Programme Proposal Form
To be supplied in conjunction with Programme Specification Form for programme approval process
(Link to programme specification template http://www.bbk.ac.uk/registry/for-staff/quality/programme-approval )
1 / Programme Title / Introduction to Geography2 / Home Department / Applied Linguistics and Communication
3 / Exit Award(s) / Certificate of Higher Education
4 / Duration of Study (number of years) / 1 year
5 / Mode of Study / FT/PT/DL/Other / FT
6 / UCAS Entry / Yes/No/NA / Yes
7 / Level of Award (FHEQ) / Level 4
8 / Other teaching depts. or institution (if applicable)
9 / Programme Director / Dr Kerry Harman
10 / Start Date (term/year) / Autumn 2017
11 / Expected Student Numbers
(1st year, min/max) / 5/15
12 / Enrolment Type / Programme / X / Modular
13 / Campus Location / Bloomsbury / X / Stratford
14 / Fees and Funding Codes
see notes for further information on JACS codes, and HEFCE Cost Centre and Price Group / JACS Code / X220
HEFCE Cost Centre / D
HEFCE Price Group / 135
15 / Programme Summary (rationale, aims, structure)
Programme structure (including module codes) should be listed on the Programme Specification form.
Rationale:
The new one year, full time Introduction to Geography programme has been developed to align with the wider Birkbeck ambition to offer all students applying to Birkbeck a place on an appropriate course. In this case, the certificate is designed for those students applying for the full-time degree in Geography who are assessed as not yet ready to embark on Year 1 study. The certificate will provide a supported pathway of study at Level 4, which will prepare students for Year 1 of the BSc Geography, BSc Development and Globalisation and BSc Environmental Management degrees. The certificate provides a differentiated pathway of study in the following ways:
i)more face to face contact hours with students than Year 1 of degrees and other Cert HEs
ii)provision of one to one tutorials for students requiring additional support
iii)the inclusion of an Approaches to Study or Approaches to Study with English module followed by a Writing and Language module, which provides students with an important foundation for ongoing study
iv)the inclusion of embedded study skills in the modules in the certificate
v)the incorporation of specific pedagogic techniques in each module which contribute to enhancing the learning experience and confidence of students
vi)the opportunity for non native speakers of English to develop their written English expression with the incorporation of embedded English language support in two modules available on the programme
vii)the ongoing development of tutors working on the programme in participatory pedagogic practices and assessment for learning techniques
viii)a Reading Group which provides students with an opportunity to engage with critical theory and develop skills in critical thinking
ix)regular progression review points throughout the programme to assess if students require additional support
x)various strategies to ensure successful transition onto the degree eg the opportunity for students to participate in 2 to 3 lectures in the degree programme, while studying on the certificate.
Programme aims:
To develop skills and knowledge for successful undergraduate study on the BSc Geography, BSc Development and Globalisation and BSc Environmental Management degrees at Birkbeck.
To enable students to gain an understanding of contemporary concepts, debates and perspectives relevant to the study of Geography.
To enable students to gain confidence in undertaking research and independent study.
To develop students’ critical thinking skills and encourage their active participation in an academic context.
To introduce students to various assessment methods used in higher education.
Structure:
The programme commences with Approaches to Study or Approaches to Study with English in Term 1 (Autumn). This module is followed by Writing and Language in Term 2 (Spring). Students need to pass Approaches to Study and Writing and Language to progress to the subject modules. Students will take Geography and Maths and Stats in Term 3
Term 1 (Autumn)
Level / Module Code / Module Title / Credits / Status
4 / FFHE001S4 / Approaches to Study / 30 / Core
OR
4 / FFHE015S4 / Approaches to Study with English Language Support (Intensive) / 30 / Core
Term 2 (Spring)
4 / FFHE014S4 / Writing and Language / 30 / Compulsory
Term 3
(Summer)
4 / FFHE019S4 / Geography / 30 / Compulsory
4 / FFHE004S4 / Maths and Statistics / 30 / Compulsory
16 / Resources ASQ do not contact departments listed below:
Are non-standard additional resources required to run this programme? / Yes / No / X
If YES, please give details of additional resources required in relevant section below and confirm that consultation with relevant section has taken place.
Please note that the teaching and learning must be sufficiently flexible to enable all reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
Accommodation / Specific additional room requirements – consult with room bookings
(i.e. if more than 100 people expected to be taught at once or specialist teaching space over and above lecture theatres and classrooms)
Library / e.g. new journals, new e-resources, extra print copies, e-learning copyright, access to other libraries – consult with subject librarian
ITS / additional IT and Audio Visual resources required – consult with ITS User Support Manager
Other / Please state requirements for any other resources and give details of any external funding.
17 / Scheduled Learning Hours and Assessment (for Key Information Set)
Average Scheduled learning hours each week for each year of programme
(delete or add years as appropriate) / Year 1: 201 hrs (211 hrs if students take Approaches to Study with English Language Support) across the year. This equates to approx 5.6 contact hours per week during term time. The programme spans the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms.
Proposed Assessment Format for each year of programme (i.e. year 1 - 50% exam, 50% coursework)
(delete or add years as appropriate) / Year 1 – 100% coursework (including timed assessments in class)
18 / Approval
Programme Director / Kerry Harman / Date / 23/2/16
Head of Department / Zhu Hua / Date / 23/02/16
Chair of STQEC / Christy Constantakopoulou / Date / 03/03/16
Executive Dean / Miriam Zukas / Date / 07/03/16
External Subject Specialist Form
External Subject Specialists may be asked to take part in a relevant Programme Development Panel either through attendance at a meeting to discuss the proposal or by correspondence.
1 / Programme Title / Introduction to Geography2 / Name of External Subject Specialist (Professor/Dr/Mr/Ms) / Prof. Bill Jones
3 / Present post and place of work
Tel/Email / University of Leicester
4 / Area of subject expertise
5 / Details of any current or previous involvement with cognate programmes or with the College
Current External Examiner for the Cert HE, Higher Education Introductory Studies programme.
6 / Comments on the proposed programme
6a. appropriateness of the proposal in relation to the College’s Common Awards Scheme, national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, Higher Education Credit Framework for England, relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Statements and, where appropriate, Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements (see ‘Academic Infrastructure’ at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/default.asp)
I have considered this proposed programme and I am satisfied that it is appropriate in its structure and level. It is in keeping with national standards and is appropriately structured for both the requirements of the University and for the needs of the expected students.
6b. overall comments
This programme is a good complement to the other similar courses in the HEIS curriculum.
7 / Agreement
Signature: W R Jones / Date: 25th Feb 2016
Programme description for publicity purposes
Once your programme has been formally approved, it will be publicised on the Birkbeck website and (if you meet the appropriate deadline) our print prospectuses. The Birkbeck website receives around 3 million visitors a year and the vast majority of those visitors will look at our centralised course listings at www.bbk.ac.uk/study. The online prospectus is our number one tool for recruitment, so please complete the following fields as fully and richly as possible. This information will be sent to External Relations and uploaded to the web. If you need help completing these fields, please contact the Digital Publications Officer in External Relations.
Please note: this form only needs to be completed at the programme proposal stage of the quality assurance process. You do not need to resubmit this appendix at the programme amendment stage.
Content area (with instructions) / Your text1 / Attendance
How many times a week will part-time and full-time students have to attend? Are there any weekend, daytime or study trip elements? Please detail any distance learning aspects. / 1-2 evenings a week (6pm-9pm) plus 1-2 full-day Saturday schools per term.
This is an intensive programme and you must be willing to work 15-20 hours a week independently outside class.
2 / Funding and Financial Support
Are there any sources of funding students can apply for, either within Birkbeck or externally? / This programme is eligible for student loan funding. Means tested Birkbeck cash bursaries are available to low income students.
3 / Programme introduction
This is the introductory paragraph that appears at the top of the programme’s webpage. Please use this paragraph to really emphasise what is unique, interesting and appealing about your course. Aim for 100–300 words, use short paragraphs and avoid bullet points. / This one year programme will develop the learning approaches and study skills you need for progression to the Geography degrees at Birkbeck. This programme will develop your skills and confidence if you are returning to education.
4 / Why study this course at Birkbeck?
Use 3–6 bullet points to describe why Birkbeck is the best institution for studying this course: academic excellence, career and employability opportunities, library facilities and archives, geographic location, research centres, the research interests and achievements of academics, progression routes to further study, etc. / · Ideal if you want to improve your qualifications in order to progress to degree study in Geography
· Return to study in a supported, mature environment
· This flexible programme provides an introduction to Geography and the support to be successful in degree study.
· Study in the evening to gain a University of London qualification
5 / Course structure text before module listing
Describe the structure of the course in terms of: core, compulsory and option modules and dissertation/ project, including any credit points (if relevant). Modules will be inserted into the programme description in groups: ‘Compulsory’, ‘Core’, and ‘Option’ modules, and ‘Dissertation/ Project’. Please check online that all modules for your programme contain descriptive text. / Take Approaches to Study or Approaches to Study with English Language Support (Intensive), Writing and Language, Geography AND Maths and Statistics.
6 / Course structure text after module listing
This section appears after the list of modules. You may want to expand or clarify some aspects of the course structure or provide information about recent dissertation/project topics. / n/a
7 / Sample timetable
These can be uploaded as Word or PDF documents, so please email a copy to the Digital Publications Officer, Ben Winyard (). / To follow
8 / Further study opportunities
Please provide the names of any programmes that students can progress onto after completing this course and we will insert a link to that programme. Is there a specific progression route to a particular higher level of study? / Successful completion of this programme will enable students to transfer to Year 1 of the BSc Geography, BSc Development and Globalisation and BSc Environmental Management degrees at Birkbeck.
9 / Careers and employability
What are some of the career areas that graduates from this course have gone into? If possible, please provide specific job positions/titles/examples. If you have any facts or statistics about graduate destinations, please provide them. Try to make this section as full, factual and useful as possible. / http://www.bbk.ac.uk/prospective/careers-and-employability/department-of-geography-environment-and-development-studies
10 / How to apply
If prospective students need to complete a supplementary form or written task, then please send the supplementary form and/or a paragraph of instructions to . The instructions will be included in the confirmation email sent to applicants on submission of their main application form. / Application via UCAS (link to be inserted)
11 / Application deadlines and interviews / UCAS deadline = 30 June, and later applications accepted via Clearing.
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Updated: 16.12.14