Professional accreditation

Why is professional accreditation important?

For some jobs, the degree that you study is a professionally accredited qualification that you need to practice and be employed in that profession. So, if you want to be a nurse, pharmacist, building surveyor, architect, psychologist, teacher or accountant (to name a but a few) your degree will be accredited by the relevant PSRB. 

Say, for example, you want to be a pharmacist – the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) regulates pharmacists and pharmacies in Great Britain and pharmacy degree courses must be approved by them so that graduates can work as registered pharmacists. So you’ll need to look for a pharmacy degree that is accredited by the GPhC.

For others, professional accreditation could be a gateway to lifelong professional development, exemption from professional exams, eligibility to apply for membership of the professional body or access to a community of like-minded people.

Professional bodies at the University of Brighton

Professional accreditation frequently asked questions

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• What is a PSRB?

  A PSRB – professional, statutory or regulatory body – is an organisation that governs or regulates a profession in the UK. PSRBs accredit university degree courses where graduates need a professional qualification to practice or to further their career.

• What if the degree I want to do isn’t accredited?

  Accreditation is usually required if a role or job is regulated or there’s a specific professional qualification in the industry you want to work in, like nursing, architecture, social work, law or psychology.

  So, not every degree course has professional accreditation, particularly you don’t need it for career development. You'll still get a great education – your course will still have been developed with your learning experience and career aspirations in mind, along with what employers tell us they are looking for, and it will have been through the university’s quality assurance programme.

• How do university courses get accredited?

  Each accrediting body has a rigorous process where they assess lots of aspects of each course including the teaching, curriculum, learning outcomes and student experience. The university will  usually made a detailed written submission which is followed up by an inspection visit from the professional organisation.

• How do I know if my degree is accredited?

  Check the university website, they will be proud of their accreditation and will let you know on their website and specifically on course information pages. At Brighton, you’ll find accreditation info on our course finder.

• Are there other sorts of accreditation?

  Some accreditations are awarded to the university or academic school. For example, the University of Brighton is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – an accreditation achieved by fewer than 6% of business schools globally.

  Sometimes equipment or facilities can also be accredited underlining their quality and importance to your learning. Our sport and exercise science laboratories are accredited by the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES).

   

• Is professional accreditation important?

  Professional accreditation is important if you need a professional qualification to get into the job or career that you are interested in. Professional accreditation can also be an indication of the quality of the learning experience you can expect at university. It means that the university or course has been assessed by an independent body.

  You can find out if your course is accredited on our course finder.

• How many PSRBs is the University of Brighton accredited by?

  Our courses are accredited or endorsed by over 50 professional or regulatory bodies (PSRB) across most of our subjects.

• Are degree apprenticeships accredited?

  Yes they are. Our degree apprenticeships are accredited in the same way as a degree course. Their curriculum is also mapped onto an occupational standard set by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Eduction, and developed and approved by employers.