Society

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British Psychological Society

• Undergraduate Accreditation and
• Joint Honours Degrees
• Dr Wilfred Foxe QA Officer

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Background

• Quality Assurance Policies and Practice for First
  Qualifications in Psychology (July 2006)
• Accreditation linked to eligibility for the
  Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR)
• All decisions made by the Graduate Qualifications
  Accreditation Committee

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Accreditation Decisions

• All decisions relating to accreditation are made
  by psychologists.
• All accreditation criteria are developed and
  approved by psychologists
• All decisions are related to the fulfilment of
  criteria which are in the public arena

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Qualifying Examination (QE) Topics

• All topics are given a general description such
  as Cognitive Psychology
• It is not a requirement that the indicative
  content of the QE Regulations is met in every
  detail but a broad approach is expected to each
  topic

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Curriculum Requirements (1)

• Cognitive Psychology (CP)
• Psychobiology (Pb)
• Social Psychology (SP)
• Developmental Psychology (DP)
• Individual Differences (ID)
• All the above QE Topics are both taught and
  assessed

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Curriculum Requirements (2)

• Research Design Qualitative, and Quantitative
  Methods (RD)
• Practical Component (Pr)
• The practical component may take the form of
  either a final-year project, or other empirical
  work

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Curriculum Requirements (3)

• Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology
  (CHIP)
• This must be taught but, at present, there is no
  requirement for assessment. THIS IS UNDER REVIEW.
• CHIP need not be a separate module but may be
  embedded into the programme by other means. GQAC
  will need to see evidence that it is included at
  a level similar to the other curriculum topics.

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Curriculum Coverage - Quantities

• England, Northern Ireland, Wales
• In total, at least 50 of Levels 2 3 are Psych.
• Minimum Psych. in either is 33

• Scotland
• In total, at least 50 of Levels 3 4 are Psych.
• Minimum Psych. in each of Levels 2, 3 and 4 is 33

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Joint Hons Programme (3 x 120- credit years,
15-credit modules)
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Joint Hons 4-Year Programme
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Modules Combining QE Topics

• Where two or more topics are included in the same
  module, the Society expects each topic to be
  separately assessed

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Psychology and/with X

• Students checking the BPS website for accredited
  programmes and looking for a specific subsidiary
  subject will not find it using the above
• Psychology and/with X may give flexibility at
  accreditation but it has drawbacks in recruitment

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New for 2006/07
Conversion Courses Students whose enrolment on an
accredited conversion courses begins on or after
1 September 2006 must pass the course with a
final overall mark of at least 50 in order to be
eligible for GBR. Additionally, the research
project, or the equivalent practical components
of the award, must be passed.
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Scottish Degrees Coverage of the QE topics
should be at Level 2 or Level 3 of an honours
degree in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, or
Level 3 and 4 of a Scottish honours degree, level
2 may only be considered for accreditation
purposes if it contributes to the final
classification. Each topic should require study
equivalent to that assessed for honours level and
should potentially contribute to the final
classification of the degree.
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• Admissions
• All students must complete an entire programme
  with the following exceptions
•  
•      After having completed their first year
  through an approved franchise, or other
  approved collaborative arrangement, students may
  join the accredited programme at the start of
  the second year in England, Wales or Northern
  Ireland, and the third year in Scotland
• At the discretion of the HEI, a student may
  transfer from one accredited programme to
  another at any stage and
• Students holding an HND, Foundation Degree, or
  similar non-accredited award, may join an
  accredited programme no later than the start of
  the second year in England, Wales or Northern
  Ireland, and the third year in Scotland.
•  
• The above policy seeks to ensure that all
  students eligible for the GBR have studied the
  topics of the Qualifying Examination at an
  appropriate academic level and with an adequate
  resource base supporting study.

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Core Curriculum Research Design and Quantitative
Methods should be retitled Research Design, and
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods.
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Resource reviews New programmes will not be
considered for accreditation unless the resources
underpinning any existing accredited provision
meet all relevant benchmark thresholds.
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Journals A minimum of 30 subscriptions
providing a balanced coverage across the
discipline. Where there is substantial
e-provision, students must have access to full
text versions of the material.
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Transcripts With effect from academic session
2006/07 all students registered on programmes
accredited for the purposes of GBR must be issued
with a University transcript which lists the
modules they have studied.
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Harmonisation of Review Dates The GQAC will defer
consideration of any new programmes until it
is satisfied by means of its normal resource
review mechanisms that adequate resources are in
place for all existing programmes.  Thereafter,
when a new programme gains accreditation, the
period of accreditation will harmonise with the
review periods of the existing provision.
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Overseas Programmes The accreditation of
programmes covers UK institutions whose students
are resident in the UK. In all instances the
awarding institution must be listed in the World
Higher Education Database. Where an institution
offers a programme overseas and that programme is
substantially the same as an accredited programme
in the UK, graduates of the overseas programme
may apply on an individual basis to the Societys
Admissions Committee for the Graduate Basis for
Registration (GBR).
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QAA Code of Practice The GQAC is aware that the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
expects UK institutions to reflect its Code of
Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality
and Standards in Higher Education (QAA, 1998-).
The Society has permission to use the Code of
Practice and it is already employed in the
accreditation of postgraduate training
programmes. The GQAC may make reference to this
document and its procedures where necessary.
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Other Developments

• EuroPsy Certificate linked to Chartered Status
• No longer a European Diploma in Psychology
• Society Admissions Committee is the UK national
  awarding body for the Certificate