Collaborative Provision and Linked Providers

Collaborative Provision

Quality assurance and enhancement of UCD collaborative provision is an integral part of the UCD Quality Framework.  This includes Annual Monitoring of Collaborative / Transnational Taught Programme Links and Periodic Quality Review of Taught Collaborative / Transnational Programme Arrangements.

Increased internationalisation is a feature of the Irish education and training system. The opportunities represented by these activities, for individual institutions and for the education and training system as a whole, are significant. The risks associated with these activities also need to be considered.

The UCD Global Relations and Partnerships Team oversees the development and overall management of the University's global university partnerships, providing guidance and support to University staff on the development of these partnerships and the enhancement of existing partnerships in line with the University's Global Engagement Strategy.

The provision of higher education programmes in a collaborative or transnational context can be challenging.  It is considered good practice that institutions establish specific procedures for the approval, monitoring and review of collaborative and transnational programmes and associated institutional partnerships.

Collaborative and transnational programme arrangements take a variety of forms.  Some common examples include research, joint awards, articulation, franchise, validation and student exchange.

Periodic Quality Review of collaborative programme partnerships is one of the main ways by which UCD assures itself of the quality of: the student learning experience; the academic provision; and the organisation of the partnership.  The Quality Review Panel should also consider whether the partnership continues to meet the strategic aims of UCD and whether the partnership continues to be of benefit to all parties.

The Panel will review the relationship between UCD and the partner, in the context of the programme(s) delivery, having regard, for example, to the student experience and to operational and quality assurance matters, making specific reference to the QQI Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines; UCD policies and procedures; and other relevant guidelines, as appropriate.

As the nature of the collaborative partnership and scope of provision may vary between arrangements, UCD will take a flexible approach to the structure of the Self-Assessment Report (SAR).

The guidelines below relate primarily to the delivery of taught collaborative programme partnerships - differentiated monitoring and review procedures for major/minor collaborative arrangements are currently being considered. Some types of collaborative activity are beyond the scope of the guidelines, for example student exchanges, articulation, student placements/study abroad and joint research and cotutelle arrangements, as these are more appropriately monitored at a local or School level, such as through a School Committee or Programme Board.

UCD Guidelines for Periodic Review of Collaborative Programme Partnerships (April 2019)

Related Supporting Documents:

Indicative Areas to be Explored
Meetings with Students
Guidelines for Tours of Facilities
Guidance for Drafting the RG Report
Specimen Memorandum of Agreement
UCD Collaborative & Transnational Provision Due Diligence Checklist

Additional guidelines, reports and publications relating to collaborative provision may be accessed via the relevant links below.

Linked Providers

Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Act, 2012 (2012 Act) a 'Designated Awarding Body' (DAB) is defined as a previously established university, the National University of Ireland (NUI), an educational institution established as a university under Section 9 of the Universities Act 1997, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

'Linked Provider' under the 2012 Act, is a provider that is not a DAB but enters into an arrangement with a DAB under which arrangement the provider provides a programme of education and training that satisfies all or part of the prerequisites for an award of the DAB, e.g. a UCD Recognised College.

Under the 2012 Act each DAB has three core responsibilities concerning a Linked Provider:

1. To review and approve the Linked Provider Quality Assurance Framework;
2. To monitor the implementation of the Linked Provider Quality Assurance Framework;
3. To periodically review the effectiveness of the Linked Provider Quality Assurance Framework.

UCD is the DAB for the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and the Institute of Banking (IoB). 

RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC, formerly Penang Medical College) is Malaysia’s first accredited private medical school, owned and established by the RCSI and UCD.

Further relevant information is available at:

• Quality Review Process & Guidelines - Linked Providers
• Reports & Publications - Linked Providers