Internal quality assurance

In ‘Enhancing the Student Experience of Assessment at the School’ (AB/32, 3 May 2017 Academic Board) the School committed to conduct a review of assessment regulations and governance during 2017/18. A review of the academic regulations was also required as a result of the decision to introduce in-year resits.

In undertaking the review of the Quality Assurance (QA) processes in 2017/18 (AB/29, 30 May 2018 Academic Board), there was a strong message from the academic community  that some of the centralised oversight of courses and programmes should be devolved to departments.

The decision was taken by the Academic Board to approve the devolution of specified QA responsibilities to Department Teaching Committees (DTCs) as of 2018/19, reflecting the academic community’s agreement to take on greater responsibility and accountability for the quality assurance of, and accurate information about, the School’s taught provision.

The guidance in the Quality Assurance Handbook provides information about what School-level and departmental-level responsibilities look like under the devolved framework, and sets out further information about the operating environment (i.e. national and School level QA arrangements). The devolved arrangements are designed to offer departments flexibility within the framework, with the option of delegated authority within departments to account for differing governance arrangements.

Quality Assurance Handbook

The Undergraduate Studies Sub-Committee (USSC), Graduate Studies Sub-Committee (GSSC) and Research Degrees Sub-Committee (RDSC) review all new course and programme proposals, including new programme streams with distinct admissions entry routes and new programme specialisms on existing degree programmes, as part of the approval process.

External assessors from outside the School also review new programme proposals as part of the process. The external's role is to comment on the appropriateness and rigour of the programme, including its curriculum, its mode of delivery, its assessment methods and its learning outcomes. Externals are also asked to comment on the standard of the programme in relation to relevant QAA subject characteristics and subject benchmark statements and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

New course proposals set out how the course will be taught, the types of assessment students will need to complete, and the learning outcomes they will achieve. They also give details about which students can sit the course, depending on their programme.

Consideration by the relevant Education Committee Sub-Committee (USSC, GSSC, RDSC)

The main purpose of the process is to ensure that:

1. New course and programme proposals do not overlap significantly with existing courses or programmes elsewhere in the School;
2. All new taught provision is academically robust, well-structured and pedagogically sound;
3. The course or programme takes account of all relevant internal and external reference points;
4. Threshold 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 content, structure, learning outcomes, modes of assessment;
7. The course or programme does not contravene any established School regulations or policies.

For more detailed information about the course and programme approval process see: New courses and programmes.

Periodic Review of Taught Provision 

LSE uses a range of internal quality assurance processes to assure academic standards and to enhance the quality of its taught provision within academic departments. These processes support departments and programmes to reflect on performance, identify good practice, and respond to areas for development. 

Department Reviews and Annual Monitoring 

Department Reviews are a core part of the School’s internal quality assurance framework and provide a strategic, holistic review of academic departments. They are complemented by Annual Monitoring, which enables departments to reflect on performance on a regular basis and to inform institutional planning and decision making. 

Together, these processes support the School in maintaining academic standards, enhancing the quality of the student learning experience, and ensuring that departmental activity aligns with the School’s strategic objectives. 

Further information on the Department Review process, including its relationship with Annual Monitoring, is available from the Planning Division: 

Department Reviews and Annual Monitoring

Periodic Programme Review

The School is currently piloting a new approach to the periodic review of taught programmes. Periodic Programme Review (PPR) provides an opportunity for in depth reflection on the design, delivery and ongoing development of programmes, supporting enhancement over the programme lifecycle. 

The outcomes of the current PPR pilot will be reported to Education Committee, with a decision on the potential implementation of a new process due to be confirmed during the 2026/27 academic year. Further details, including formal guidance and documentation, will be published in due course pending a formal governance decision. This page will be updated once this decision is confirmed. 

Please contact Tom Hewlett, t.w.hewlett@lse.ac.uk, with any queries about the review process.

External Examiners play an important role in helping the School to assure the standards of its awards and the quality of its students' learning opportunities. They are academics from peer institutions who are experts in their fields. Externals are nominated by departments and appointed (and annually re-appointed) according to School rules.

They perform a number of quality-related tasks for the School:

• Each year all external examiners submit a report about the LSE courses and programmes that fall under their purview. These reports comment on academic standards in relation both to student performance and to the relevant level in the Quality Assurance Agency's Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
• These reports also comment on the integrity and rigour of the School's assessment processes.
• Externals sample a range of examination scripts and other assessed work to ensure that marking standards are appropriate. Externals may on occassion review School decisions about student academic appeals.

Further information about external examiners can be found here.

The School surveys students about their teaching via course surveys in the Autumn and Winter Terms. The questions ask students about their teaching experiences, and about their courses as a whole.  Students are also invited to provide overall comments on the positive and negative aspects of the teaching they are receiving. 

The School also asks taught students about their experience on their programme of study. This is through internal programme-level surveys for first and second year undergraduate students and taught postgraduate students, and through the National Student Survey run by Ipsos on behalf of the Office for Students for final year undergraduate students.

Please visit the Surveys page for more information.