For course selection 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 2024/25 would be included in the prospectus for entry in 2026/27.
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.
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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.
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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 arrangements for 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.