Skip to main content

Aggregate offshore 2017/18 - Level of provision

Back to C17052

Aggregate offshore 2017/18

Fields required from institutions in All fields

Level of provision


return to field list

valid entries
Typefield
Short nameLEVEL
Description

This field describes the level of qualification that will be attained as a result of successful completion of studies.

Applicable toEngland Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
Coverage

All records

Valid entries and labels
CodeLabel
DResearch doctorates
ETaught doctorates
LResearch masters
MTaught masters
HBachelors degrees with honours
IOrdinary bachelors degrees
JHigher education (HE) diplomas
CHigher education (HE) certificates
FFurther education
Notes

The coding frame is based on that used for Course.COURSEAIM in the HESA individualised student record. Within this coding frame the first letter indicates level; further detail is provided through a two-digit suffix. For this return coding by first letter is sufficient. There is no requirement for the two-digit suffix to provide a further detailed breakdown.

Overall framework and alignment with existing frameworks.

The most relevant are the UK frameworks. For England, Wales and NI the HE qualifications framework identifies five levels (C, I, H, M, D) and these are aligned with the NVQ levels 4 to 8. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), which is not HE-specific, is aligned with this except that the lower boundary of Scottish Level 7 is apparently slightly lower than the lower boundary of Level C/NVQ 4 (this is the lower cut-off for what may be regarded as HE in England and Wales, but, significantly, Scottish Advanced Highers fall into Level 7), and Level I/NVQ 5 is split into two levels in Scotland, Level 8 and 9.

The ISCED framework is used for international reporting, and four levels within it are relevant, Levels 4, 5B, 5A and 6. The Bologna framework for European HE harmonisation is still in process of development, but the current state may be summarised as recognising four levels: short-cycle, first-cycle, second-cycle, and third cycle.

HESA SCQF E/W/NI HE NVQ HE ISCED BOLOGNA
D 12- Doctorates D - Doctoral degree/FHEQ Level 8 Research N/A 6 Third cycle
E Taught 8 - Highly specialist Diploma from a professional body 5A
L 11 - Masters, SVQ 5 M - Master's degree, postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates/FHEQ Level 7 Research N/A 6 ?
M Taught 7 - NVQ 5, Level 7 Diploma, Level 7 Fellowship, Level 7 Advanced professional Certificate 5A Second cycle
H 10 - Honours degree, Graduate Diploma / Certificate H- Bachelor's degrees with honours, Graduate certificates and diplomas/FHEQ Level 6 6 - Level 6 Certificate, Level 6 Diploma 5A First Cycle
I 9 - Ordinary degree, Graduate Diploma / Certificate I - Foundation degrees, Diplomas of higher education and other higher diplomas/FHEQ Level 5 5 - NVQ 4, Level 5 Certificate, Level 5 Diploma, Higher National Diploma 5B Short Cycle
J 8 Higher National Diploma, Diploma in Higher Education, SVQ 4
C 7 - Higher National Certificate, Certificate of Higher Education C - Certificates of Higher Education/FHEQ Level 4 4 - Level 4 Certificate, Level 4 Diploma ? 5B/4 ? Short Cycle / below classification

P Advanced Higher - 3 - NVQ 3, Level 3 Certificate, Level 3 Diploma - -
6 - Higher, SVQ 3
Q 5 - Intermediate 2, Credit Standard Grade, SVQ 2 - 2 - NVQ 2, Level 2 Certificate, Level 2 Diploma - -
R 4 - Intermediate 1, Credit Standard Grade, SVQ 1 - 1 - NVQ 1, Level 1 Certificate, Level 1 Diploma - -
S 1,2,3 Access Levels - Entry Level - -
X - - - - -

† Note that the QAA level descriptors in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) have changed in the 2008 version compared with the 2001 version. Full details are available from the QAA document 264 08/08. Although the 2008 FHEQ qualification descriptor for level 6 states that this can be used as a reference for ordinary bachelor's degrees, for HESA purposes first degrees with honours should be coded at level H, and first degrees without honours should be coded at level I.

The HESA coding frame is designed to support the alignment of course qualifications with the frameworks, with the first letter indicating the level.

Quality rules
Quality rules relating to this field are displayed here.
Part of
Field length1
Minimum occurrences1
Maximum occurrences1
Schema components
Element: LEVEL
OwnerHESA
Version1.0

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.