External Review and Audits

Find out more about external review and audit provision at the University of Cumbria.

Overview

All universities in the UK are subject to the requirements of the Office for Students (OfS) for the quality and standards of the courses they offer.  To register, and stay registered, with the OfS providers must show that they offer high quality higher education.

The OfS conditions of registration are designed to make sure high standards are maintained.  The OfS regulatory framework provides the detail in respect to both the initial and general ongoing conditions.  Procedures and Processes at the University of Cumbria align to the OfS regulatory framework.

The University of Cumbria may also apply to specific Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) to accredit its professional programmes and in doing so the University recognises the PSRBs right to monitor and review those programmes via annual or periodic review and through re/validation.

PSRBs have their own quality standards relating to the professional elements of a programme of study and may have specific requirements, for example in relation to the amount of hours a student works in practise, the number of credits a student has to receive before progressing or completing, or even a minimum average mark to be attained across the programme of study.  In cases where the PSRBs requirements are in contravention of the University's academic regulations, the PSRBs requirements take precedence, and these must be approved at the point of validation.