Group discussion

Change your provision and retain your Accreditation

Achieving accreditation status is just the beginning of the process. You can revise your institution’s accreditation provision to reflect the changing demands of higher education and ensure that you maintain your institution’s accredited status.

The process of change

To enable your institution to make a change to your accredited programmes you can take advantage of our major/minor change process. Any change proposed by your institution, whether ‘major’ or ‘minor’ should be considered and approved by us in advance of the change being implemented. You will be asked to supply information which will be considered by our Change Panel. Our Change Panel will feed back on the outcome and, where changes are approved, will make clear the date from which the change will apply.

Applying to make a change

The first step in applying for a change to provision is to complete a ‘Change(s) to accredited provision – initial request form’. This form should be returned to accreditation@advance-he.ac.uk. 

The Accreditation team will consider the initial request and will be able to advise the institution about whether the proposed revision constitutes a ‘minor’ or ‘major’ change. The processes by which ‘major’ and ‘minor’ changes are considered are set out in the ‘Changes to accredited provision’ guidance document. As well as the processes, the submission deadlines are also indicated in this guidance document.

What is major and what is minor?

It is difficult to define the nature of a ‘minor’ change as opposed to a ‘major’ change because each institution is different and each programme/scheme is distinctive to suit the context of the institution.

Minor changes

These are alterations to your existing accredited provision that do not materially alter the provision or any pathways to recognition within it. Minor changes must not significantly alter:

  • the design of the provision
  • the participant engagement with the UKPSF
  • the evidence on which recognition decisions are made
  • the recognition-decision making process.

Minor changes may be made, approved and implemented within an academic year to enable any subsequent cohort to benefit from the revised provision.

Major changes

In contrast, major changes may involve more substantial revisions such as:

  • revision to programme or module outcomes that necessitates an accompanying change to the programme’s structure and/or content to maintain PSF alignment
  • a proposed new site or campus of delivery and/or participant group
  • change to the mode of delivery and/or support for participants to engage with the PSF
  • revision of the evidence on which recognition decisions are made
  • alterations to procedure or stages in the recognition decision making process.

When approved, major changes can be implemented from two points in the academic year; 1 February and 1 September.