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A complex quality assurance framework is used to ensure quality and standards in UK universities. A good overview of these systems is available from the Quality and Standards micro-site on the Universities UK website.

Primary responsibility for ensuring academic standards and quality lies with individual UK higher education institutions. However, in addition to operating their own internal university quality management systems and processes, institutions are also subjected to publicly reported external quality reviews conducted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). The purpose of these reviews is to check how well institutions are meeting their responsibilities, to identify good practice and make recommendations for improvement.

Institutions are required to operate within, and are reviewed against, a set of agreed UK-wide guidelines and reference points - the Academic Infrastructure - developed by the QAA in consultation with the sector. The Academic Infrastructure has four components. The first three are mainly concerned with quality standards, and the code of practice focuses on the management of quality.

Frameworks for higher education qualifications describe the levels of achievement and attributes represented by the main qualification titles (eg. Bachelors or Masters degree). There are two frameworks - one for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and one for Scotland.

Subject benchmark statements set out broad expectations about degree standards in specific subject areas. Universities are responsible for setting their own curricula but these benchmark statements are used at subject level to inform course design, delivery and review. They describe what can be expected of a graduate in terms of broad subject coverage and the techniques and skills gained on completion of an honours degree.

Programme specifications give information about the specific content of a programme of study (such as the curriculum structure, delivery methods and assessment), and what knowledge, understanding, skills and other attributes a student taking the programme will develop.

Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards has ten sections and provides guidelines for institutions on good practice in the management of academic standards and quality (sections cover for example, assessment, admissions and external examining).

Quality and Standards micro website

For information on the QAA Academic Infrastructure

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