London Met to slash course list

London Metropolitan University will cut the number of courses it offers from 557 to 160 by 2012-13, the institution has announced.

The cuts are part of a "radical overhaul of undergraduate education" designed to maximise value for money for students in a "much more competitive environment".

The university added that many of the courses being cut currently have "single-digit enrolments".

Under the institution's plans, which were endorsed late last week by its academic board, most students will study year-long modules from 2012-13, with 30 weeks of timetabled teaching - an increase of six weeks on the current average.

In preparation for the changes, London Met has already developed new student learning zones and refurbished the library at its Holloway Road campus. It will also use an £8 million grant from the Funding Council to deliver a "radical improvement" in technology support and access to digital learning resources.

The academic board has also endorsed the university's planned tuition fees for 2012-13. Courses will be offered "at many price points" ranging from £4,500 to £9,000 a year, with average annual fee expected to be around £6,850.

Vice-chancellor Professor Michael Gillies said: "Our new curricular focus will help us to target our resources much more keenly. A more uniform cohort size also gives more equitable distribution of teaching effort.

"The transition to this new curriculum will cause some pain as we adjust to the new courses but it underscores the university's commitment both to quality education and social responsibility."