Benchmark statements
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1. Introduction
"Subject benchmark statements set out expectations about standards of degrees in a range of subject areas. They describe what gives a discipline its coherence and identity, and define what can be expected of a graduate in terms of the techniques and skills needed to develop understanding in the subject." QAA
Over recent years the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) has published 54 honours degree benchmark statements, the outcome of a major project designed to make explicit the general academic characteristics and standards of honours degrees in the UK. These were produced by the QAA working closely with subject specialists in the sector. In addition, there are a number of other benchmark statements: a few for Master's degrees; several for NHS subjects; one for foundation degrees; and some for Scotland.
The following table shows the the subjects / disciplines covered by the honours degree statements - it will help you to go to the QAA site and read about your discipline or nearest cognate area.
Accounting | Agriculture, Forestry, Agricultural Sciences, Food Sciences and Consumer Sciences | Anthropology | Archaeology |
Architectural technology | Architecture, Architectural Technology and Landscape Architecture | Area Studies | Art and Design / History of Art, Architecture and Design |
Biomedical Science | Biosciences | Building and Surveying | General Business & Management |
Chemistry | Classics & Ancient History | Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies | Computing |
Criminology | Dance, Drama and Performance | Dentistry | Early hildhood studies |
Earth Science, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies | Economics | Education Studies | Engineering |
English | Finance | Geography | Health Studies |
History | History of Art, Architecture and Design | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism | Housing studies |
Landscape architecture | Languages and related subjects | Law | Librarianship and Information Management |
Linguistics | Materials | Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research | Medicine |
Music | Optometry | Osteopathy | Philosophy |
Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics | Politics and International Relations | Psychology | Social policy and administration |
Social Policy and Administration and Social Work | Sociology | Theology & Religious Studies | Town and Country Planning |
Veterinary Science | Welsh/Cymraeg |
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This table was taken from the QAA website showing the academic infrastructure (Dec 2007).
2. Hints, tips and suggestions
Typically, the statements provide an overview of the subject-specific abilities, general intellectual skills and other key skills that a student studying a particular area should gain over the lifetime of their degree studies. As such they set the scope of study for the qualification. In addition, some statements give descriptions of the quality of achievement that students might reach at threshold (pass) and modal (2[1]) levels.
Benchmark statements were not meant to establish a national curriculum for each of the disciplines, and as you will see when you look at the statement for your subject, they are too general for that. What they do best is to give an indication of the scope and qualities that should result from studying a disipline for employers, prospective students (and their parents who may well be funding the process) and staff new to teaching in higher education. But perhaps most importantly, the benchmark statements have made it clear, in all of the disciplines, that degrees are about more than subject content alone, and that all curricula must include both subject-specific and generic skills and approaches/attitudes.
3. Further information
See the briefing sheet in this series on aims and learning outcomes.