Regent’s College gains degree awarding powers

Regent’s College London has been granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) by the UK’s Privy Council, giving the college the right to accredit its own degrees from September.

Photo: Regent's College London

The move allows all courses to be bought under a single set of academic regulations, and will mean that UK and EU students will be eligible for state-funded loans to cover tuition fees.

The award comes after a review conducted over 18 months by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which inspects UK higher education institutions. Regent’s College became only the sixth private institution in the UK to be granted TDAP.

QAA Director of Review’s, Stephen Jackson, said, “From the assessment that we have carried out of Regent’s College, we found that the college has effective leadership and management, and its arrangements for support, both academic and personal, are well-received by students. Staff at the college are committed not only to teaching but also to providing good quality assessment feedback.”

Regent’s College is a registered charity with a commitment to reinvest in higher education and has spent over UK£40 million (US$62.2 million) on facilities and teaching over the past five years. With over 4,000 full-time students, the college is the largest undergraduate provider outside the state-funded system.

Principal of the college, Professor Aldwyn Cooper, said, “The grant of degree powers to the college confirms our first class student experience, the commitment of staff, engagement of students and the success of alumni. Regent’s has been providing a rich learning experience for 25 years.”

Commenting on future plans, Professor Cooper added, “We offer an immersive international environment for around four and a half thousand students from 130 nationalities. The next step is to apply for University title to reflect properly the kind of institution that Regent’s has become and to better enable us to fulfil our driving charitable mission to serve education.”

The college has also pledged to invest UK£30 million (US$46.6 million) in academic research over the next five years.