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Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3)

At its meeting of 30 August 2023, the Accreditation Committee decided that the above qualification should be prescribed for the period 30 September 2023 to 31 December 2028 under Section 4(1)(a) of the Architects Act 1997 for the purposes of entry onto the United Kingdom Register of Architects.

Prescription is subject to the Standard Conditions set out in the Board’s Procedures, namely:

1. The University of Nottingham’s Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3) (15 months, part-time) and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3) (Degree Apprenticeship) (15 months, part-time apprenticeship) qualifications should be prescribed from 30 September 2023 to 31 December 2028.
2. Prescription of the qualifications shall be by reference to the Programme Specifications – submitted as part of the application on 30 November 2022 – for the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3) (15 months, part-time) and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3) (Degree Apprenticeship) (15 months, part-time apprenticeship) qualifications. No change may be made to the title of any qualification, or material change to the content so defined within a programme specification (allowing for normal course development) without first obtaining the written permission of the Accreditation Committee.
3. Annually by 31 January – commencing on 31 January 2024 – the institution shall be required to provide the Accreditation Committee with information of the nature set out in Appendix 2 of its Procedures to enable the Committee to see that:
   i. All Criteria and the relevant requirements set out in Article 46 (or Article 47) of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive [2005/36/EC] have been attained by all candidates awarded the prescribed qualification;
   ii. Adequate systems are in place to ensure that all the Board’s Criteria will be met by candidates for the period of prescription;
   iii. The institution’s resources remain as set out in the application and are adequate; and
   iv. All of the factors referred to in Sections 2.2 and 2.3 of the Procedures continue to be demonstrated, and any conditions of prescription continue to be met.
4. The institution will ensure that appropriate procedures will be maintained so that all candidates undertaking a prescribed qualification are fully informed of the extent of the application of that qualification to entitlement to registration as an architect in circumstances in which the candidate lacks a required antecedent qualification, e.g. Part 2 without Part 1.
5. Following each and every set of examinations, the institution shall be required to submit to ARB its pass lists of graduating cohorts who have received the prescribed award.

In addition to the Standard Conditions of prescription, the Committee agreed that the following additional condition would be applicable under Section 7.2 of the Board’s Procedures:

• The institution must submit to ARB copies of the external examiner reports immediately following the final assessment and Examination Board for each cohort during the period of prescription.

The Committee was confident that:

1. The course proposal – including the educational aims, the intended learning outcomes, the assessments etc – has been designed with the clear aim of ensuring that all those who receive the qualification will have met all the Criteria;
2. Systems are in place to ensure that all Criteria will be met by all candidates receiving the qualification for the period of prescription; and
3. The institution has adequate resources to maintain and, where appropriate, increase the achievements of candidates meeting all the Criteria.

The additional condition is in keeping with ARB practice when prescribing new qualifications, and will provide the Committee with the opportunity at an earlier stage each year to monitor and be assured that the objectives for prescription and relevant Criteria are being met.