Programmes

ATU makes awards at Levels 6 through 10 on the NFQ. These awards are made in respect of taught programmes at Level 6 to Level 9 and in respect of research programmes at Levels 9 and 10. In making awards, ATU ensures that learners have acquired the standard of knowledge, skill and competence associated with the NFQ level of an award. The quality and relevance of new programmes is safeguarded by the validation process, the stages of which are outlined below.  

Students, employers and professional body involvement are key to the new programme development process with external academics or employers involved in the validation process.  Once approved programmes are regularly and systematically monitored and reviewed to assess their continuing currency and validity in light of the following:

• Industry and professional practice and pedagogy
• Changes in the external environment such as requirements of professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies (PRSBs)
• Developments in disciplinary research, and
• Continued alignment with ATU’s mission and strategy.

Programme Validation Reports

All new programmes go through a validation process which the method by which a proposed programme is formally recognised by the University as comprising a body of learning in a designated discipline or disciplines which leads to an award at a specified level on the NFQ. The validation of the programme also results in the validation of each of its constituent modules.  Validation panels include external academics and/or industry representation to provide an independent view of the quality of the programme.  Reports of the validation panels for new programmes are provided below as are differential validation reports for major changes to existing programmes.

2024-25

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22 (Commencing April 2022)