Subject to Validation, Revalidation & Approval

What does 'subject to revalidation' mean when it appears next to a course?

Courses originally validated by Lancaster University are subject to periodic review (approximately every five years) to ensure that the course content remains relevant, that the curriculum reflects any changes prompted by academic research or industry development and that the course quality remains high. When this process is undertaken the course will appear as being 'subject to revalidation'.

What does 'subject to validation' mean when it appears next to a course?

All courses go through a rigorous approval process by either ourselves or Lancaster University, our external degree-awarding body – this is known as ‘validation’. When a course is ‘subject to validation’, it means that the contents of the course are in the last stage of the validation process and are awaiting final approval by either ourselves or by Lancaster University.

What is the difference between validation and revalidation?

Whilst both processes are designed to ensure the quality of provision for each course, courses that are subject to validation have not previously been taught at the College whereas courses that are subject to revalidation have. Whilst new courses have already been through several stringent approval stages before this point, there is always the possibility that a course might not be validated. This happens only on very rare occasions. Course awaiting revalidation are very unlikely not to be revalidated.

What does 'subject to approval' mean when it appears next to a course?

As a College we deliver, and have done successfully for a number of years, some Pearson BTEC Higher National programmes. Pearson requires colleges to register as a ‘Centre’  to ensure their quality assurance measures align with Higher Education Sector expectations; part of this process requires approval to deliver each programme. When we are awaiting confirmation of approval from Pearson we advertise the programme as ‘subject to approval’.

Why advertise courses that are ‘subject to validation’ if there is a chance they might not run?

Because of the various time intervals between applications, offers and course start dates, there is a very good chance that courses subject to validation at the time of application will be validated in plenty of time for the start of the academic year. As this is most often the case, we believe it is better to give students as much choice as possible when it comes to choosing the right course for them.

As Blackpool and The Fylde College prides itself on being very responsive to the needs of industry, new courses are regularly added to our portfolio so we want to ensure you get the widest choice available and that you graduate with all the requisite professional experience and the latest industry skills.

What happens if I accept a place on a course that isn't validated?

Like we have already said, this is extremely unlikely, but if it does happen or if the course content varies significantly as a result of changes requested by the awarding body in order to validate the degree, we will be in contact with you as soon as possible to discuss your options which could include studying a different course.

What if I have any further questions which are not answered here?

Our Course Enquiries team will have the latest information about the course and will also be able to put you in touch with someone from the curriculum area who will be able to answer any particular queries you might have:

Call: 01253 504343