Data intelligence

Coventry University has had a 25% (220) reduction in part-time postgraduate taught qualifications awarded, which is largely due to the revision of our suite of management courses. The challenging economic climate has dictated that training budgets have not been able to support recruitment in this area for currently employed students seeking to enhance their career.

In 2014/15, the University of Warwick moved 1540 part-time postgraduate taught overseas students registered on a Distance Learning MBA programme from the student record to the aggregate offshore record. Such students would have been included in the student record in previous years, and this will now show a large downward shift in the instance numbers within the part-time postgraduate taught population. These students studied by distance learning, are domiciled overseas, and therefore do not fall within the coverage of the student return.

From 2015/16 onwards, the University of Oxford changed the way that it awarded credit to students on some part–time courses, this caused a reduction in the number of students it reports to HESA.

In 2008/09, The Queen's University of Belfast misreported 280 part-time UK domicile students as non-European Union domicile.

In 2013/14, the HE sector has seen a significant reduction in part-time student numbers: 54,805 (8%). 91% (49,835) of these were undergraduate students.

This pattern also continues with qualifications awarded in 2013/14, with a 21,910 (12%) reduction in part-time qualifications awarded. For other undergraduate qualifiers this was a significantly higher proportion, a 27% (16,695) reduction.

The Open University – undergraduates
The Open University has had significant reductions in undergraduate student numbers, particularly in England due to the continuing impact of the new funding regime for part-time undergraduate students introduced in 2012/13. This affects all categories of undergraduate students, but the impact is greater for other undergraduate students than for first degree students.

The Open University – undergraduate qualifiers
The Open University has had a drop in other undergraduate qualifications awarded. This reflects a restructuring of the undergraduate curriculum and changes to the qualification registration process in 2012/13, and the withdrawal of many undergraduate certificates and diplomas, along with an overall drop in student numbers, in particular in England following funding regime changes for part-time undergraduate students in 2012/13.

Coventry University has also seen a significant decrease in their part-time other undergraduate awards which are down by 82% (2,735), their decline has particularly been seen in their employer engagement programmes.

In 2013/14, Coventry University had a significant decrease in students  (57%, 2,205 students) studying part-time, other undergraduate programmes. This is due to a significant change in the portfolio of part-time undergraduate level courses on offer, following a review of existing short CPD programmes at a partner provider and the end of the co-funded employer engagement programmes.

In 2013/14, Edge Hill University had a significant reduction in their part-time postgraduate taught students from 4,655 in 2012/13 to 2,975 in 2013/14. This was primarily due to a reduction in broad reach NCTL funded professional development activity and most effected the Education subject area.

The specification of the HESA session and HESA standard registration populations has changed in 2007/08. Students on sabbatical are no longer included in these populations and additionally, writing-up students are not included in the HESA standard registration population.

In 2015/16, Birmingham City University incorrectly reported qualifiers on H76 Post-Registration Health and Social Care courses. This has resulted in a fall of 835 part-time other undergraduate qualifiers from 2015/16 to 2016/17.

For 2018/19 The National Film and Television School omitted 283 students from postgraduate diploma courses.

London Metropolitan University has had a significant reduction (840) in their first year postgraduate taught students. This is largely due to the revocation of the University's Tier 4 licence which has meant that no new international students were recruited in 2012/13.

City University awarded a significant number of additional qualifications for postgraduate taught students in 2011/12. This was due to a previous change in course end dates meaning that a cohort crossed into a second HESA reporting year. This caused a temporary drop in numbers in 2010/11 with the 2011/12 figures returning to normal.

The City University has had a notable drop in full-time postgraduate taught qualifiers and a similar increase in part-time postgraduate taught qualifiers (approx. 1700). This is due to HEFCE requirements to re-code full-time postgraduate taught students whose course lasts longer than 12 months but less than 24 months to part-time after the first 12 months has expired. Students recorded in this way are now being awarded on a part-time mode and have now appeared under part-time qualifier figures.

In 2015/16, The University of Glasgow moved the date the board of examiners approves the award for its Business school. This meant it fell outside of HESA's reporting period and specifically affected postgraduate taught qualifiers. This has contributed to a 50% reduction in full-time postgraduate taught qualifiers at the University of Glasgow. These will be returned in 2016/17.

In 2019/20, The University of Glasgow reported a reduction in the number of qualifications awarded at postgraduate (taught) level. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many awards were delayed and are expected to be completed in the 2020/21 data return. This accounts for a reduction of around 3,660 qualifications awarded at postgraduate (taught) level in the 2019/20 data return in comparison to 2018/19.

In 2021/22, The University of Glasgow saw an increase in postgraduate taught enrolments of 4,495. Of the increase, 3,975 were due to a delayed start in 2020/21 as an impact of the pandemic and were therefore reported in the 2021/22 academic year.

The University of York was incorrectly setting end dates for postgraduate taught students prior to 2012/13 using award date as opposed to the required date at which students completed the structured/ taught part of instance. Data submitted in 2012/13 is using the correct end date.  This has impacted on their Postgraduate taught student instance count population for this year’s return (decreasing by 1140).

In 2015/16, The University of Birmingham changed the way it reported the final months of its Postgraduate taught students programmes. This has resulted in a visible decrease of both full-time and part-time Postgraduate taught student numbers at The University of Birmingham. These students now fall out of HESA’s standard populations where as previously they would have been included and now better align with HESA reporting requirements.

Dartington College of Arts merged with University College Falmouth in 2007/08 but continued to make separate returns for that collection year. A single return has been made in 2008/09.

In the 2013/14 HESA Student return, University of Ulster incorrectly coded 175 nursing students, mostly full time, with a qualification of a first degree. These students have all been correctly and legitimately awarded first degrees and graduated in December 2014. The issue is one of timing, as these students were active in September 2014 and should not have had qualifications included in the HESA Student return for 2013/14. These qualifications will be removed from the 2013/14 Student return and included in the 2014/15 Student return.

In addition to the above, 25 students, mostly part-time from a range of subjects, were incorrectly coded with a qualification of a Master's degree. These qualifications will be removed from the 2013/14 Student return and will be included in the 2014/15 Student return.

N.B. This has been updated and is now correct in the 2013/14 v1502 Student record.