Non-guaranteed progression arrangements

A Progression agreement is a formalised arrangement whereby students who have completed (or part completed) a programme at an institution successfully may be considered for entry (on an individual basis) either to the beginning, or to a more advanced stage, of a programme of the degree-awarding body.

Progression agreements are a useful tool for recruitment because they offer a relatively predictable source of international students. In particular, 2+2 agreements can be used to good effect to recruit students from countries with 12 year education systems, e.g. China and Pakistan. Instead of undertaking a foundation year in the UK, students may begin a 4 year bachelor degree programme in their home country and progress directly to a UK undergraduate course.

The most popular type is at undergraduate level which involves students following a first and second year at an overseas institution and then progressing to, normally, the second year of an undergraduate degree (2+2). Other arrangements include 2+3 for students who complete two years at a partner institution and progress to an MEng or other integrated masters degree programme. In both cases, students graduate with a Manchester award.

It is important to note that a Progression agreement does not offer students from the partner university guaranteed progression to a programme at Manchester. Rather, the agreement offers a guarantee to be considered for entry, subject to the specified entry criteria (e.g. specific marks in Year 1 and Year 2 and English language level). An agreement which offered guaranteed progression would require the University of Manchester to quality assure the partner institution’s programme.

Progression agreements need considerable investment of time and resource by both parties if they are to be successful.  Schools should therefore take a strategic approach in selecting partners and focus on a small number of partnerships with potential not only for recruitment but also longer-term collaboration in research and/or teaching.   The International Relations Team within Student Recruitment and International Development and the relevant Faculty Teaching and Learning Office must be involved with the approach and subsequent approval of any Progression agreement from the offset.

Schools must undertake due diligence on potential partners and be fully satisfied that academic standards will be maintained. Wherever possible, a representative(s) from the School should visit the partner institution before starting detailed negotiations.

Approval Process

Progression agreements require an internal approval process and should be governed by a written legal contract.  It can take up to 12 months from the initial approach to contract signature.  Generally speaking, an agreement should be in place at least 9 months prior to the first students arriving in Manchester in order to allow adequate time to recruit students and prepare them for study in the UK. Bear in mind, that students need a minimum of 3 months to obtain a visa.

The approval process is outlined below:

Step 1: School to Identify potential partner university and target degree programme(s)
a. Consider the University’s overall standing and its reputation in the specific subject area.
b. Identify specific School/Departments at the partner institution which offer programmes with potential to articulate with programmes at Manchester.
c. Find out if the proposed partner has Progression agreements with any other UK universities and if these are working well. If the partner has more than one Progression agreement in the same subject area then consider if there will be sufficient numbers of students to make the agreement effective and how students will be selected.

Step 2: Consult the Faculty and the International Relations Team in the International Office
d. Contact the International Relations Team who will assess the suitability of the partner and advise how any agreement may impact more widely on recruitment.  The Faculty must be kept informed of progress with regards to potential Progressions to ensure that policy and procedure is being adhered to.
e. Following approval from the International Relations team, obtain formal approval from the Dean of the Faculty and the Head of School to pursue agreement.
f. At this stage, identify an academic co-ordinator on each side with responsibility to lead negotiations.

Step 3: Determine the compatibility of curriculum
g. Exchange course syllabi and detailed information on teaching and assessment methods in order to determine the compatibility of courses. Partner institutions should provide a copy of the curriculum in English (a list of course unit titles in English is not sufficient).
h. Check the partner’s grading scheme. You should be satisfied that students at the partner university will have covered all important material taught in Year 1 core modules at Manchester at a similar level and with a similar assessment process (or be prepared to cover one or two concepts as part of an extended induction process at Manchester).

Step 4: Specify academic entry requirements
i. The academic entry requirements should be in line with existing standard entry criteria.
j. English language level. Again, this should reflect existing entry requirements and students should be asked to provide evidence of English language ability, e.g. IELTS or TOFEL. NB. For Chinese universities, the local College English Test is not a recognised language qualification. (Note: Higher entry standards would normally be expected for Year 2 entry

Step 5: Agree number of students and recruitment timetable
k. Specify the maximum number of places available on the programme(s) per year, taking into account that it is not usually cost effective to set up a Progression agreement for less than 5 students per year.
l. Agree with the partner a timetable for recruitment including a deadline for receipt of applications. It is advisable to interview candidates face-to-face and this can be factored into the timetable for visits to the partner institution.

Step 6: Financial arrangements
a. A Progression partner will usually expect some form of tuition fee discount or scholarship. The School (in conjunction with the Faculty) is responsible for agreeing the financial arrangement. The usual arrangement is to offer a discount on standard international tuition fees linked to numbers.
b. Other options include offering no fee discount but scholarships for the best performing students.

Step 7: Contract negotiation and signature
a. When you are satisfied that all the above issues have been agreed, then send the partner a draft agreement (The International Relations Team will provide a template). Wherever possible, you should use the University’s own template which has been agreed by the Contracts Team. If you use a draft supplied by the partner then this must be approved by the IR and Contracts teams.
b. In addition to a detailed Progression agreement, some partners like to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines a general intention to collaborate. A Memorandum of Understanding is not a requirement, however if it is absolutely necessary then it may be agreed at School or Faculty level. It is not possible to sign a University-level agreement.
c. The agreement should be signed by the Dean of the Faculty and not the Head of School.
d. Send a copy of the signed agreement to the International Relations team.
It is best practice for a representative(s) from the School and (or) Faculty to make regular visits to the partner university to develop the relationship and meet prospective applicants (e.g. guest lecturing to Year 1 students and interviewing applicants from Year 2). The partner institution should not be relied upon to market the opportunity on behalf of the School.

Students should be well prepared in advance for studies in Manchester. At least 6 months prior to departure, students should receive information about progression routes to the UK, programme details e.g. Student Handbook and advice on unit/module selection.

Schools may wish to supplement written material with visits to the partner institution at key points in the recruitment cycle to meet students and give presentations, pre-departure briefings or hold one-to-one discussions.

Once a link has been established, new students can benefit from the experience of previous cohorts either through email or video-conferencing with students studying in Manchester or interaction with returning graduates.

Undergraduate students progressing to Manchester should be admitted through the UCAS system using the RPA process/form. There are no special arrangements for post-graduate students who are admitted in the usual way.

Progression agreements should be agreed for a fixed period of time, usually not more than 5 years and should be reviewed on a regular basis. Arrangements for review are usually set out in the written agreement. At the very minimum, an annual review should be conducted involving staff external to the partnership.

Further information and advice on Progression agreements is available from the University’s International Relations Team within Student Recruitment and International Development.