Section 1: Introduction

Published for 2025-26

Contents

1.1 Definitions

  1. UCL’s Short Courses represent the extension of UCL’s learning landscape beyond provision of its qualification-bearing undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
  2. Short Courses do not lead to a UCL qualification, but they may be recognised by a UCL Certificate of Participation or lead to the award of UCL academic credit (see section 3.1: Short Course Credit Framework). In some instances, Short Courses may also provide hours or points of verifiable CPD.
  3. UCL’s Short Courses include the following:
    • non-credit-bearing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, some of which may provide hours or points of verifiable CPD;
    • credit-bearing modules from UCL degree programmes offered as standalone short courses for personal learning, continuing education or CPD;
    • credit- and non-credit-bearing evening classes, online courses and summer schools and programmes;
    • credit- and non-credit-bearing academic and commercially focused executive education courses and other bespoke offerings for organisations;
    • non-qualification-bearing graduate preparatory courses offered by the UCL Centre for Language & International Education (CLIE).
  4. Non-credit-bearing Short Courses typically do not involve any assessment and do not involve the award of UCL academic credit. They may, however, be recognised by a UCL Certificate of Participation, and they may also provide hours or points of verifiable CPD. They may also in some instances be accredited by an external body and involve assessment leading to a non-UCL qualification or award (see 3.1.12 & 3.1.13).
  5. Credit-bearing Short Courses involve assessment which, if successfully completed, may lead to the award of UCL academic credit (see section 3.1). This academic credit may then, depending on the activity being undertaken, be used to apply for advanced entry to a UCL programme leading to a UCL qualification such as a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma or a full Masters degree.
  6. Each new Short Course must have a course specification that is derived from the Course Initiation Questionnaire (CIQ). Unless the activity is a bespoke closed course, the details of the activity must be made available on the central UCL Short Courses website. (A ‘bespoke closed course’ is any course provided by UCL for a fee to an external client, where the content is specifically designed for that client and the participants are nominated by the client. Consequently, the course is not open to any suitably qualified candidate.)
  7. Faculties and Departments should link to their UCL Short Course entries from their departmental webpages. All detailed information should be contained solely within the UCL Short Courses website. The only exceptions to this are as follows:
    • CLIE Evening Language Classes
    • CLIE Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
    • UCL Summer School
  8. To ensure that the expectations of Faculties, Departments, learners and staff are clear, the following verbs are adopted consistently throughout these Regulations:
    • Must: indicates a regulation that will be adhered to in all circumstances. Deviations from such regulations would only be granted by UCL Academic Policy and Quality Assurance on behalf of the Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience) in exceptional circumstances. For example, “applicants must satisfy any entry requirements for admission that are specified in the course specification (CIQ) and indicated in the description of the activity provided on the central UCL Short Courses website”.
    • Should: indicates a regulation that should be adhered to unless sound pedagogical, professional or practical reasons prevent this. For example “A variety of assessment methods should be used across the short course to test different knowledge and skills”.
    • May: indicates where an action or regulation is permitted but not mandatory, and where there might therefore be variations across programmes and modules. For example, “Information may be provided in a number of formats including learner handbooks, Moodle sites and the UCL intranet”. Where ‘may’ regulations are used, the specific arrangements in place on the activity must be explained clearly in the course specification (CIQ).

1.2 Scope

  1. These Regulations provide a framework for the delivery and support of UCL’s Short Courses and shall apply to all Short Course Learners registered on these (see section 1.3 below for definitions of the different categories of learner).
  2. These Regulations define UCL’s threshold standards for its Short Courses. Individual Short Courses may have their own set of regulations detailed in the course specification for the activity, which define the specific arrangements in place for that activity over and above UCL’s threshold standards.
  3. These Regulations shall not apply to:
    • any UCL programme of study leading to a UCL qualification, or to any UCL Students or Affiliates registered on these programmes. Regulations applying to UCL programmes of study leading to a UCL qualification are set out in the UCL Academic Manual.
    • any bespoke closed UCL short courses (see #1.1, item 6 above).

1.3 UCL Short Course statuses

  1. All those admitted onto Short Courses shall be assigned a Short Course status as follows (unless they already hold UCL Student or UCL Affiliate status, in which case they will retain that status):

    A UCL Associate Student is:

    1. any person registered on one or more credit-bearing Short Courses provided by UCL and opting to take the assessment;
    2. any other person whom the Registrar declares to be a UCL Associate Student.

    A UCL Attending Student is:

    1. any person registered on one or more credit-bearing Short Courses provided by UCL and attending without opting to take the assessment;
    2. any other person whom the Registrar declares to be a UCL Attending Student.

    A UCL Visiting Student:

    1. any person registered on one or more non-credit bearing Short Courses provided by UCL;
    2. any other person whom the Registrar declares to be a UCL Visiting Student.
  2. UCL Students and UCL Affiliates can also be registered on Short Courses but shall retain their formal status as a UCL Student or a UCL Affiliate along with the rights and entitlements of access to the facilities and services associated with these statuses.
  3. Short Course Learners shall not have access to all of the facilities and services that are available to UCL Students and UCL Affiliates. Which facilities and services are available, including access to Library materials, will depend on their Short Course status (see 1.3.1 above) and any entitlements associated with that status and/or the Short Course on which they are registered.