12th Jul 2026

UCEN Manchester Awarded Degree Awarding Powers

UCEN Manchester has secured Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs) from the Office for Students (OfS).

It's official confirmation that UCEN Manchester can now design and validate its own degree programmes. The powers took effect on 1 January 2026. They cover an initial 20 courses across UCEN Manchester's Schools.

It is the latest in a run of quality milestones, including TEF Silver status and strong National Student Survey results.

What Degree Awarding Powers actually mean

Until now, UCEN Manchester's degrees have been designed and validated by partner institutions. Every course went through an external partner's approval process before it could be taught. Degree Awarding Powers change that. UCEN Manchester can now write, develop and award its own degrees directly.

This is specifically New Degree Awarding Powers. It's a probationary status the OfS grants before a provider can apply for Full DAPs. UCEN Manchester is now working towards Full Degree Awarding Powers. It also has a further ambition to reach TEF Gold. Both are targeted for 2030.

What it means for students

For prospective students, the practical difference is speed and relevance. Courses no longer need sign-off from an external partner institution before they can be updated. That means UCEN Manchester can adjust course content faster when an industry or employer need changes.

Degrees validated under DAPs still carry the same regulatory oversight as any other UK degree. The OfS only grants the power after assessing a provider's academic standards.

Where the new degrees will sit

The validated courses span five schools:

The first seven UCEN Manchester-validated degrees open for enrolment from September 2026. Further courses follow across 2027 and 2028.

A track record building towards this

DAPs is the third in a run of quality markers for UCEN Manchester in recent years. TEF Silver status came in 2024. Strong National Student Survey results followed in 2025. Under TEF, the OfS assesses student experience and outcomes as typically high quality.

It also follows a strong set of 2024 to 2025 National Student Survey results. These improved across every theme measured, compared with the previous year. UCEN Manchester's scores beat national benchmarks in six of the nine survey categories. Results were particularly strong in teaching and learning, assessment and feedback, and student voice.

What the dean said

Michael Walsh, Dean of UCEN Manchester, called the announcement a significant landmark. He said:

Securing New Degree Awarding Powers is a significant landmark in our journey that validates the quality of our courses and demonstrates our future ambitions.

He linked the achievement directly to the provider's recent track record: “Coming on the back of our TEF Silver status and recent strong NSS performance it is a clear signal that we are delivering a distinctly different and high-quality higher education experience.”

Walsh also pointed to what the powers change in practice. “With DAPs we will have the flexibility required to quickly respond to feedback from industry and changes in the labour market to ensure that our courses enable students to develop the higher level creative and technical skills that will allow them to quickly progress into employment.”

In short, DAPs is not only external confirmation of course quality. It gives UCEN Manchester more direct control over how quickly its courses can adapt to what employers need. That matters most in the fast-moving creative and technical sectors these five schools serve.

For anyone applying to UCEN Manchester over the coming intakes, DAPs is worth understanding alongside your specific course. DAPs will allow UCEN Manchester to respond more quickly to changing industry needs and continue developing its course offer. That flexibility is likely to keep shaping its course offer through to 2030.

If you have questions about how DAPs affects a specific course, get in touch with our enquiries team.