Looking forward with Curriculum 2030

Why Curriculum 2030, and why now?

The project emerges from several converging drivers. One is the feedback received through the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which highlighted the need for greater consistency in the student experience across the institution. While Queen Mary demonstrates excellence in many areas, Curriculum 2030 seeks to ensure that all students benefit from that excellence, regardless of programme or discipline.

It is also closely linked to the ambitions of Strategy 2030 and to wider changes affecting the higher education sector. Universities are responding to a very different environment from the one that existed when the strategy was first developed, shaped by the long-term effects of the pandemic, financial pressures, regulatory change and evolving student expectations.

At its heart, Curriculum 2030 has three core aims: delivering consistent excellence in education, improving student outcomes, and maintaining a sustainable education portfolio.

What could change at programme and module level?

The project is now approaching an important milestone. Proposals are being considered through the University’s governance processes, with implementation planning expected to follow. Much of the work so far has taken place through cross-faculty working groups, bringing together academic and professional services colleagues to develop a coherent framework for future programme design.

For many colleagues, the most visible changes will be at programme and module level.

One strand of work focuses on the undergraduate credit framework. Current proposals include moving to modules based on multiples of 15 credits and introducing a more consistent structure across undergraduate programmes. Alongside this, there are plans to establish clearer expectations around compulsory and elective study, creating a common framework while still allowing programmes to retain their disciplinary identity.

Rethinking assessment

Another major focus is assessment. Curriculum 2030 proposes reducing assessment burden by limiting the number of summative assessment points relative to module size. The intention is not simply to reduce assessment volume, but to encourage more authentic assessment that is closely aligned with programme learning outcomes rather than using assessment as a proxy for engagement.

This shift is expected to benefit both students and staff. For students, it aims to create a more manageable assessment experience and provide greater clarity about what is being assessed and why. For staff, it offers opportunities to simplify assessment structures and focus effort on high-value feedback and learning activities.

Employability, experiential learning and graduate attributes

Employability and experiential learning are also central to the framework. Every undergraduate programme will be expected to provide clearly identifiable opportunities for students to develop career-related skills and experiences. In many areas of the university, particularly in professionally accredited disciplines, this work is already taking place. The emphasis will therefore often be on making these opportunities more visible and better integrated within programme structures.

The intention is that students will be able to recognise where they are developing professional capabilities, gaining workplace experience or applying their learning in authentic contexts. This responds both to student feedback and to growing expectations that graduates leave university with a clear understanding of the skills they have developed and how those skills relate to future employment.

Alongside these changes, the University is reviewing its graduate attributes framework. The current set of attributes is being streamlined into four broader themes that all programmes will be expected to align with. One of these focuses explicitly on preparing students as adaptable, responsible and technologically capable graduates.

The role of digital learning and AI

This links directly to another important area of Curriculum 2030: the role of digital learning and artificial intelligence.

AI literacy is expected to become an embedded element of the student experience, with programmes supporting students to develop the knowledge, skills and judgement needed to work effectively with emerging technologies. At the same time, programme teams will be encouraged to consider how AI can be incorporated into assessment design and learning activities in meaningful ways.

The project also recognises the potential of AI to support educational processes themselves. Across the institution, a number of pilot initiatives are already exploring how AI tools might assist with feedback, marking and assessment workflows. However, successful adoption will depend not only on technology, but also on supporting both staff and students to use these tools confidently and responsibly.

What happens next?

Looking ahead, the next twelve months will be a period of significant activity. Following approval of the framework, programme teams will begin reviewing levels of alignment and identifying any changes required. Opportunities for module amendments and programme redesign will follow, with major approvals expected during the next academic year.

A strong emphasis has been placed on collaboration throughout the process. Cross-faculty working groups, Directors of Education, Programme Directors and faculty leadership teams have all contributed to the development of the framework. As implementation begins, sharing practice will become increasingly important.

For colleagues considering how Curriculum 2030 might affect their own programmes, it will be valuable to look across the institution for examples of effective employability-focused learning, experiential education and innovative assessment design. Supporting these conversations and showcasing emerging practice will be an important role for communities and networks across Queen Mary.

Curriculum 2030 remains an ambitious undertaking, but its central purpose is straightforward: to create a more coherent, inclusive and future-ready educational experience for every student while ensuring Queen Mary remains well positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of the decade ahead.