EAALS Accreditation Decision Rules Print

Accreditation will require the successful achievement in all 6 categories of the EAALS QA Framework (see EAALS Handbook for the Quality Assurance and Accreditation of International Master Degree Programmes in the Life Sciences ).  However it is not necessary for each of the benchmarks in each category to be achieved in order for the successful achievement that category, in other words there can be compensation between achievement of the benchmarks within a category.  Convincing arguments will be written down in the peer review report when compensation is made for one "no" decision by one or more "yes" decisions within a category.

 

However, benchmark 1.3 Aims and learning outcomes of the degree programme and benchmark 6.3 Quality assurance and enhancement systems must be achieved for the degree programme to be accredited.

 

"Good practice" would be identified within a benchmark but such good practice will not be identified as "demonstrating excellence".

 

The rules are summarised as follows:

 

 

Assessment level

Procedure

 

Indicators within each benchmark

·         the panel evaluates compliance with the various indicators within a benchmark and gives an overall rating of yes/no for the benchmark as a whole.

·         compensation is possible between indicators except for benchmark 1.3 Aims and learning outcomes of the degree programme and benchmark 6.3 Quality assurance and enhancement systems for which all indicators must be achieved

 

Benchmarks within a category

·         the panel weighs the benchmarks within a category to decide whether the category has been achieved, compensation is possible with the provision that

·         within category 1 benchmark 1.3 Aims and learning outcomes of the degree programme must be achieved, and

·         within category 6 benchmark 6.3 Quality assurance and enhancement systems must be achieved

 

Categories

·         all categories must be achieved for the degree programme to be accredited.