Higher Education Achievement Report

The University is committed to recognising the wide range of curricular and extra-curricular learning experiences that students gain during their time at Sheffield. It is therefore introducing a new kind of degree transcript that will be offered to all new undergraduate students from September 2012: the Higher Education Achievement Report or ‘HEAR’. This transcript has been developed over the past four years, through a national project involving other universities, employers and students.

You will be issued with your HEAR alongside your degree certificate. As well as including your degree classification, an overview of your qualification and a list of your modules and grades, the HEAR will include more detailed information about your chosen course. It will also give details of non-academic achievements that the University or the Students’ Union can verify, to provide you with a broad picture of your university achievements. These might include additional modules you have taken (e.g. a language course), awards such as the Sheffield Graduate Award or Skills for Work Certificate, and other extra-curricular activities such as volunteering or mentoring.

You will have the opportunity to view your HEAR as it grows during your time at Sheffield. You can use it as support for the Sheffield Graduate Development Programme, by providing a basis for reviewing your progress and thinking about your personal development. You are also encouraged to refer to your HEAR in discussions with your personal tutor and the Careers Service, to help you identify and articulate the skills you are gaining, and reflect on how you can build on these to achieve your future goals.

The University will issue you with an ‘interim’ HEAR at various points during your degree, and you can share this with employers and others to provide evidence of your university achievements as you begin to apply for internships, jobs or further study. You are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to gain recognition for activities you undertake outside the curriculum. This will help you demonstrate how you have made the most of your time at university, and gained valuable skills and experience that will enhance your employability and help you achieve your potential. There will of course be some things that the University cannot verify. However, employers are aware of this and will be equally interested in how you present yourself in CVs, personal statements, portfolios and interviews. If you refer to your additional activities and achievements in these other documents and during interviews, you will not be disadvantaged – and if you have used your HEAR to help you think about where you want to go and how all of your skills and experiences prepare you for this, you will be well set to impress!

For more information about the HEAR, visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/hear