The scope of this policy is to facilitate recognition of externally taken courses/modules recognised by the Bologna Agreement.

It is the responsibility of the student to discuss with their supervisory team the potential for attending a course/module outside UCC, as part of their research learning plan.

• It is the responsibility of the student to collate all information and documentation required to apply for external course/module recognition.
• The student makes a request via an online form [link to follow].
• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that submission of the form and documentation is within the academic year of when the external course/module was completed.

Lead Supervisor:

• It is the responsibility of the lead supervisor to discuss with the student and co-supervisors the student’s learning needs that will include a course/module to be undertaken outside UCC, liaising with the Unit Graduate Studies Committee.
• It is the responsibility of the lead supervisor to ensure that the student’s request is aligned with this policy.
• It is the responsibility of the lead supervisor to approve the student’s request to undertake an external course/module, while registered as a postgraduate research student in UCC. To ensure that the student can be awarded UCC credits it is the responsibility of the lead supervisor to ensure that the course/module meets the minimum criteria for 5/10 credits as per the Bologna agreement.
• The lead supervisor approval must be communicated with the student and the Unit Graduate Studies Committee. 

Unit:

• It is the responsibility of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Unit in which the student is registered to facilitate the student’s request for recognition of the external course/module taken based on this policy.

College Vice Deans

• It is the responsibility of the respective College Vice Deans of Graduate Studies to review the documentation provided by the student and consider the request for approval of the external course/module recognition.

Graduate Studies Office

• The Graduate Studies Office will process approved requests, received from the College Vice Dean, for external course/module recognition once all the required documentation is submitted at least 6 months before thesis submission. Applications with missing documentation will be ineligible and will not be processed.

The student may request recognition for up to 10 ECTS equivalent credits over the course of their programme for courses/modules undertaken outside UCC.
These requests must be driven by the student, and no later than 6 months before thesis submission. Procedure to follow to gain recognition for courses/modules taken externally:

1. A student who completes a course / module externally, with prior approval, and wishes to request for this to be recognised and recorded on the UCC transcript requires the following:
   1. A copy of the lead supervisor’s approval to attend the course/module;
   2. A copy of the course/module description, including the number of contact hours and learning outcomes;
   3. A Certificate / Proof of Attendance, including dates (with the Institution’s stamp).
   4. Copy of official result (with the Institution’s stamp) with the mark recorded (or pass/fail judgment), as applicable.
   5. Fully complete the external course/module recognition online form [link to follow].
2. This documentation will be submitted to the relevant College Vice Dean of Graduate Studies for assessment. The College Vice Dean will analyse and allocate an appropriate equivalent credit value depending on the documentation provided.
3. The College Vice Dean will inform the student of the decision and, if approval is granted, will forward the following information to the Graduate Studies Office:
   1. Student name and number;
   2. Number of equivalent ECTS credits to be recognised (either 5 or 10 ECTS);
   3. Title of the course/module.
   4. The module will then appear on the student transcript as a PG coded module entitled ‘External Module’ with a corresponding 5 or 10 ECTS.

Terms and Conditions

1. Payment of courses/modules delivered externally must be covered by the student themselves or by a relevant research grant (subject to prior agreement with the supervisory team and/or Unit).
2. A student wishing to take a course/module externally must discuss and seek pre-approval from the supervisory team, in consultation with the Unit’s Graduate Studies Committee. This discussion should entail detailed consideration and confirmation that the course/module to be undertaken will adhere to policy requirements. Please note that pre- approval to attend an external course/module does not mean that a course/module will be approved for credit recognition.
3. The level of course/module undertaken should be commensurate with the qualification that the student is registered for at UCC and may involve academic technical training, as well as generic and transferable skills.
4. Courses/modules which are taken for audit or which are not formally assessed will not be counted for credit at UCC.
5. A student must be fully registered as a research student at UCC at the time when the external course/module is undertaken.
6. Courses/modules may only be submitted for credit during the academic year in which they were taken. Retrospective approval is not permitted.

Date of next review 01 June 2023

9 Further Information

Contact Email:Chair of Academic Council Graduate Studies committee (see ACGSC Terms of Reference for name of current Chair)