Guidance for making changes to units and programmes

Please see the links below for information and guidance when making changes to units and programmes. Full support for using UPMS is available on BEAM.  If you require any further advice, please contact approval-help@bristol.ac.uk.

Information contained in the unit and programme catalogues is supplied and maintained by Schools, and supplements text contained in the Undergraduate and Postgraduate prospectuses. AQPO facilitates and supports the University approval process including management of UPMS. The process has been designed to devolve development to Schools and Faculties, with appropriate scrutiny and effective support from the University. UPMS is a way of managing the workflow involved.

The way a proposal is approved will depend on whether it relates to a new programme or high risk changes to an existing programme or unit, or low risk changes to, or withdrawals of, programmes or units.

All changes, whether requiring Faculty approval or also requiring University approval (i.e. low risk or high risk respectively), must be submitted via UPMS. They are entered them into the workflow and approval recorded at each level. Approved changes are applied to the programme and/or unit catalogues. The only changes applied directly to the catalogue without going through committee approval stages are the annual unit updating of designated fields.

The following notes describe the procedures for consideration and approval of all new and revised programmes and units of study.

First confirm whether your proposal is high or low risk. Please consult your Faculty Education Director.

Please contact your Faculty Education Director at an early stage to discuss your proposal so that you know whether it constitutes a high risk change. This determines the nature of the approval process and the documentation you need to provide.