External advice in course approval

This page sets out the regulations in relation to external advice in course approval to help staff who are completing course specifications.

Please note, terminology for a programme has been renamed as ‘course’ from academic year 2025/26 onwards.

2.1  Requirements

Schools must seek external advice when developing a new course of study. 

The external adviser’s comments will provide constructive advice to the school on the proposed course, which will inform developments of the course. However, there may be instances when the school considers the comments but decides not to incorporate certain elements into the proposal.

This would consist of advice from some, or all, of the following groups:

• External advisers who provide relevant information and guidance on current developments in the discipline(s)
• Acadamic peers external to the institution*
• Academic peers from other disciplines within the institution
• Any course partners, for example, institutions with which there are collaborative arrangements
• Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs)**
• External stakeholders e.g. employers **
• Students and alumni

*External advice must always be sought from an academic peer external to the institution when developing a new course. 

**External advice must always be sought from employers and/or professional bodies where a new course is aimed at preparing students for a particular profession.

Advice or guidance received from external advisers in the development of the business case must be noted in the relevant section on the business case. 

Formal advice from academic peers, needed for all new courses of study, must be provided on the template provided below (the ‘External Advice for a New Course of Study’ Form). It is expected that academic peer(s) complete this form once they have seen the relevant course specification and business case to ensure a thorough review.

All external advice must be submitted with the other curriculum documentation required for new courses. 

2.2  What to request from the external adviser

The role of the external adviser is to provide independent and professionally objective advice to the school on the development of a new course of study. The external adviser should be asked to comment on:

• The existence of a market for the new course
• The likelihood of the course recruiting to stated targets
• The reasonableness of the resources required for the course
• The validity and relevance of the proposed course with reference to external reference points (such as Subject Benchmark Statements)
• The definition and appropriateness of standards in accordance with the level and title of the award
• The relationship between the proposed course and current research in the same area
• The overall coherence and intellectual integrity of the course
• The relationship of the course to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
• The relationship of the course to any other external reference points

2.3  Template for the provision of external advice by an academic peer

For a template on the provision of external advice, please refer to the business case stage (section 5) of the new course approval process, link in Section 3.0

For more information about the course approval process and development of a business case, please consult the following:

Course design, development and approval

For further information about external advice in relation to new course approval, please contact: ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk