All degree programmes across the Scottish sector are aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

The SCQF has 12 levels. Higher Education commences at SCQF Level 7 and moves through to Masters at SCQF Level 11 and Doctoral level at SCQF Level 12. T

The SCQF sets out expectations for the knowledge and skills that students should develop across the different levels of the Scottish education systems from schools to colleges and universities.

The different levels indicate the level of difficulty of a particular qualification.

The Level Descriptors outline the general outcomes of learning at SCQF levels under five broad headings:

1. knowledge and understanding (mainly subject based);
2. practice (applied knowledge and understanding);
3. generic cognitive skills (e.g. evaluation, critical analysis);
4. communication, numeracy and IT skills;
5. autonomy, accountability and working with others.

The Descriptors allow broad comparisons to be made between qualifications and learning and allow learners, employers and the public in general to understand the range of skills and learning that should be achieved at each level.

The level of a qualification indicates the level of difficulty; the number of credit points indicates the length of time it takes to complete.

One SCQF credit point represents an average of 10 hours of learning time. So, for example, a 20 credit module should require 200 notional student effort hours.