Check if your university or college can award a degree
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1. Overview
You can check if a degree you’re studying for is officially recognised. If your degree is not officially recognised, employers or universities might not accept it.
Not all colleges that teach degrees can award them. Your degree might be awarded by a higher education institution that’s different from the place you’re studying.
If you’re not sure who awards your degree, ask your college or check their website or prospectus. You can double check this with the higher education institution you’re told awards your degree.
How you check if your degree is officially recognised depends on where you study.
If you study in England
Your degree will be officially recognised if:
- the higher education institute can award degrees - you can check on the Office for Students (OfS) Register
- it’s on the list of recognised awards
- it’s awarded by the Royal College of Nursing
- it’s awarded by the Archbishop of Canterbury
If you have any questions
Email OfS providerverification@officeforstudents.org.uk.
If you study in Northern Ireland
Your degree will be officially recognised if it’s on either:
If you have any questions
Email the Northern Ireland Executive hepolicy@economy-ni.gov.uk.
If you study in Scotland
Your degree will be officially recognised if it’s on either:
If you have any questions
Contact the Scottish Government central enquiry unit.
If you study in Wales
Your degree will be officially recognised if it’s either:
- awarded by an institution on the list of recognised bodies in Wales
- on the list of recognised awards
If you have any questions
Email the Welsh Government at customerhelp@gov.wales.
2. Recognised bodies in Wales
Recognised bodies are higher learning institutions that can award degrees.
A
Aberystwyth University (Prifysgol Aberystwyth)
B
Bangor University (Prifysgol Bangor)
C
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd)
Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd)
G
Glyndŵr University (Prifysgol Glyndŵr)
O
R
S
University of South Wales (Prifysgol De Cymru)
Swansea University (Prifysgol Abertawe)
W
University of Wales (Prifysgol Cymru)
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant)
3. Recognised awards
Certain bodies or institutions can award their own unique degrees. These are known as ‘recognised awards’.
| Recognised award | Institution or body |
|---|---|
| Mastership in Clinical Biochemistry | Awarded jointly by the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal College of Pathologists and the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine |
| Degree of Barrister-at-Law | Benchers of the Honourable Society of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland |
| Degree of the Utter Bar | Inns of Court |
| Master of Horticulture | Royal Horticultural Society |
| Mastership in Chemical Analysis | Royal Society of Chemistry |
| Mastership in Food Control | Awarded jointly by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Biology and the Institute of Food Science and Technology |