Learning and Teaching Committee

Curriculum Sub-Committee

Subject: Programme Coding

Origin: Wendy Ferguson, Assistant Registrar,
Undergraduate Admissions

I can answer with respect to JACS codes issued to UG programmes by UCAS, for
either new programmes, or title changes.

When I inform UCAS of a new programme, or a change in progamme title, a code
is allocated by them according to the JACS classification (see:
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/higher/courses/coding.html). The only control I have
is the opportunity to provide a very brief paragraph outlining the content
of the degree programme.

With respect to the Transport Mangement and Planning degree, the JACS codes
were N920 and N921. The JACS coding manual describes N900 as:

N900 Others in Business and Administrative studies

Miscellaneous grouping for related subjects which do not fit into the other Business and Administrative studies categories. To be used sparingly.

When I informed UCAS of the title change (Transport and Business
Management), it was obviously felt that the new titles were enough of a fit
for the N900 category for the codes to remain the same.

LU has many UG course codes which do not currently sit comfortably within
the JACS classification - a remnant of the SCAS to JACS migration in 2002
where some coding was done badly by UCAS. This is an issue which we have
been aware of for a while, and it is perhaps timely to re-visit before
publication deadlines for the prospectus and other course brochures loom.

Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – October 2005