3.7 Externally Sponsored Programmes, Professional Accreditation and Industrial/Professional Training

The University has established a number of programmes with the benefit of sponsorship from industry and commerce. Initial Teacher Training is offered as a Partnership with schools (see Section 10). All self-financing programmes are subject to the University's normal scrutiny and review procedures and must comply with the usual rules governing matters such as the appointment of External Examiners to ensure that controls on quality are carefully maintained.

Over sixty of the University's programmes are accredited by external bodies or recognised by professional institutions, making possible various exemptions from the examinations of the body concerned or enabling graduates to apply for membership. Accreditation and recognition procedures provide a major element of peer assessment and review and ensure that external considerations are taken regularly into account in programme content and design. Where an issue is raised in an accreditation report which requires action beyond the School's remit, the matter is taken up with either the AD(E&SE) if it is an academic matter, who may refer it to Learning and Teaching Committee, or the Dean if it is a resource matter, who may refer it to Operations Committee.

A number of Schools have established joint advisory committees with industrial partners to ensure that their teaching and research are relevant to companies' needs.

The majority of the University's programmes offer the sandwich structure, when students normally spend the whole of their third year undertaking professional training or international experience, as an alternative to the traditional three-year full-time pattern. The Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS), Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) or Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) is awarded to students successfully completing their professional training or international experience and satisfying the academic requirements for the award of their degree. The University's Code of Practice on Placement Learning, provides information for students and companies, together with the University's Health and Safety Policy on the Placement of HE students.