The Office for Students has authorised the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) to award research degrees for a fixed three-year term. The Power to Award Degrees etc. (University for the Creative Arts) Order 2025 takes effect on 1 December 2025 and expires at the end of 29 November 2028.
The regulator made the Order under sections 42 and 43 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. In accordance with section 46, the OfS requested advice from the relevant body on quality and standards and had regard to that advice before confirming the authorisation.
The scope is limited to research awards described in section 42(2)(a). In plain English, this typically covers doctoral degrees such as the PhD and MPhil and other research‑based awards. The Order does not extend to taught degree‑awarding powers.
The authorisation is explicitly time‑limited. There is no automatic continuation after 29 November 2028; any continuation would require further regulatory action. Providers planning 2026–27 and 2027–28 postgraduate research intakes should timetable against the dates set out in the Order.
Article 3 permits UCA to authorise other institutions to grant the research awards covered by the Order on its behalf. Any such arrangements are confined to research degrees only and must operate within the same fixed term as the principal authorisation.
Operationally, UCA will need to align research degree regulations, supervisory capacity, examination and viva arrangements, and public information with sector norms. Clear statements on awarding‑body status, complaints and appeals will help ensure compliance with OfS consumer protection expectations.
For partner colleges and research institutes, the Order creates a route-subject to formal agreements-to deliver UCA‑authorised research degrees. Due diligence, external examining, and data‑sharing provisions should be specified to demonstrate secure academic standards and responsibilities.
For students, the effect is straightforward: candidates starting on or after 1 December 2025 may be registered for UCA‑awarded research degrees where programmes are offered. Existing cohorts remain under the awarding arrangements in place at enrolment unless the provider confirms a different arrangement.
The instrument states that no impact assessment has been produced, on the basis that there is no impact on businesses, civil society organisations or the public sector. The measure is a regulatory authorisation affecting institutional governance and student registration rather than market activity.
The Order was made on 24 October 2025 and signed by Nicholas Holland, Head of Quality and Standards at the Office for Students. It applies to higher education in England and is published on legislation.gov.uk for reference by institutions and applicants.