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Are all courses the same at every university?

What is the difference between course content at different universities. I'm aware that more prestigious universities higher up the rankings would have better quality teaching etc but if I were to do a physics degree at MMU, would it cover the same content as someone doing a physics degree at The University of Manchester? Or would the exams/corusework etc be much harder at the latter university due to it being a more respectable uni? After all the fees are the same at every uni so it would most likely be the same work right?
Reply 1
I think it's good to not only look at overall rating for unis but also their rankings in the course of your choice.
When it comes to course contents, I suggest you contact the person who is in charge of that department.
Reply 2
Erm, Manchester Metropolitan doesn't offer physics
Original post by Loreto2018
What is the difference between course content at different universities. I'm aware that more prestigious universities higher up the rankings would have better quality teaching etc but if I were to do a physics degree at MMU, would it cover the same content as someone doing a physics degree at The University of Manchester? Or would the exams/corusework etc be much harder at the latter university due to it being a more respectable uni? After all the fees are the same at every uni so it would most likely be the same work right?


No, the content is different at every uni. If people are coming into uni with lesser A levels it stands to reason that any cohort with an average of CCC cannot be doing the same work as a cohort with AAA. And therefore, at the end of the degree, unless teaching quality is the reverse of entry quality, which of course it isn't, the quality of output on universities is different.

Even when the same title is given to a module, the breadth and depth of the content and rigour to which is is assessed can still be very different.
Reply 4
If the course is accredited by the IoP then it will have certain core content that they teach you. Where universities do differ is in the range and difficulty of optional modules, how in-depth they go into those aforementioned areas and just in general how they teach and assess you. Depending on entry requirements they might spend more time at the start going over preliminary knowledge.

So even if two courses both mention things like quantum physics, special relativity, thermodynamics, classical mechanics and electromagnetism, that doesn't mean you're doing that content to the same extent at both. Stuff that's 3rd year material in one place might be 2nd year in another. One uni might teach general relativity as an option to undergraduates, another might not.

Also workload does vary between universities and between courses at the same university, it doesn't matter that they cost the same.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Sinnoh
If the course is accredited by the IoP then it will have certain core content that they teach you. Where universities do differ is in the range and difficulty of optional modules, how in-depth they go into those aforementioned areas and just in general how they teach and assess you. Depending on entry requirements they might spend more time at the start going over preliminary knowledge.

So even if two courses both mention things like quantum physics, special relativity, thermodynamics, classical mechanics and electromagnetism, that doesn't mean you're doing that content to the same extent at both. Stuff that's 3rd year material in one place might be 2nd year in another. One uni might teach general relativity as an option to undergraduates, another might not.

Also workload does vary between universities and between courses at the same university, it doesn't matter that they cost the same.


Original post by Sinnoh
Erm, Manchester Metropolitan doesn't offer physics

Ok maybe that was a bad example, but lets say Biomedical Science. The course at MMU is IBMS accredited which means you can work as a lab scientist in the NHS and the entry requirements are BCC at A level and they also accept BTEC. However, at UofM, the same course doesn't have IBMS accrediation which means you can't go and work in a lab but the entry requirements are much higher (AAA). The course at both unis cover exactly the same topics but the uni lower down the rankings (MMU) gives you more options to pursue after your degree? Many Russell group unis that offer biomed don't have their courses as accredited for some reason even though they require more effort to get onto.
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by Loreto2018
Ok maybe that was a bad example, but lets say Biomedical Science. The course at MMU is IBMS accredited which means you can work as a lab scientist in the NHS and the entry requirements are BCC at A level and they also accept BTEC. However, at UofM, the same course doesn't have IBMS accrediation which means you can't go and work in a lab but the entry requirements are much higher (AAA). The course at both unis cover exactly the same topics but the uni lower down the rankings (MMU) gives you more options to pursue after your degree? Many Russell group unis that offer biomed don't have their courses as accredited for some reason even though they require more effort to get onto.


Again they might be covering the same topics but that doesn't mean they study those topics to the same depth. All there is to go on is their titles and brief module descriptions, anyway. If your goal is specifically to become a biomedical scientist with the NHS then the accreditation saves you from doing an extra course afterwards, otherwise it doesn't really matter.

Also graduate prospects seem higher for that course with Uni of Manchester
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Sinnoh
Again they might be covering the same topics but that doesn't mean they study those topics to the same depth. All there is to go on is their titles and brief module descriptions, anyway. If your goal is specifically to become a biomedical scientist with the NHS then the accreditation saves you from doing an extra course afterwards, otherwise it doesn't really matter.

Also graduate prospects seem higher for that course with Uni of Manchester

True, but I wonder why uni of manchester would have higher graduate prospects especially when it doesn't have the IBMS accreditation. Maybe its because employers view it as a more respected uni than MMU.
Reply 8
Original post by Loreto2018
True, but I wonder why uni of manchester would have higher graduate prospects especially when it doesn't have the IBMS accreditation. Maybe its because employers view it as a more respected uni than MMU.

Well because there are many things besides working in the NHS that you can do after graduating BMS, and accreditation only really helps with that specifically. Shouldn't automatically assume accredited = good course.
Original post by Loreto2018
What is the difference between course content at different universities. I'm aware that more prestigious universities higher up the rankings would have better quality teaching etc but if I were to do a physics degree at MMU, would it cover the same content as someone doing a physics degree at The University of Manchester? Or would the exams/corusework etc be much harder at the latter university due to it being a more respectable uni? After all the fees are the same at every uni so it would most likely be the same work right?


Hi there,

Teaching content can vary a fair bit between universities, so it's important to compare the units/modules taught in each course. For more general courses such as "Physics" or "Chemistry", you will be taught pretty much the same content but with variable optional units. For example, all universities will teach organic, inorganic and physical chemistry but the optional modules may be different - Bath offers a unit in Chemistry if Everyday Things, which may not be at other universities. With more niche/specialised degrees, like Natural Sciences, the content may vary a bit more.

The assessment will also vary a lot at different universities. Some universities may have the grade come mostly from an exam with very little coursework, whereas other might use more coursework and fewer exams. This can be a deciding factor for some students, so I'd recommend you look at this information on the course pages for different universities. Whether or not they are "harder" at different universities is kind of hard to tell unfortunately, as obviously some universities will be harder than others but it is hard to quantify this.

I hope this has helped,
Jessica, a final year NatSci student
Original post by Loreto2018
What is the difference between course content at different universities. I'm aware that more prestigious universities higher up the rankings would have better quality teaching etc but if I were to do a physics degree at MMU, would it cover the same content as someone doing a physics degree at The University of Manchester? Or would the exams/corusework etc be much harder at the latter university due to it being a more respectable uni? After all the fees are the same at every uni so it would most likely be the same work right?


No the course might be similar in some way but the units are set by the university.
(edited 3 years ago)

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