PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Please view the disclaimer.
AWARD and COURSE TITLE
INTERMEDIATE AWARDS
Mode(s) of Attendance
(eg. FT/PT/SW/DL)
Name of Teaching Institution
Location of Delivery
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Graphic Design: Illustration
BA (Hons) Graphic Design: Advertising
BA (Hons) Graphic Design: Motion and
Interactive Design
Ordinary Degree in Graphic Design
Diploma HE in Graphic Design
Cert HE in Graphic Design
FT/PT
Sheffield Hallam University
And
INTI, Malaysia1 (BA (Hons) Graphic Design
only)
Sheffield Hallam University
INTI, Malaysia
Faculty
ACES
Department
Art and Design
UCAS CODE
Professional/Statutory/Regulatory NA
Body Recognising this
Programme
QAA Subject Benchmark
Statement or other relevant
external reference point
Art and Design
Date of Approval
22 October 2012
1
PROGRAMME AIMS
Graphic Design at SHU is a multi-disciplinary visual communication course that
provides rich and varied experiences to develop your practice, including research
methods, conceptual thinking, problem solving, making and production. The course is
underpinned by a flexible and thematic curriculum that is responsive to change in
professional practice and to new and emerging tools and technologies. Studio based
project learning is contextualised and informed by a critical thinking underpinned by
theory and history of the subject.
We will help you to understand your own visual language and develop your portfolio
through exploring many different approaches to design. By the end of the course you
will have all the necessary skills and expertise to engage with a wide range of
complex graphic design problems. Students have the opportunity to graduate in
Graphic Design with a specialism, including Illustration, Advertising or Motion and
Please refer to the INTI Operations Handbook for more detailed information relating to
specific aspects of delivery in Malaysia.
1
Interactive Design and the content of the course allows for cross fertilisation amongst
these disciplines. This approach reinforces the changing needs of the design industry
and the move towards collaborative and interdisciplinary teamwork.
The underlying focus of the programme is on studio based creative practice in the
highly demanding vocation of Graphic Design. It will enable you to develop a
comprehensive understanding of the scope and demands of Graphic Design /Visual
Communication. In addition it will provide an opportunity to develop your potential as
a creative practitioner and prepare you for a subsequent career within Graphic
Design and other associated design disciplines.
We will address the aspirations of students who wish to practice professionally within
Graphic Design, whilst developing key skills allowing graduates to pursue careers in
related creative industries. This breadth of skills and knowledge reflects the needs of
the industry and will provide you with a platform to challenge and enhance
contemporary design practice. We aim to provide the industry with creative and
imaginative designers who are able to understand and respond to new contexts and
practices. For example, how it relates to existing and emerging technology and how it
must also respond to wider issues that define contemporary experience such as
lifestyle, culture, history, society, business and environmental concerns. As a student
on this programme, you will be encouraged to develop the means of staying abreast
of these issues and to understand the importance of continual professional and
personal development beyond university and into employment.
The programme aims to:

Provide an intellectually stimulating and challenging interdisciplinary approach to
graphic design.

Facilitate the acquisition of appropriate knowledge and understanding, the
development of necessary personal attributes, and the mastery of essential skills in
order to equip you to achieve your creative potential through the production of
graphic design and its related disciplines.

Foster levels of innovation, criticality and ambition to enable you to develop
independent thinking and judgement in the field of graphic design practice.

Equip you with the technical knowledge, practical skills and the self–confidence
essential for employment in the creative industries or for further advanced study.
2
PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course has been mapped against the nationally accepted requirements for a
course in Art & Design as specified in the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement.
2.1
Knowledge and understanding covered within the Programme. By the end of
the programme you will be able to demonstrate: 
a critical awareness of the historical and contemporary context of Graphic Design

a systematic understanding of design methodologies and an ability to apply them in
new and unfamiliar situations

a sound understanding of ways in which design reflects and influences the social,
ethical, legal and commercial environment of the time

an extensive knowledge of the ways in which materials / production technologies
have influenced and will influence graphic design

a thorough understanding and awareness of the ways in which new and emerging
technologies offer fresh opportunities for graphic design

a sound understanding of the importance and increasing
interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary practice in design

insight and understanding of the designer's relationship with audiences, clients,
markets, users, consumers, participants, co-workers and co-creators
2.2
relevance
of
Intellectual/Subject/Professional/Key skills covered within the Programme: by
the end of the programme you will be able to
Intellectual Skills
 synthesise ideas/ information and generate insights, concepts, proposals and
solutions in response to problems or opportunities

consolidate and extend your learning in different contextual frameworks and
situations, both within and beyond the field of art and design.

employ both convergent and divergent thinking in the processes of observation,
investigation, speculative enquiry, visualisation and/or making

analyse information and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and
articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation

engage in constructive criticism, formulate reasoned responses to the critical
judgements of others and implement appropriate action
Subject or Professional Skills
 show considered, sophisticated visual judgement and discrimination when
developing your own work and commenting upon that of others

understand the value of risk and set yourself appropriate but challenging tasks and
solve design problems

apply appropriate research strategies and to provide an extensive and considered
foundation for creative design work

develop ideas through the production of material or virtual outcomes to a completed
body of professional standard work

articulate ideas and information comprehensibly in visual, oral and written forms and
show sensitivity in the communication and presentation of design proposals using
appropriate media and techniques to specific audiences

apply resourcefulness and professional skills to support and manage your own
practice and apply an entrepreneurial approach to design
Key Skills
 operate effectively as an independent learner, working in flexible/ creative ways,
demonstrating enthusiasm, time management and organisational skills, in supervised
and self-directed projects

anticipate and accommodate change and work within contexts of ambiguity,
uncertainty, and unfamiliarity

interact effectively with others, for example through collaboration, collective
endeavour and negotiation, demonstrating abilities to listen, contribute and lead
when required
3
LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT
As this Programme is delivered at SHU and at INTI in Malaysia, there will be slight
differences in the detailed delivery of Learning, Teaching and Assessment on each
campus. Please refer to the INTI Operations Handbook for more detailed information
relating to specific aspects of delivery in Malaysia.
3.1
The approach to Learning and Teaching within the Programme
Studio-based project work forms a major part of the Graphic Design degree and runs
continuously throughout the programme as a series of separate but developmental
exercises. These design projects will provide you with high quality, vibrant learning
experiences, setting specific challenges that will enable you to incorporate contextual
understanding into your design practice. Lectures and seminars provide a substantial
theoretical underpinning for this design practice and project group tutorials provide an
open forum for the discussion and development of your knowledge and
understanding of the issues relating to these projects.
The ability to discuss, critically debate, communicate and present your work are
essential professional skills within design and you will be supported /challenged to
develop these as the course progresses. At level 4 & 5 we teach you the skills
required to plan, structure and deliver a presentation and there are opportunities in
most modules to practice this within the supportive framework of small group
tutorials. Then progressively throughout levels 5 & 6 the level of challenge increases
so that you are using a range of media to present to larger groups and to more
diverse audiences. Our intention is that by the completion of level 6 you will have
developed, through practice, the confidence and skills to present and critically debate
your work with fellow professionals and all relevant target audiences.
Design Projects
As the focus of the course, Design Projects are the vehicle through which you will
demonstrate and achieve the Learning Outcomes associated with both modules and
the programme as a whole. Each project begins with a comprehensive briefing from
one or more members of staff. Project briefings typically consist of a short lecture
and open discussion to accompany a written briefing document. This document sets
out the particular challenge facing you, gives some contextual background to the
challenge and includes clearly stated aims, learning outcomes, timescales,
submission requirements and assessment criteria. As you progress through the
programme you gradually take more responsibility for the development and direction
of your own projects, culminating in the final year of the programme when you carry
out research to provide the basis for a self-directed programme of design projects.
Skills Development and Workshops
The programme encompasses a broad range of skills designed to underpin your
capability as an intelligent maker. These will include ICT and workshop skills, and
also communication skills such as drawing and verbal presentations. Support for the
development and refinement of these skills is provided in the form of taught classes
and group workshop activities. These take place throughout the programme, but are
especially concentrated during the first year. In practical workshops you will be
introduced to appropriate levels of making based skills, as well as studio community
related activities and exercises to help you challenge and broaden your practice. You
will be offered a wide range of workshops in Level 4 to extend and diversify existing
skills, move onto choosing the most relevant specialised workshops selected from a
range offered throughout Level 5 and supported by drop in specialist advice
surgeries where you will find expert advice and assistance to support your
autonomous practice at Level 6. During your study specialist technicians will assist
you by providing information and advice.
Tutorial support
Tutorial support is a central aspect of th8e teaching method of this programme and is
key in developing reflective and evaluative practitioners. You will meet with tutors and
other students regularly in small group tutorials – normally this will happen on a
weekly basis. During tutorials, the group discusses the project work of each student.
This discussion focuses around the progress of the individual projects and
encourages comparison, cross learning, critical reflection and culminates in a focus
for further work to advance the project, (formative feedback). During these sessions
you will be expected to make an appropriate record to support your further work.
Staff notes are used as a means of checking and recording the development of each
individual as they progress through the programme. Your own notes should reflect
the potential areas for further investigation and development within your design
projects.
Critiques
Critiques are an established and fundamental aspect of art and design education.
They take place at the conclusion of a design project and generally take the form of a
presentation of the completed project work by the individual students to a group of
students and staff. These presentations may be a formal 'stand up' presentation or a
formal discussion around a table within a smaller group. Where appropriate, you may
also deliver an interim presentation of your progress and direction to a group of staff
and students. These critiques and interim presentations form a very important aspect
of the learning and teaching methods, as they provide important formative feedback
on your work, promote self-assessment, and provide a further platform for critical
review, evaluation and reflection.
Live Projects
During Level 5 of the programme some of the design projects are 'live projects’,
mirroring the experience of design employment in which you undertake project work
as a direct response to a brief set by an industrial 'client'. Typically you will visit the
client’s design or manufacturing facilities and receive a briefing from them to set the
context and scope of the project. During the project you may make interim
presentations to the client and the project will culminate in a final presentation and
feedback from both the industrial sponsor and the staff running the project. These
live projects help to develop your understanding of the business context of their
design work and develop the ability to respond to the financial, project management
and market restrictions of professional design work.
Lecture and Seminar Programme
Design projects are normally accompanied by a continuous series of lectures and
seminars that provide direct and indirect theoretical underpinning and help to develop
contextual knowledge and understanding. Lectures and seminars are both staff and
student led, with delivery from both university and external experts within the relevant
field being discussed. These theoretical aspects of the programme focus on wide
ranging issues from business and marketing factors to technological influences and
opportunities. The knowledge and understanding gained through these sessions
inform the design project work and establish means by which you are able to develop
your approach to research and development, drawing upon wider social, theoretical
and technological issues.
Visiting Lecture Programme and events.
Throughout the course there is a visiting lecture programme ‘Curated by…’ which
provides you with direct access to leading practitioners within the field. The lecture
series reveals a variety of career paths, current networks and routes into the industry.
This programme is for students at all levels of study on the course. Associated
seminars, workshops and work related projects further develop your professional
practice and employability. (PPDP & CMS)
Field Trips and Industrial Visits
During Levels 4 & 5 there are staff and student-led visits to design consultancies,
industrial facilities, museums and exhibitions. These visits contribute to the
development of a deeper contextual understanding of Graphic Design. Sometimes
they have a direct link with studio based project work or theoretical studies. For
example, in the level 4 module Creative Narrative there is a visit which forms a
mandatory part of the course. Where students are unable to attend, the related
learning outcomes are supported by alternative forms of context based teaching and
learning. Examples of this may include directed research and/or staff, student or
video presentations relative to the visit.
There is normally an international field trip during Level 5, which constitutes a visit to
an international cultural centre (destinations for previous visits have included Milan,
New York, Barcelona). During these international field trips, you will typically visit
design consultancies, industrial facilities, museums and exhibitions. Students who,
for financial or other reasons, are not able to take part in the field study are set an
alternative programme of study in the UK in order to meet the same learning
outcomes.
Self Directed Study
Directed reading is aimed at supporting your studies and promoting knowledge of
current trends and practices in design. You are also encouraged to be generally
aware of your environment during day to day life, and alert to the problems and
issues that may influence and offer opportunity to the designer. You are expected to
work with increasing independence as the course progresses, and encouraged to
extend your skills and knowledge through reading, research and design practice
during independent study time.
BlackBoard
‘BlackBoard’ is the university Virtual Leaning Environment (VLE) and you will be
introduced to this ‘online’ facility at the beginning of the course. Staff use BlackBoard
to communicate with students, to record marks achieved for specific assignments, to
publish notices and to update course / module information. Consequently, you will
need to refer to it on a daily basis to make sure that you are up to date with the latest
news. Your SHU e-mail account is also linked to BlackBoard and from time to time
staff will use this to communicate with you personally to provide immediate guidance
pertaining recent opportunities or developments that will affect your studies. Again it
is important that you monitor your SHU e-mail account on a daily basis.
3.2
The approach to Assessment and Feedback within the Programme
The details of assessment and the requirements for progression through the course
will be explained to you in course and module briefings and this process is
continually reinforced via group and individual tutorials. At the beginning of each
module a ‘handbook’ or ‘briefing document’ is published, which includes the
proformas and detailed guidance notes that staff use to assess your work.
Formative and summative* assessments are regarded as positive learning tools, and
feedback from assessment provides you with clear guidance with regard to future
development. Assessment strategies support your understanding of your learning
processes and are designed to foster a deep approach to learning. These strategies
also help to promote autonomous learning and self-evaluation as vital elements
within the overall learning process. Each assessment task will be accompanied by
range and performance criteria, which will be used during assessments to help you to
understand how effectively your skills, knowledge and understanding, are
developing. These are designed to take full account of the speculative enquiry
inherent in contemporary design practice.
*Formative assessment is used by tutors to give you some idea of how your work is
progressing at an interim stage of the project. Summative assessment is the final
mark awarded at the end of the project.
Formal summative assessment is applied via a presentation of your work at the end
of each project. As appropriate you will have the opportunity to contextualise your
work verbally and engage in critical discourse with staff. This form of assessment
aids your presentation skills. Regular group and individual tutorials and critiques
provide for continuous informal tutor, self and peer assessment.
In critical theory the most common form of assessment is the essay or project report,
where you are expected to pursue and express original thoughts and ideas, to
engage critically with received opinion and to show skills of research, analysis and
interpretation. You should also present coherent reasoned and supported arguments.
Written feedback is given with returned essays. You will receive immediate verbal
feedback from seminars, which in some cases may be later reinforced by written
feedback.
Feedback strategy
Feedback on assessed work is a fundamental element of your learning. Throughout
the course, regular tutorials are organised to discuss progress. Individual and group
tutorials ensure that you are encouraged to audit and reflect on your own
learning/development, and that you are supported in setting targets for progression.
Both of these methods will centre on the integration of teaching and learning
materials into your own design practice.
Comprehensive feedback on practical work will be given regularly in the form of
constructive comments and guidance during tutorials and critiques. Written elements
of the work will be marked and returned to you with feedback attached. Feedback
will normally be recorded at the end of each project/module to address significant
issues and to point the way forward.
3.3
How Student Employability is supported within the Programme
Skills
This course has a strong vocational focus and you will develop a comprehensive
range of personal and professional skills / expertise that will prepare you for the
transition into your future career. We will prepare you for your chosen career, though
your design education provides an effective grounding for many different career
opportunities and as you progress through the course your understanding of the
wider opportunities will unfold as you engage in the diverse experiences contained in
the various modules.
By the end of the course you will have developed the expertise and skills required for
professional practice. However, creative design practice also requires that you
develop important transferable skills, which can lead to employment beyond the
confines of the subject specialism that initially brought you to university. Team
working, communication, leadership, negotiation, enterprise, independence and
project management are just a few examples of the employability skills that are
intrinsic to a design education. They are embedded in every module throughout your
course.
Personal and Professional Development
We encourage you to take a planned approach to your future career through a
programme of Personal and Professional Development Planning (PPDP). This is
supported throughout the course and you will meet with a personal academic tutor
each semester to review your progress and to receive guidance and advice.
However, PPDP is also embedded in the teaching and this begins in level 4, in the
modules ‘Transition’ and ‘Reflective Practice’ where you begin to identify personal
strengths and possible areas for development. In level 5 the process of reflection and
development becomes a natural part of your studies as you develop a portfolio of
work as a practical demonstration of your professional skills. In the final modules at
level 5, your PPDP is formalised in the reflective and creative planning process for
the self-directed project work and degree specilism that forms the major part of your
study in level 6.
Career Management
The Faculty Careers Advice Team supports Career Management Skills (CMS), such
as the development of your CV and professional letter writing. However, as these are
essential vocational skills, they are also a fundamental part of teaching in the
modules ‘Reflective Practice’ at L4 and ‘Creative Responses’ at L5. Normally this is
‘live project’ with a sponsoring company, where you have the opportunity to work with
potential employers and to test your personal / professional communication and
presentation skills.
Work Related Learning
There is a strong thread of work related learning throughout the programme. This
progressive engagement may include training in industry standard software,
commercially sponsored / 'live' project work, industrial visits, competition entries and
professional practice based reflection. The modules at all levels of the course
integrate theory with practice, each containing a project as a focus for your learning.
The subject of each of these projects is carefully selected to progressively extend the
depth and breadth of your design skills and knowledge. In practice all the modules
reflect important aspects of professional or commercial practice and wherever
possible simulate the world of work. Certain modules such as ‘Competitive
Teamwork’ at level 4, engage directly with life beyond university. This is also the
case in ‘Interdisciplinary Practice’, which enables you to explore the dynamics
involved in working collaboratively with experts in other fields, and identifying new
places where design can have positive influence. Similarly, ‘Audience and Context’
focuses on the needs of specific groups, users or services such as hospitals or
schools and again takes you into the wider community where you will discover new
opportunities.
3.4
Main Type of Work-based or Work-related Learning featured in this
Programme.
Type of
WBL/WRL
Project with a
commissioning
organisation
Objectives
Location/context
Duration
Application of knowledge
in a practical context;
project and client
management skills
Company or
organisation,
including the third
sector
SHU Venture
Matrix
Application of knowledge
in a practical context;
project and client
management skills
Insight into professional
practice; career path case
studies
Networking
Partnership development
VM organisations
or external
company/
organisation
On campus &
external
Professional
practitioners
mentoring projects
Can be short term
involving students for
a few days up to a
semester long
activity
One semester
Curated by…
4
Can be short term
involving students for
a few days up to a
semester long
activity
PROGRAMME DESIGN AND STRUCTURE
Year 1
The first year introduces you to study at higher education level including writing,
research methods, ideas generation and design thinking. You will learn to be
independent and how to work effectively in teams. It will also challenge any
preconceptions that you may have about Graphic Design. During your first year you
will also learn many of the essential skills and basic principles needed to work in
Graphic Design You will continually reflect on your learning and begin to develop a
portfolio for your future career. Through your first year you will be introduced to
histories and theories of graphic design / visual communication and engage in critical
debate and analysis in relation to key social, cultural, economic and technological
factors.
Year 2
In the second year the design projects are often company sponsored, and involve
working directly with the client. We will help you to meet this challenge and develop
your skills, knowledge and understanding to a professional level. You will explore
how your discipline can affect change for diverse audiences in a variety of settings. A
critical interdisciplinary practice is established that encourages reflection and debate
amongst your peers and the wider design community.
You also reflect on your personal and professional development throughout all the
modules in levels 4 & 5 and through this process, you will begin to identify the area of
specialism that you will study in level 6 .
Research methods underpin expanded design methodologies leading to a more
professional approach. You will build on your understanding of history and theory,
broaden your contextual knowledge and further develop your critical and analytical
skills in preparation for year three.
Year 3
Through a process of research and discussion with academic staff, you determine a
body of self-directed study that allows you to develop a personal area of interest
related to the field of Graphic Design. At this level you will be expected to engage
with increasingly complex cross-disciplinary problems. By taking increasing
responsibility for the management of your work, you are preparing for life as a
professional designer. The number and content of the projects you undertake in the
third year is up to you, however, we offer advice to enable you to develop a portfolio
that best supports your career aspirations. An essential requirement of the third year
is that a body of thorough and convincing research and development must support
both your critical and design project work.
Your degree award title is determined by the title of your final graduation project
module. This approach ensures that you will graduate with a degree title that reflects
your chosen subject specialism. For example, if you elect 'Graduation Projects
Graphic Design: Illustration’, you will graduate with a BA (Hons) Graphic Design:
Illustration. The four Graduation Projects options are listed in the following table: -
Level
Module Title
Semester
4
4
4
4
Transition
Creative Narrative
Competitive Teamwork
Reflective Practice
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
1
1
2
2
Number
Of credits
30
30
30
30
Mandatory/
Elective
M
M
M
M
Tools & Systems
Audience and Context
Interdisciplinary Practice
Creative Responses
1
1
2
2
30
30
30
30
M
M
M
M
Graduation Projects Short:
Visual Communication
Graduation Projects Long:
Visual Communication
Critical Research Project
Critical Research Dissertation
Design Orientation
Graduation Projects Graphic
Design
Graduation Projects Graphic
Design: Illustration
Graduation Projects Graphic
Design: Advertising
Graduation Projects Graphic
Design: Motion and Interactive
1-2
20
E
1-2
40
E
1-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
20
40
20
60
E
E
E
E
1-2
60
E
1-2
60
E
1-2
60
E
Part-time study
The course facilitates part-time study. If you select this mode, you will study one 30
point module per semester in levels 4 & 5 and take two academic years to complete
the programme of independent study required at level 6. If circumstances demand, it
is possible to switch between full and part-time modes as you progress through the
course.
Please refer to the INTI Operations Handbook for details of study options available in
Malaysia.
5
PROGRESSION/CAREER ROUTES
Possible progression or career routes after you have completed this
programme include
Graduates will have the opportunity to enter professions in a variety of design related
areas. Careers in Graphic Design are diverse as the core skills are applicable in a
wide variety of contexts. There are opportunities in self-employment or small
enterprise through to participation in large-scale commercial projects working as part
of a multi disciplinary, international design team. The degree can also be a starting
point for careers in teaching, retailing, marketing, promotion and management.
Alternatively, you may wish to continue on to postgraduate study, either within this
university or elsewhere.
Students who achieve an average mark of 60% at Level 5 of the course may elect to
transfer to integrated masters MDes award associated with their BA (Honours)
award.
6
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND ENTRY PROFILE
Please refer to the INTI Operations Handbook for details of additional/ specific entry
requirements necessary for study in Malaysia.
6.1
Specific Entry Requirements for entry to the initial stage of this programme are
Academic Qualifications (including A / AS level grades and subjects,
where applicable)

Curriculum 2000 A levels – 320 tariff points from a minimum of two GCE
A levels including art and design. Advanced subsidiary and key skills
may contribute to the score.
Vocational Certificate of Education - 320 tariff points from a minimum of
two VCE A levels or a VCE double award in art and design. VCE
advanced subsidiary levels and key skills may contribute to this score.
Pre 2002 A levels - 18 points from two relevant A levels, one of which
should be in art or design or graphics.
GNVQ - advanced/level 3 merit plus an A level or advanced subsidiary
level in a relevant subject.
BTEC National Certificate/Diploma - overall pass in art/design.
Scottish Highers - 320 tariff points from a minimum of four Highers to
include a relevant subject.
Irish Leaving Certificate - four grade Cs at higher level including a
relevant subject.
Access - 12 credits at level 3 and four credits at level 2 from an Open
College Network-accredited course, preferably in an art and design
related programme.
Foundation - pass in art and design.









Level of English language
capability

Any other specific, formally
certified qualifications

Previous relevant work or
GCSE- minimum pass grade C
(or equivalent)
GCSE Maths-minimum pass grade C
(or equivalent)
NA
work-related experience
Any specific articulation
arrangements recognised for this
programme

Professional qualifications


6.2
Any other specific entry
requirements
NA
NA
NA
APPLICANT ENTRY PROFILE: the knowledge, skills and qualities etc. required
to enable you to benefit from, and succeed on the programme of study are
You should be able to demonstrate (either through previous qualifications or from the
work in your portfolio), that you are creative, intelligent, resourceful and a good
communicator. You should also show skill and sensitivity in the use and application
of a wide and varied range of 2D and 3D art and design media.
6.3
The University will select non-standard entrants to the programme in the
following ways
In this case an interview with at least one member of the staff team is mandatory.
Depending upon the nature of the application, a small project may be set for
presentation and discussion with the interview team.
6.4
Use of Prior Credit (APCL/APEL): prior certificated credit or prior experiential
credit may be used within the Programme in the following ways.
The use of prior credit is only available where it is in an appropriate subject area and
level, and within the guidelines of SHU’s APL Policy. Please see the guidance below.
‘Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is the generic term used for the award of credit
on the basis of demonstrated learning that has occurred at some time in the past.
The term encompasses the accreditation of prior certificated learning (known as
APCL) and the accreditation of prior experiential learning (known as APEL).
The accreditation of prior certificated learning (APCL) is a process whereby
academic credit for learning that has been previously assessed and/or accredited at
HE level, through a formal course of study, may be used towards the credit
requirements of a Sheffield Hallam University award. This is also sometimes known
as credit transfer. Evidence to support a claim for prior certificated learning will
involve a formal qualification or award or part of an award, with formal documentation
such as a results transcript or formal certificate and/or evidence of assessment, as
appropriate, from a University, College or Professional Body.
The University is committed to policies and procedures, which will encourage wider
participation in higher education. The accreditation of prior experiential learning
(APEL) is the process by which an individual’s prior learning, gained from experience
rather than formally assessed study, may be assessed and formally recognised to
provide academic credit towards a target award.’