Applying to become a Fellow of the HEA – Download version Page 1 of 11
Applying to become a Fellow
Applying to become a Fellow………………………………………………………………………1
Step 1: Prepare your Account of Professional Practice…………………………………………....3
Step 2: Obtain two referees………………………………………………………………...... 4
Step 3: Obtain institutional endorsement………………………………………………………….5
Step 4: Submit application…………………………………………………………………………..7
Step 5: What happens next and Payment…………………………………………………………..8
Frequently asked questions………………………………………………………………………....9
Welcome to the application process for becoming a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). This is the downloaded version of the guidance and does not have all the links and functionality of the on-line information. To navigate through the document pass your cursor over any active text, press ctrl and left click.
By applying to become a Fellow you will have the opportunity to:
- Think deeply about and thereby enhance the quality and effectiveness of your work in the area of teaching and supporting learning in HE;
- Gain national recognition for your role as a teacher and/or supporter of learning within the HE context.
You will need to have access to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) which can be downloaded from a working knowledge of its contents in order to prepare your application. Below is an overview of the process for applying to become a Fellow.
What are the main evidence requirements for Fellowship?
There are two main parts to your application:
- An Account of Professional Practice (APP)
- Supporting statements from two referees (REF)
Your application must also include supporting statements from two referees. . The referees should be colleagues who are in a position to comment, on your record of effectiveness in relation to teaching and the support of learning.
In addition, the Academy requires that your application is endorsed by a signatory who will confirm that your application has institutional approval.
What do you need to do to apply?
In summary, to apply you need to:
- Prepare your APP using the template provided
- Obtain two referee statements
- Obtain institutional approval
- Complete the on-line application form and upload your APP and referee statements
- Pay the appropriate fee
How will your application be assessed?
Your application will be assessed by a panel of two accreditors.
How much will it cost?
The fee for your application is £200 if you belong to a subscribing institution or £300 if not.
What if I have other questions?
Please refer to the FAQ section. If you cannot find the answer you need, please email and one of the team will be happy to help you. You can also ring us on +44 (0)1904 717500.
Step1: Prepare your APP
General principles to consider in preparing your APP
- The heart of your application will be the completion of an Account of your Professional Practice as a teacher and/or supporter of learning. In this account you should explain how you meet the requirements outlined in Descriptor 2 of the Framework.
- Use the elements of the Core Knowledge and Professional Values Dimensions set out in the Framework to reflect on each of the five Areas of Activity
- You should aim to include example(s) of your use of/commitment to each element of the Professional Values and Core Knowledge in some part of your account.
- Ensure you provide reasons for the choice of activitiesyou describe, and demonstrate that you reflect on your teaching practice and the students’ learning experience.
- The APP is a personal account so you should focus throughout on your own professional practice and decision-making.
A template is provided for you to use to complete your APP. This can be downloaded from the website at:
Step 2: Choose your two referees
Your application must include two references from colleagues who are in a position to comment on your record of effectiveness in relation to teaching and learning. They should be provided with a copy of the Guidance Notes for Referees. Referees are expected to comment directly on the content of your account and to make additional, relevant comments, as they wish.
The function of your referees is to provide an informed peer review of your eligibility for Fellow using their knowledge of your work and the context in which you teach and/or support learning.
Referees should be experienced staff and be able to comment, knowledgeably, and from first-hand experience on your current role and any other relevant activities recently undertaken. At least one of your references should either be a Fellow (or Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow) of the Higher Education Academy, or an appropriate experienced member of staff working for a UK higher education institution. All referees need to be familiar with the UKPSF.
When you have received their references save them as pdf files for uploading. The HEA reserves the right to contact your referees for clarification.
Step 3: Obtain an endorsement from your institution
Who should I choose as an institutional signatory?
The HEA requires that you provide an institutional endorsement. If you are employed by an institution, the institutional endorsement should come from a professional who has senior responsibility for professional development learning and teaching within the institution, for example:
- Head of Staff/Professional Development;
- Head of Learning and Teaching;
- Head of Student Experience;
- Head of Academic Practice;
- Dean of Faculty/School;
- Director of Learning and Teaching;
- Deputy-Vice-Chancellor or Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience and/or Learning and Teaching) or equivalent;
- Senior/Vice-Senior.
What information about the signatory do I need for my application?
You will need to enter the name, title and institutional email address of the signatory when completing your application.
What is expected of the institutional signatory?
They will then be automatically emailed when you submit your application with a request to confirm that they endorse your application. Their email only needs to confirm that your application is known to the institution. It is not an indication of any judgement about the application and there is no necessity for the signatory to comment on it.
What if I am self employed?
There is a section for you to confirm your self-employed status in the application form. If you are an individual not employed by a higher education institution, but do have an employer you need to seek an institutional signatory from an equivalent professional from your employer. The purpose of this is to confirm your status with your employer.
Once you have completed your APP, obtained your referee statements and the agreement of your institutional signatory you are ready to submit your application.
Step 4: Submit your application
Please note that you have to complete the application form in one session. You are not able to save it partially completed and come back to it later and if you navigate away from it you will lose all changes. You are advised to scroll down through the application form to ensure that you have all the information you need before starting to fill it in. In particular, please make sure that you have:
- Completed your APP and save it as a PDF file;
- Obtained your two referee statements and save them as pdf files;
- Obtained endorsement from an appropriate institutional signatory and have their name, title and institutional email address to hand.
If you are ready to submit your application, go to
Step 5: Pay the appropriate fee
What will happen to your application after we have received it?
You should receive an automatic email acknowledging receipt of your application. If you work in an institution, an automatic email will also be sent to your designated institutional signatory. Your only remaining task is to pay the appropriate fee.
How can I pay for my application?
If you are based in an institution we will contact you to request payment once we have heard from your institutional signatory. If you are self-employed then we will contact you once we have received your application.
We regret that we cannot process your application until we have received full payment. You can do this by:
- Calling the Professional Recognition team on +44 (0)1904 717500 and paying by debit/credit card or by BACS transfer.
- Sending a cheque with your application for the appropriate amount, made payable to ‘The Higher Education Academy’ (please write your institution and full name on the back).
The length of time it takes to process an application varies depending on the dates of our accreditor panels for Fellows.
If you have any queries about your application, please email the professional recognition team at or call +44 (0)1904 717 500 quoting your professional recognition number.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Fellowship of the HEA right for you?
2. How will my application be assessed?
3. What happens if my application hasn’t provided sufficient evidence for recognition?
4.What level of programmes can I use in my examples of practice?
1.Is Fellowship of the HEA right for you?
Fellowship of the HEA is awarded to professionals who can demonstrate that they meet the criteria of Descriptor 2 (D2) of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education, which states that you should:Demonstrate a broad understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning. You should be able to provide evidence of:
I. Successful engagement across all five Areas of Activity
II. Appropriate knowledge and understanding across all aspects of Core Knowledge
III. A commitment to all the Professional Values
IV. Successful engagement in appropriate teaching practices related to the Areas of Activity
V. Successful incorporation of subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship within the above activities, as part of an integrated approach to academic practice
VI. Successful engagement in continuing professional development in relation to teaching, learning, assessment, scholarship and, as appropriate, related academic or professional practices.
Typically you are likely to be able to demonstrate D2 if you are:
- An early career academic
- In an academic-related role with substantive teaching and learning responsibilities
- An experienced academic but relatively new to UK higher education
- Someone with, sometimes significant, teaching-only responsibilities including, for example, within work-based settings.
For further information on the interpretation of the UK Professional Standards Framework, please consult the full Framework document and associated Guidance Notes.
If your teaching and learning support role is within D2 you will be able to demonstrate achievement and success in all the Dimensions of the framework – i.e. the Areas of Activity, Core Knowledge and Professional Values. You will need to incorporate relevant subject and pedagogic research and/or scholarship in your approaches. How you evidence this will be dependent on the context in which you are working, the nature of the subject, discipline or profession in which you teach, and the expectations of the institution in which you work.
2. How will my application be assessed?
Applications are assessed by a panel of accreditors, selected for their experience of external review and accreditation, as well as for their knowledge and experience of teaching and learning issues. The accreditor pool includes education specialists and practitioners from a range of disciplines across the higher education sector.
The accreditors will assess your application looking for evidence that your approach to teaching/supporting and managing learning is grounded in an understanding of how students develop knowledge and learning skills within your discipline or role.
Your evidence should therefore be reflective, not just descriptive. Accreditors will also look for indications of how you evaluate your effectiveness and how you develop your approach in the light of experience.
The accreditors will take a holistic approach to reviewing your application, and will seek evidence from across the application.
3. What happens if my application hasn’t provided sufficient evidence for recognition?
If your application is judged to provide insufficient evidence for meeting the critieria, it will be referred back to you with comments on the reason for its referral. You will be given one opportunity to resubmit, after which if your application is unsuccessful you will need to reapply.
4.What level of programmes can I use in my examples of practice?
Programmes of study used in your examples must be equivalent to at least:
- Level 4 or above within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications:
- Level 7 or above within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF):
- or third cycle or above of the Qualifications Framework in the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA): if the application is from an EU country.
You will need to use your judgement for programmes you have been involved in outside the EU.