Partnerships
Welcome to our new-look website. Any feedback or suggestions - please let us know.
The University has a wide range of educational partnerships with organisations and institutions across the world. Full details of these can be found in our Register for Educational Partnerships.
The information, documentation and links on this section of the website support staff engaged in partnership working. These include:
- Policies, procedures and guidance for Educational Partnerships
- Information relating to the development of International Pathway Agreements
- Links to the INTO Newcastle University website
Please note:
Before entering into significant discussions about partnerships with other universities, employers, professional bodies or training organisations it is important that staff consult informally with their academic and central service colleagues at an early stage. Thereafter, a formal approval process is required.
The University has established policies and procedures for the approval, oversight and renewal of educational partnerships. In addition specific guidance for particular types of partnerships has been developed to help staff through the process of developing new partnerships and managing existing provision.
Any queries regarding already approved educational partnerships, or the establishing of new partnerships, should be directed to LTDS on educational.partnerships@ncl.ac.uk 0191 208 3978
University Policies and Guidance
Joint Taught Awards
Joint and Dual PhDs
- Framework for Joint and Dual PhDs
- Joint and Dual PhD Student Lifecycle Table
- Principles for External Supervision Arrangements
Articulation Arrangements
Forms
- Learning and Teaching Activities Strategic Approval Form
- Student Lifecycle Table
- New Partner Approval Template
- Renewal of Partnership Template
- Conclusion of Educational Partnership Template
Register
What is a Pathway Agreement?
A Pathway Agreement is essentially a low-risk arms-length marketing arrangement.
It creates a clear and transparent mechanism in collaboration with a partner for promoting access to NU academic programmes and considering partner student applications on a case-by-case basis against clear admissions criteria based on the student’s prior learning performance.
Such Agreements are established in accordance with the University’s Policy on Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning and based on the development and approval of a syllabus-matching document.
They can be developed at either undergraduate (e.g. 1+3, 2+2) or postgraduate level (e.g. 4+1, 1+1), and can lead to direct entry to Year 1 / Stage 1 of a degree programme or, in certain circumstances, advanced entry to Stage 2 (or Stage 3 of integrated Master’s programmes).
When is it a Pathway and when is it an Articulation?
An Articulation may take the same shape as a Pathway arrangement but the distinction is that it guarantees entry, usually for large numbers of students, against certain set criteria. There is likely to be very close alignment between the partner’s syllabus and the NU syllabus and probably joint syllabus development. This represents a greater investment and a higher risk. Articulation arrangements are scrutinised by the Educational Partnerships Sub-Committee of ULTSEC (EPSC), requiring the preparation of partner and programme approval documentation, usually including a syllabus-matching document.
Advice and Guidance
For advice and guidance on the development of International Pathway Agreements please contact:
internationalpartnerships@ncl.ac.uk
ULTSEC has approved a Policy for the development and operation of Pathway partnerships. The International Office, in collaboration with LTDS, has developed a supporting Toolkit:
Useful Documentation
- Policy on International Pathway Arrangements, approved by ULTSEC
- Flowchart of the Approval Process for International Pathway Arrangements
- Form to be completed by the Proposer of a new Pathway Arrangement
- Syllabus Mapping Template (to be submitted as part of the Approval Process)
- Checklist Guidance on areas for discussion with potential partners, including for Articulations
For international students who do not meet the academic and English language requirements for direct entry to the University, our INTO Newcastle University centre offers a range of courses to help students develop the high level of academic and English language skills necessary for successful undergraduate study at Newcastle University.
The INTO Newcastle University centre is based on campus. The University has a close and distinctive relationship with INTO with the latter being fully integrated into the academic structure of the University. The University and INTO share the same learning and support facilities on the same site and INTO is subject to exactly the same quality assurance mechanisms.
For further information please see the INTO Newcastle University website.