This page contains instructions for the approval of new programmes by change, to be offered by the university on all campuses. This includes approval for changes to micro-credential courses offered by UoNO.
‘New courses by change’ are defined as curriculum change requests to existing courses where the proposed curriculum change is either a significant change at one time point or incremental changes over time which would lead to (or have led to), effectively, a new course.
The purpose of the approval process is to ensure that appropriate academic standards are set and maintained, and that courses offered to students make available learning opportunities which enable the intended learning outcomes to be achieved.
Please note, terminology for a programme has been renamed as ‘course’ from academic year 2025/26 onwards.
In order to meet the responsibility for academic standards and quality of learning opportunities, please consult the UK Quality code for HE advice and guidance, QAA Characteristics statements and QAA Subject benchmark statements (see links below).
The university regulations on minimum expectations for teaching and learning must be consulted and adhered to. Similarly, the requirements of the university course design principles must also be followed. Link provided in Section 5 below.
2.1 Temporary restriction on new UG or PGT courses
There will be no new UG or PGT courses approved for the next 12 months (from November 2025). The only exceptions are where changes to current courses will significantly improve the student experience, reduce complexity, or where there is an evidenced case of exceptional market demand. These should be discussed with the Director of ESE Enhancement in the first instance ahead of any development work happening.
To support the timely roll-out of the new Assessment Framework and ensure the university can effectively schedule and deliver exams for students and staff, associated course changes required for implementation will not trigger a new course by change process in the 25/26 academic year.
This means that where changes are needed to align assessments at the module change deadline in February 2026, Schools can proceed without initiating a full course change approval route. This approach is intended to streamline workload, maintain momentum, and support consistent implementation across the University.
2.2 Course design requirements
When creating new courses they must embrace the Course Design Principles and comply with university regulations.
Deviations from the regulations are only permitted in exceptional circumstances, most commonly to meet PSRB requirements, and must be supported by evidence demonstrating the necessity of the approach, and must be approved by the Quality and Standards Committee (QSC) or Education and Student Experience Committee (ESEC), as appropriate.
2.3 Free speech
When developing a new course, appropriate regard must be given to the importance of promoting free speech.
Please consult the following for further information about the Freedom of Speech Act:
Free speech and academic freedom statement
Free speech and academic freedom code or practice
Free speech and academic freedom webpage
2.4 Academic freedom
In relation to course and module development, approval, and delivery, it should be noted that academics would not be prohibited from developing or delivering a course or module on the ground that it involves giving serious consideration to ‘controversial or unpopular opinions’. This is not a reason that the course would be approved, rather it is not a reason it could be declined. For instance, there will remain business or logistical reasons to not grant approval to a course or module.
2.5 Guidance about what constitutes a new course by change
There are opportunities to make changes to existing courses of study without the need for re-approval of the whole course (see the ’Annual Review of Curriculum’ Quality Manual page for more details (link below). However, significant changes to the curriculum constituting a new course by change, as described above, will require approval of the course of study as a new course; referred to as 'new course by change'.
To help schools understand whether proposed changes to existing courses of study will require approval as a new course, the following guidance has been developed.
New course approval scenarios and requirements
| Scenario | New course approval required |
|---|
| Changes to course learning outcomes |
This may be considered a new course by change for approval purposes if the changes to course learning outcomes significantly alter the skills and knowledge that a student will have acquired and what students will be able to do upon successful completion of their studies. |
| Changes to course structure |
This may be considered a new course by change for approval purposes if:
There are significant revisions to a course’s core modules either in one year or across the whole course. For example, if more than half of core modules are changing. However this does depend on the mix of core and optional modules. Revisions to core modules might include:
- Adding/removing modules
- Moving modules within the course structure
- Replacing old modules with new ones
- Replacing old modules with new ones of a different credit value
- Increasing/decreasing the core/optional credit split
- There are significant revisions to optionality. This will be particularly important for courses which have a higher ratio of optional to core modules, or those that use restricted or alternative groups of modules
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Not all proposed course changes may fit neatly into one of the above scenarios because they may include changes to multiple elements which change the course significantly from what was originally approved.
For further advice and guidance about whether the changes you are considering would be a new course by change, please contact: ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk
2.4 Timeline for approval and CMA considerations (UNUK Only)
The UK prospectus publishing deadlines are provided in the table below. To meet these publishing deadlines for the undergraduate and postgraduate prospectuses, and to achieve a full cycle of marketing, schools must have their course developed and approved by the dates published on the CAAT SharePoint site. For the avoidance of doubt, the dates for course approval will be much earlier than the prospectus publishing dates outlined below.
UK Prospectus Publishing deadlines for UG and PGT courses
| Undergraduate |
1 March in the calendar year before students commence the course (e.g. 1 March 2024 for 25/26 entry) |
| Postgraduate Taught |
1 July in the calendar year before students commence the course (e.g. 1 July 2024 for 25/26 entry) |
It is expected that once the prospectus and Online Course Catalogue are published, no further changes to curriculum information will be made.
The Late Curriculum Change process, and associated processes (e.g. re-opening modules – noting the one-in, one-out requirement for modules must be adhered to), will only be allowed if the reason is unforeseen and falls within one of the exceptional circumstances detailed in the late changes section of the Annual review of curriculum Quality Manual page.
Each request will be carefully considered by the Curriculum Approvals and Advisory Team (CAAT), Marketing, Admissions, the Legal team and other key individuals in the University as appropriate. For new courses by change the main consideration would be risks relating to Consumer and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance, and specifically changing curriculum information which is material to prospective student decisions. In these circumstances the Late Change approval process in the Annual review of curriculum Quality Manual page will be followed.
3.0 Roles and responsibilities
It is not necessary to get school and faculty endorsement for a new course by change. It will be necessary to show that the school has approved the curriculum changes with their school Education and Student Experience Committees or equivalent in the usual manner. A full and/or addendum business case is not required.
The school is responsible for the completion of the new course by change outline form. This includes liaison with stakeholders e.g. affected schools, employers, students and external advice as appropriate.
CAAT colleagues will review the new course by change outline form and liaise with necessary university colleagues.
Schools planning significant changes to their courses must to consult with CAAT, Student Registry Office (SRO) or Academic Services Unit (AMU) (for UNUK, UNM and UNNC respectively), to discuss their plans and be appropriately advised which route to follow (i.e. curriculum change or new course by change).
Schools that submit significant changes through the curriculum review cycle which need to instead follow the new course by change process will be contacted, advised accordingly and asked to resubmit by this route.
The new course by change process is a condensed version of the new course approval process; not requiring external advice or a full or addendum business case. Refer to the CAAT Sharepoint page (link provided in Section 5 below) for full information about the process.
Complete the new courses by change outline form and liaise with ss-curriculumadvice@nottingham.ac.uk for further information and guidance.
Courses cannot be advertised and students may not be registered on them until it has been fully approved.
5.0 Related regulations, policies and procedures
6.0 Version control table
Version control table
| Version Number | Purpose/Change | Approving Committee | Date |
|---|
| 1.0 |
Reformatted to align with the new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework |
QSC |
August 2024 |
| 1.1 |
Updates reflect the temporary restriction on new course/programme creation, the updated approval process and restricted reasons for late change.
Terminology for a programme has been renamed as ‘course’ from academic year 2025/26 onwards.
|
QSC |
January 2026 |
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