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Qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding Body

Characteristics Statement

Characteristics Statements describe the distinctive features of qualifications at particular levels within the Qualifications Frameworks. They describe the qualifications in terms of their purpose, general characteristics and generic outcomes, but do not include subject level detail.


On this page you will find the Characteristics Statement for Qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding body. A short summary of the Statement is published below.

Qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding body Characteristics Statement

Publication date: 20 Feb 2020

About this Characteristics Statement

Originally focused on developments within Europe, qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding body refer to where a UK higher education provider works with one or more other bodies (in the UK or internationally) in a way that requires some pooling of their degree-awarding powers.


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These multiple organisations work together as equals, each with responsibility for the academic standards of the award being made in their name. There are a diverse range of such qualifications including joint, double, multiple, and dual degrees.


This Characteristics Statement does not cover:

  • arrangements where a professional qualification/title/licence to practise is achieved alongside an academic qualification
  • articulation and progression arrangements (where credit at one degree-awarding body is transferred towards an award at another provider, with the courses being paired together but not conceived as a joint enterprise)
  • partnerships (where the UK institution works with a delivery organisation that does not have degree awarding powers, or is not exercising them).

This Characteristics Statement for Qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding body describes the international contexts within which these courses have developed. It considers the range of different types of arrangement being offered, some common challenges to quality assurance and approaches to help meet them.

View more Characteristics Statements

Visit our Characteristics Statements page to find more Statements including Higher Education in Apprenticeships, Doctoral Degrees, Master's Degrees, Foundation Degrees, and Qualifications involving more than one degree-awarding body.