Successful completion of PEP2

The successful completion of PEP2 takes UCL an enormous step forward in embedding education excellence in the curriculum and ensuring that we continue to support positive student experiences, outcomes and recruitment. 

The Programme Excellence Project (PEP) is a leading academic initiative in UCL's Strategic Plan 2022-27. The project aims to: 

• Improve the student experience by offering realistic choices and ensuring that all students are part of a community​  
• Improve the staff experience by reducing complexity, admin burden and unnecessary costs for departments​  
• Create shared spaces in the curriculum for our education priorities​  
• Improve UCL’s systems and processes – such as timetabling, module selection, assessment and programme approval – so that they support departments and students effectively​  
• Ensure that UCL makes the best possible use of our resources 
• Ensure that UCL can respond in an agile way to future changes in funding, workplace requirements and student demand.  

PEP2: the Curriculum Review offered the opportunity for course teams to review and make changes to their courses for 2027 entry through a structured and centrally supported quality enhancement process.  

The PEP2 Curriculum Review process was underpinned by UCL’s Curriculum Design Principles. These were developed through consultation with the UCL community in 2024 and approved by Education Committee in January 2025. Further information about PEP, the Curriculum Design Principles and PEP2 process is available on the PEP SharePoint site. 

What has PEP delivered so far? 

PEP1: Portfolio Review (2023-25) 

• The Portfolio Review ran from October 2023 to February 2025. PEP1 delivered: 
• New UCL curriculum definitions and data model, including standardised degree naming conventions and introduction of post-enrolment specialisms 
• Withdrawal of 381 courses and routes that were dormant or changed to post-enrolment specialisms (138 UG and 243 PGT) 
• Introduction of 297 post-enrolment specialisms, either new or replacing pre-existing routes 

PEP2: Curriculum Review (2025) 

The Curriculum Review was delivered through a two-stage process running from January to August 2025. PEP2 delivered: 

• Review of 1,024 UG and PGT courses using the UCL Curriculum Design Principles 
• Completion of 1,189 curriculum blueprints for input into CourseLoop (every UG and PGT course in UCL’s portfolio) 
• Withdrawal of 70 courses that were dormant or changed to post-enrolment specialisms (12 UG and 58 PGT) 

What is coming next for PEP? 

PEP3: Diet and Module Review (2025-27) 

PEP3: the Diet and Module Review will be the final phase of PEP. It will finish the work we’ve started and help us achieve the overarching aims of the Programme Excellence Project. 

PEP3 will support the implementation of PEP1 and PEP2 course changes, rationalise UCL’s module portfolio and support the rollout of UCL’s new curriculum information management system, CourseLoop. This phase of PEP will be delivered over two years to reduce pressures on local academic and professional services staff. 

PEP3 Diet and Module Review will: 

• Support the successful delivery of PEP-approved courses for 2027 entry 
• Support the implementation of CourseLoop 
• Lead and support the improvement of curriculum delivery processes, including timetabling and module selection 
• Support Module Leads to easily update modules for 2027/28, if they want to 
• Improve curriculum design, review and amendment processes via CourseLoop. 

We will be adding refreshed resources and information for PEP3  to the PEP SharePoint site and the PEP team will continue to provide guidance and support. 

Hear from colleagues involved in PEP 

Professor Nicola Walshe, Pro-Director Education for the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), shared with us: "The PEP2B quality enhancement review process has been an exciting and ambitious opportunity for teams to work together to review and develop their programmes, ensuring we are offering the very best educational experience for our students. I am extremely proud of the collaborative and committed approach IOE colleagues have taken, especially considering some significant challenges in the process, and I hope this marks a shift towards a more continuous and streamlined approach to programme development in the future." 

Ben Fowler, Director of Education and Student Experience for the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, added: "PEP has been a great catalyst for collaboration across our faculty. The main example of this is in our undergraduate modern language delivery, which is spread across several departments, and is where we have set up a working party to agree a consistent and high-quality approach to teaching, course structure and assessment across each of the levels.  

“Students will enjoy a more consistent experience if they study a language in two different departments or combine a language with another subject. For staff this will reduce the time spent on managing, enhancing and updating courses in the future as we can manage languages together rather than individually. 

“Making these changes through PEP has been far quicker than going through the standard amendment process. Although staff have felt the short-term frustration that's inevitable when it comes to making these changes, we have been able to focus on the benefit to our future selves in 2027/28 when we will experience the benefits of the outcomes of the effort." 

Learn more 

You can find more details and resources on the PEP SharePoint site and reach the PEP team by email at: pepteam@ucl.ac.uk