New course proposals

Course proposers must complete a new course proposal using the Course and Programme Information System (CAPIS). Departmental CAPIS Managers can grant access to new course proposers. Alternatively access can be requested via the CAPIS email: ard.capis@lse.ac.uk. CAPIS can be used to facilitate collaborative design by allowing access to a proposal to multiple proposers and editors and therefore can be utilised from this early development stage if deemed appropriate.

For assistance in using CAPIS, please refer to the quick guide to using CAPIS (PDF). A more detailed step by step guide on how to complete a new course proposal using CAPIS (PDF) is also available. 

Unlike programme proposals, course proposals do not require a green light from School management to proceed. However, courses requiring additional resource such as new staff (faculty or professional services) or investment in new facilities (IT hardware/software, library resources etc.) would require Academic Resources and Planning Committee (APRC) approval.

Once completed, new proposals must be submitted in CAPIS to the relevant Sub-Committee Secretary at least three weeks before the meeting at which it will be considered. See Sub-Committee deadlines. 

Proposals for new Autumn Term (AT) January examinations in 2024/25. Please be aware that the Undergraduate Studies Sub-Committee (USSC) and Graduate Studies Sub-Committee (GSSC) are not currently able to approve new AT January examinations for the 2024/25 academic year, i.e. either for existing courses without exams or for new courses being considered for introduction in 2024/25. As part of the ongoing Assessment Services Change Project, the School will be keeping both the January and Spring exam period under review to assess the feasibility of expanding capacity to accommodate additional January examinations. All new course proposals should avoid use of January examinations as part of summative assessment (sections 3.3.5 and 3.4.1 of the CAPIS proposal form). If the review of January examinations results in additional exam capacity, then it will be open to course proposers to revise the assessment of their courses (subject to Departmental Teaching Committee [DTC] approval, and including any adjustments to learning outcomes to ensure alignment with the new form of summative assessment being proposed).

• Please consider how the issues of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion have been addressed through a consideration of accessibility and inclusivity in all areas of teaching, learning and assessment. Please see Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or contact eden@lse.ac.uk for more information.

The following deadlines apply for new courses to appear in School publications/systems:

For research level proposals for 500 level courses, either for inclusion on an MRes/PhD or MPhil/PhD programme, please consult with Pete Mills, PhD Academy Manager and secretary to the Research Degrees Sub-Committee.

For course choice and the Calendar these deadlines are for the academic session prior to the first year the course will be taught in. For the Prospectus these deadlines are for two academic sessions prior to the year of entry, for example proposals made in 2023/24 would be included in the hardcopy prospectus for entry in 2024/25.

Once the basic course design is mapped out, the department should widen consultation and complete the departmental approval process via the Department Teaching Committee (DTC). This phase of the process should consider the following:

• It is strongly recommended that the LSE Eden Centre for Education Enhancement is consulted at an early stage about new course proposals. The Eden Centre can advise on teaching approaches and assessment formats. The Eden Centre’s Assessment Toolkit as well as LSE's Principles of Assessment can be of particular help when designing both formative coursework and summative assessments. Please contact the departmental adviser assigned to your department.
• The Eden Centre can also advise on a wide range of technology opportunities that address various pedagogical challenges during the early stages of course creation. Please contact eden@lse.ac.uk for information. 
• Course proposers are responsible for consulting with colleagues with related interests in other departments/institutes. Proposers might find it useful to refer to the LSE Experts information or existing courses listed in the Calendar to identify who to consult with. The Sub-Committee Secretaries and Eden Centre departmental advisers are also happy to provide individual advice on who to consult with. 

   

  Important: Consultation should be conducted with specific academic staff members, for example colleagues already offering existing courses in related areas, and not just via Heads of Department or Department Managers, although first contact may be made with these individuals in some instances. Consultation is often developmental and can greatly aid the design of new courses via peer review, as well as provide an opportunity to identify and design-out overlap with existing provision. Consultation should be initiated at an early stage and in good time before submission to Sub-Committee.

• Student engagement with the proposal process, either through careful consideration of student feedback on related courses or through active participation in the design process is important. All new course proposals should be received by the relevant Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) for consideration prior to submission to committee. The opportunity for students to comment on proposals should be genuine and any amendments made as a result should be communicated back to the student body via the following SSLC or a suitable alternative route. SSLC consideration is a requirement of all new course proposals and is included in the new course proposal form.

• The Department of Methodology is responsible for providing Research Methodology teaching for the School. If the content of this course includes teaching research methodology, please consult with the Methodology Department during the design stage by contacting the Department Manager for further guidance.

• A representative from the Library can attend departmental meetings at which the proposal is to be discussed, to offer a resource perspective on the proposal from their knowledge of the collections. Please contact the Library for further information.
• Proposers considering assessment by examination for a new course should refer to the temporary arrangements for managing the introduction of summative examinations (PDF).
• A course cannot have a full-unit or half-unit course as a sub-component at the same value:
  • A half-unit course cannot be a sub-component of another half-unit;
  • A full-unit course cannot be a sub-component of another full-unit;
  • Only a half-unit can be a sub-component of a full-unit.
• If the course is to be offered by a visiting academic, you will need to read this information on course proposals from non-permanent teaching staff:

New course proposals are normally restricted to permanent teaching staff. This ensures continuity at the programme level.

However, visiting academics can provide specialist optional courses that a department may otherwise not be able to offer. In these instances, the following guidelines should apply:

A new course proposal from the visiting academic is completed and submitted as normal;

The relevant Sub-Committee may only approve the course to run for the duration of the visiting academic's stay; and

Once the visiting academic has left the School, the course will be automatically withdrawn, unless the department can find a permanent member of teaching staff to be responsible for it.

• Consideration by the relevant Education Committee Sub-Committee (USSC, GSSC, RDSC). The main purposes of the process is to ensure that:

1. New course proposals do not overlap significantly with existing courses elsewhere in the university;
2. All new taught provision is academically robust, well-structured and pedagogically sound;
3. The course takes account of all relevant internal and external reference points;
4. Threshhold academic standards are met;
5. Appropriate student learning opportunities are available;
6. The information provided to students about their studies is complete with regard to course content, structure, learning outcomes, modes of assessment; 
7. The course does not contravene any established School regulations or policies.

• Consideration by committee provides an opportunity for peer review of proposals.
• The Secretary will check the proposal and email it to Sub-Committee members for their advanced consideration. Relevant authorising bodies, Timetables, Library and the Academic Planning and Resources Committee, will also receive notification and will be asked to confirm their initial approval prior to the committee meeting. The secretary will contact proposers if the proposal needs further work.
• The Secretary will obtain a code for the new course. Please state any preference for a course code when submitting the proposal.
• The course proposer is required to attend the Sub-Committee meeting at which the proposal is discussed to answer any questions. The Secretary will invite you to attend.
• Decision: If approved by the committee and all associated resource approvers, the course is then set up for introduction in the specified academic year.  It will be added to the programme regulations by TQARO and other ARD teams will be notified as necessary, including ARD Systems, Timetables, Prospectuses and Registry.
• If approval is subject to certain conditions/follow-up, this will be delegated to the Departmental Teaching Committee or considered via Sub-Committee Chairs action as deemed appropriate by the committee at the time of the decision.