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AlGhad Training Institute Quality Management System

Credit Accumulation and Transfer

Policy Reference:

T/P/003

Version:

1

Person Responsible:

General Manager

1. Policy Statement

This Policy governs the awarding of course credits towards GTI qualifications or programmes. Credit accumulation is the process of gathering credit for learning towards the completion of a qualification or programme. Credit accumulation may occur within a programme of study, across an institution, and among institutions. Credit transfer refers to situations where awarding of credits goes beyond programmes or institutions. Credit accumulation and transfer are combined to facilitate lifelong learning and access to the workplace.

2. Definition of Terms

  • Articulation is the process where institutions match their courses or requirements to course work completed at another institution. Course articulation is done to assure that courses completed will not have to be repeated at the institution to which students are transferring.
  • Credit refers to a recognition of a unit of learning, measured in hours of study or achievement of a minimum acceptable performance standard or maximum allowable limit. Credit may also be measured by both. One (1) credit is equated to ten (10) notional hours of learning.
  • Credit Accumulation refers to the summation of relevant credits required to complete a qualification or programme
  • Credit transfer refers to the relocation of credits towards a qualification or programme on the same level, or possibly between different programmes, departments or even institutions.
  • Notional hours refers to the total amount of time required for an average learner to achieve the defined learning outcomes, that include face-to-face contact time, work-integrated learning, and time provided for completing assignments, research and completing assessments.
  • Specified credit transfer is the process of transferring credits gained in other qualifications or components of a qualification to a specific qualification.
  • Unspecified credit transfer is the process of transferring credits gained in qualifications or components of a qualification covering knowledge and skills that do not directly match the learning outcomes of the qualification the credits are transferred to.

3. Applications

Personnel:

  • This policy applies to all employees, students, partners and staff contracted to provide, promote and maintain the high standards of teaching, learning and assessment for those students who are trained at GTI.
  • This policy applies to those who make decisions and review credit accumulations and credit transfer applications.

Procedures:

  • This policy applies to all assessed courses and programmes at GTI.

4. External Requirements

This policy helps GTI meet the following external requirements of:

  • Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), Bahrain
  • Directorate of Institutes Affairs, Bahrain Ministry of Labor

5. Principles Involved in Credit Accumulation and Transfer

The establishment of possible articulation routes during the design of new qualifications and programmes contributes to effective credit accumulation and transfer at GTI.

  • Articulation within the BQA national qualifications framework (NQF) is based on national laws, policies and formal requirements, as well as based on formal and informal agreements within the educational system guided by guidelines, policies, and principles. This mostly occurs between two or more specific education and training institutional types.

Credit accumulation can take place in the following forms:

  1. Systemic articulation: occurs at a national level. This is the recognition and accumulation of credits across all institutions within Bahrain through legislation from BQA
  2. Specific articulation:Internal:  the summation of credits within a specific institution, or department within an institution.

    External: recognition and accumulation of credits between two or more institutions. In these instances, the qualification or programme’s purpose, nature of curriculum, associated learning outcomes, and the credits are taken into account.

Credit transfer is the process whereby credits awarded in one programme or course can count towards:

  1. the same programme or course in another institution
  2. another programme or course on the same or a different level of the NQF, the same or a different sub-framework of the NQF, a different department in the same institution, or in a different institution.
  3. Credit transfer at GTI shall eliminate duplication of learning and assessment.
  4. GTI shall provide an integrated system that would enable students to transfer between programmes within the institution and across another institution.
  5. GTI shall ensure the quality, integrity and standing of qualifications and programmes are not diminished nor compromised.
  6. Staff making credit transfer decisions have expert knowledge in the subject area and the Bahrain NQF.
  7. The roles and responsibilities of academic staff involved in the credit accumulation and transfer process is clearly documented. Training for such must be provided.
  8. Students should know of the costs involved in credit transfer, as well as what evidences are expected from them.
  9. Only 1/3 of the taught component of the programme shall be allowed for credit transfer
  10. Credit beyond the limits of this policy in cases where the applicant was a previous GTI student and is enrolling in a new version of that course or its equivalent may be authorized but within any parameters set by the responsible academic personnel.
  11. The maximum limit for studies to be considered for credit transfer shall be 10 years prior to the time of application.

Credit Transfer Procedure

1. Purpose

This section describes the steps involved in processing credit transfer applications. Credit Accumulation and Transfer Policy

2. Related Documents and policies

Policies:

Procedures:

  • Credit Transfer
  • Support and Guidance

Forms:

3. Credit Transfer (CT) Procedure

Step

Responsible

Process

Location (as applicable)

  • Student obtains an application for credit transfer (CT) form

Receptionist and / or support staff

Student fills up the form and returns filled form to the receptionist

Online or from GTI reception

  • Student pays the applicable fees

Receptionist and / or support staff

Request for CT is logged into the GTI Registry

  • Copy of application forwarded to General Manager

Receptionist and / or support staff

General Manager receives a copy of the CT application

  • Copy of application forwarded to Programme Head

General Manager

Programme Head receives a copy of the CT application

  • Appointment of 2 assessors

Programme Head

Assessors receive copy of application.

  • Meeting with student about the application and advises on compiling the necessary evidence

Assessors

Assessors clarify about the details of the request for CT and student prepares the required evidences

  • Submission of evidences

Student

Assessors receive the evidences

  • Perusal of evidence presented; Decision moderated

Assessors

Assessors carefully examine through the evidences and make a decision

  • Formal report submitted to Programme Head regarding the decision about CT

Assessors

Programme Head reviews the recommendation and approves the decision

  • General manager informed of decision

Programme Head

Programme Head informs General Manager

By email

  • Forward approval to Registry report and evidences to support staff for filing

Programme Head

Final report and evidences forwarded to support staff for filing

Student file

  • Decision information

Registry

Student is informed

Email or call

  • CT entered on Student Record

Registry

CT recorded as “CT”

Transcript

4. Applications

Personnel:

  • This procedure applies to all employees, students, partners and staff contracted to provide, promote and maintain the high standards of teaching, learning and assessment for those students who are trained at GTI.
  • This procedure applies to those who make decisions and review credit accumulations and credit transfer applications.

Procedures:

  • This policy applies to all assessed courses and programmes at GTI.

5. Pertinent Guidelines

  • All programme related documentation (for example, brochures, programme handbooks and GTI’s website) shall include information on credit transfer so that students can receive timely advice on credit transfer opportunities prior to enrolment.
  • Credit transfer is a form of assessment and therefore is subject to GTI’s policies and specific programme regulations regarding assessment, moderation and reporting.
  • Credit transfer is only granted for whole courses and not parts of it.
  • The assessment of provided evidence shall be done by experienced trained assessors who are experts in the subject/content areas.
  • Appeals to the decision may be made by the student to the General Manager within five working days of receiving the decision. The General Manager peruses through the appeal and the documented evidences and replies to the appeal within 5 working days. 

7. Key Dates

This Version Approved: 26 December 2023

Next Review Date: December 2024 or earlier if any changes to legislation or the external environment require it.

Approved by the General Manager, effective immediately:

Signed by General Manager: Abbas Ali Date: 26/12/2023

 GTI’s current policies are available on the website. If you are using a hard copy of this policy, please check that it is the current version before proceeding.