Quality Assurance (QA)

Maintaining course quality is imperative. Quality Assurance review is contractual for all open courses on the FutureLearn platform (except private courses and non-English language courses). QA takes place 30 days before a course start date. 

Course criteria 

QA is conducted by Editorial Specialists. They view all course content to ensure it meets our course criteria. Our Course Criteria are a set of best practice statements grouped into themes: 

1. Social Learning 
2. Learner Journey 
3. Content Suitability 
4. External Content 
5. Assessment 
6. Accessibility 
7. Legal considerations 

On top of the standard criteria, there are specific QA criteria for Microcredentials. 

QA process 

Project Managers keep in contact with partners in the lead up to QA, to schedule workload within the team. We appreciate as much notice as possible if your course will not be ready for QA on the date planned. 

QA takes place 30 days before a course start date. All course content must be complete and in Course Creator for QA. 

Editorial Specialists complete QA usually within 7 - 14 days. Feedback is provided on a dedicated Course Outline/QA document. Essential and recommended changes are shared along with guidance on how to meet the criteria. 

Download a copy of our Course Outline/QA document with Course Criteria

Tabs 1 and 2 of our Course Outline/QA document can be used to map out your course structure. Tab 3 is used during the Quality Assurance Review. 

Following QA you are asked to mark off which actions you have taken in tab 3. Our Editorial Specialists will check back with you on your progress at actioning amendments.  

If you require a PDF version of the Course Criteria, please email courses@futurelearn.com.

Two ways to avoid significant QA feedback 

1. Submit your course outline and sample content to our Learning Designer, Media Specialist, and Editorial Specialist before you build your course. It is easier to act upon feedback before you build.  
2. Explore our guidance about how to achieve the course criteria within each theme (see panel to left for their dedicated pages).    

Top tips 

1. If you need to open your course for enrolment wait until after QA. 
2. Editorial Specialists do not proofread courses. Provide reviewer permission to trusted colleagues and ask them to proofread the content. Spelling mistakes and grammar errors distract learners.  
3. Complete your course certificates during your course build and before QA. They do not form part of QA and often get left until the last minute. Refer to the 5 Stages of Course Development List of Links for all the additional tasks required during your course build. 
4. This includes inserting your learning outcomes into Course Creator. These do not pull through from your course proposal. They need to be manually added to appear on the Course Description Page and certificate transcripts.  

Re-runs 

QA is only required for a new run of an existing course if significant changes are made. See our re-run pages for more information. 

We reserve the right to refuse a full QA of a course if we do not think it is necessary and/or do not feel enough notice has been provided.

Learn more in step Most common QA issues and how to avoid them in week 4 of How to Create a Great FutureLearn Course. Ask your Partnership Manager for access.  

Terminology on this page that you aren’t familiar with? Check out our glossary 

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