Imperial defines collaborative provision as:

“all learning opportunities leading or contributing to the award of academic credit or a qualification that are delivered, assessed or supported through an arrangement with one or more organisations other than the degree-awarding body.”

The College has the ultimate responsibility for the academic standards of all the awards, (including collaborative awards) conferred in its name, and for the quality of its learning opportunities, irrespective of where these are delivered or who provides them. Imperial will only enter into a collaborative partnership with another institution/organisation whose quality of provision, mission, vision and ethos are compatible with that of the College.

Information on the processes for establishing, monitoring and reviewing collaborative provision can be found below. Please note these processes do not apply to placements, including study abroad via exchanges – information about these activities can be found on the Placement learning page.

Documents

Register of collaborative provision
General principles for working with other organisations

Policy and procedures

New collaborative programmes

The documents in this section should be read in conjunction with the documents listed under the 'General principles for working with other organisations' tab above.

Policy and procedure for new taught (UG and PGT) programmes

 

Policy and procedure for new postgraduate research (PGR) programmes 

Forms 

The following forms need to be completed for all proposed collaborations. 

Collaborative modules

Policy and procedures

Forms

Reviewing collaborative undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision

Policy and procedures

Reviewing collaborative postgraduate research provision

Policy and procedures

Partner research institute scheme, split PhDs & Imperial recognised locations

Partner Research Institution (PRI) scheme

The Partner Research Institution (PRI) scheme permits a student registered for a research degree programme at Imperial to undertake periods of research at a partner and be supported by a local supervisor in addition to the Imperial supervisor(s).

Setting up a PRI may be appropriate when the location/partner offers particular research opportunities that are not available elsewhere and are the only place that the research can be carried out.

A minimum period of attendance at Imperial is required and students may only be registered for the Imperial PhD programme - concurrent registration for a PhD programme at another institution is not permitted. 

Further information is available from the documents below. 

Split PhD scheme

The Split PhD scheme permits a student registered for a research degree programme at Imperial to undertake specific periods of their research training at an overseas institution where the College already has established links and connections and/or in cases where the research problem requires local fieldwork (e.g. in geology or biology). A local supervisor will be appointed in addition to the Imperial supervisor(s).

A minimum attendance period at Imperial is required and students may only be registered for the Imperial PhD programme - concurrent registration for a PhD programme at another institution is not permitted. 

More detailed information is available in the procedure below.

Imperial Recognised Location (IRL)

This procedure recognises/approves locations which have an Imperial staff and student presence but which are not official campuses of the College. In such cases, these locations offer particular research opportunities that are not available elsewhere and are the only place(s) that the research can be done. Recording these locations as Imperial Recognised Locations (IRL) allows the students to spend all their time studying for their research degree at the IRL where their supervisor is based.

Current approved IRLs are:

  • European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva
  • Francis Crick Institute, London
  • Diamond Light Source and Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire

 Students will be registered for an Imperial award and follow the same academic regulations and policies as students on an Imperial campus. 

Further information can be found in the guidance below.

Imperial recognised locations [pdf]

View the academic and examination regulations
Contact the quality assurance team for advice