What is APEL.Q?

APEL.Q – Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualifications is a Recognition of Prior Learning (APEL) process for qualifications (Q – Qualification) through the assessment and evaluation of the learning process (formal, informal, on-the-job training) and work experience. APEL.Q is widely implemented in Europe, and recently, in Asia, some countries have recognized APEL.Q as a formal process, nationally accredited, and prioritized for development as an effective policy serving open education, labour mobility, and lifelong learning.

APEL.Q allows individuals with professional expertise and work experience but without academic degrees to convert their experience into qualifications. APEL.Q is considered a rigorous, transparent, fair, accurate, and cost-effective process.

With traditional training programs, degree conferral is based on the competencies acquired through the training program. APEL.Q employs a reverse process compared to traditional education, using competencies defined by the government for each position and level to assess, recognize, and award qualifications. Degrees will be granted by occupational associations and/or universities if those entities acknowledge the assessment process.

APEL.Q for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the London Academy of Sciences (LAS)

APEL.Q for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program from the London Academy of Sciences (LAS) is implemented with competency criteria that are published and recognized by the UK government and acknowledged by partner universities.

Through a 3-step process, which includes (1) portfolios detailing experience and work processes, (2) End Point Assessment, and (3) Capstone Projects, students can receive a dual degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA) within months, saving 85% of learning time and 95% of costs compared to full-time learning processes in Europe.

The London Academy of Sciences’ APEL.Q program is the world’s first independently implemented program, with published and accepted qualifications assessment criteria by the United Kingdom government and the Université Libéral de Paris (Paris-U).

Students graduate with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in one of the following majors:

• International Business Management
• Marketing management
• Financial management
• Strategic Management
• Administration of insurance activities
• Tourism Management
• Logistics Management
• Human resources management
• Administrative Management
• Engineering Business Management
• E-commerce Management
• Administration of Management Information Systems
• Design Management
• Non-profit Organization Management
• And other majors based on the Capstone Project

The complete qualifications framework used to evaluate APEL.Q of LAS was designed by the UK government in order to ensure recognition and effectiveness in the workplace, with the assistance of councils such as Serco (employer chair), Civil Service (employer chair), Acivico (Birmingham City Council), Anglo Educational, Barclays, BT, Balfour Beatty, Barchester Healthcare, Boots UK Ltd, British Army, BBC, CMI, Co-op, DFS, Grant Thornton, Interserve, JRV Associates, KPMG, Morgan Sindell, NHS (Dept of Health), Nestle, Opus Building Services, Pearson, Pendragon plc, Ricoh, Sainsburys, Santander UK plc, Speedy Services, umi Digital, Unipart, United Utilities plc, Virgin Media, Wincanton, XPO Logistics.

1. Earn your Master of Business Administration – MBA in one of the majors within 9 months

• The APEL.Q process helps recognize accumulated experiences to transfer directly to the Capstone Project stage of the Université Libérale de Paris. Candidates could receive the final results within 09 months if they follow the program’s framework and provide appropriate documents.

2. All degrees and assessment criteria are fully accredited and recognized

• All assessment criteria are published and recognized by the UK government.
• Assessment criteria are recognized in the workplace with the participation of various assessment councils from CMI, Acivico, Agillisys, Anglo Educational, Balfour Beatty, Barchester Healthcare, Barclays Bank, Boots UK Ltd, BBC, Civil Service, Codegent, Co-op, Evolution Partnership, HMRC, Kinnerton Confectionery, NISA Retail Limited, One Stop, Opus Building Services, Sainsburys, Santander UK plc, Serco, Umi Digital / Anglo Educational, Virgin Media, ILM, TUI, Markerstudy, Babcock, Gateshead Council, Lifetime.
• Earn the Senior Leader Certification from the London Academy of Sciences: Certify the expertise equivalent to Senior Leaders in accordance with the United Kingdom government’s Level 7 RQF qualifications framework. The London Academy of Sciences granted competency certification in accordance with the UK government’s competency standards and recommendations.
• Receive a LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership: LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership complies with the Level 7 UK Regulated Qualification Framework (UK Master’s).
• Receive a Master of Sciences in Organization Management from the Université Libérale de Paris (Paris-U):
  • The level of the official degree is consistent with that of a full-time study program in France.
  • Paris-U is the world’s first liberal arts university for post-graduates with full accreditation.

3. Saving 90% of study time:

Instead of full-time studying for 1.5 to 2 years in Europe, with the APEL.Q process for Master of Business Administration, you only have 02 activities and 01 course as below:

• Activity 1: Submit Portfolios to the LAS
• Activity 2: Complete the End-Point Assessment and submit it to LAS
• Course: Study and complete Capstone Projects at Paris-U

4. Saving 95% on tuition fees

• You only have to pay 5% of the total tuition fees compared to the cost of studying and living as a full-time student in Europe. Please contact us for more details.

5. Transparent & No extra fees

• APEL.Q is a completely fair and transparent process. We assure you that no costs will be incurred without being announced.
  

• One of the top universities in Croatia (QUDAL);
• Government-recognized university by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Croatia;
• University accredited by the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE Croatia);
• Programs aligned with European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ESG);
• Internationally recognized university within the International Association of Universities (IAU) system;
• Member university recognized by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD);
• Recipient of the national education brand in Croatia (Superbrands Croatia);
• Recognized by the European Union under the Erasmus+ system.

SIMI SWISS is a pioneering higher education institution, distinguished by its accreditation at both programmatic and institutional levels:

• Accredited at the highest level (Premier Institution) by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ASIC).
• Holds accreditation for its education management system under ISO 21001:2018, compatible with the European Quality Assurance Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. This accreditation is awarded by both the Higher Education Accreditation Division Germany (HEAD) and AQS United Kingdom.
• Programmatic accreditation is granted by Ofqual UK.Gov Awarding Bodies (OTHM, CTH).
• Learning outcomes are aligned with the UK national occupational standards, as determined by the Senior Leader Bureau United Kingdom.
• A Federal Member of the Swiss Federation for Adult Learning (SVEB).
• Recognized by the United Kingdom Regulated Qualification Framework.

To apply APEL.Q assessment, learners need to meet the following requirements:

After the completion of the APEL.Q program, candidates will receive:

1. LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership

LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership adapt the Level 7 academic competency standard (UK Master’s) with subjects have results recognized includes:

• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Strategic Management (20 credits)
• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Strategic Leadership (20 credits) (Leading Change, Cross Cultural Leadership)
• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Strategic Human Resource Management (20 credits)
• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Advanced Business Research Methods (20 credits)
• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Strategic Financial Management (20 credits)
• Level 7 EQF/RQF – Entrepreneurship and Innovation (20 credits)

Note: After End-Point Assessment (EPA), candidates will receive the LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership. This diploma is used only for recognition of the academic level and only for registration at the Capstone Projects stage of the SIMI Swiss.

2. APEL.Q Assessment Report

APEL.Q Assessment Report is a document that evaluates candidates’s competency corresponding to Level 7 RQF (Master). APEL.Q helps the MI Swiss’s partner universities to recognize and admit candidates for the Capstone Projects stage.

At the working environment, APEL.Q Assessment Report is also used to demonstrate the competency, the level of professional at enterprises, as well as a tool for human resource managers to evaluate employee performance.

Applicants cannot use the APEL.Q Assessment Report to transfer to other academic programs that are not recognized and authorized in writing by the MI Swiss.

3. Master of Business Administration (MBA) from VERN University & Master of Sciences Organization Management (MSOM) in Majors from the SIMI Swiss:

Additional majors for MSOM degree:

• MSOM in International Business Management
• MSOM in Marketing Management
• MSOM in Financial Management
• MSOM in Strategic Management
• MSOM in Insurance Management
• MSOM in Hospitality Management
• MSOM in Logistics Management
• MSOM in Human Resource Management
• MSOM in Administrative Management
• MSOM in Technical Business Management
• MSOM in E-commerce Management
• MSOM in Administration of Management Information Systems
• MSOM in Design Management
• MSOM in Non-profit organization Management

The degree is equivalent to that of regular international students at VERN University and SIMI Swiss.

4. Senior Leader Certification by The London Academy of Sciences (additional)

Certify the expertise equivalent to Senior Leader according to the Level 7 RQF qualifications framework of the UK government. Certification of competence issued by The London Academy of Sciences in full compliance with the UK government’s competency regulations and guidelines with:

Note: The Senior Leader Certification is a Professional Certification from LAS. The Senior Leader Certification is not a work permit, not a practice certificate, nor is it an academic degree.

The assessment consists of the subsequent:

1. Portfolio Submission

• Submit your portfolio
• MI Swiss will evaluate your portfolio

2. End Point Assessment (EPA)

• Complete the End Point Assessment with the guides and support from the MI Swiss.
• Receive APEL.Q report from MI Swiss.
• Transfer the End Point Assessment result from MI Swiss to the partner university

3. Capstone Project & Postgraduate courses (if any)

• Complete the capstone course(s) and Swiss Micro Credential (if any)
• Graduate & get degrees from VERN University & SIMI Swiss.

During the End-Point Assessment (EPA) evaluation, if the assessment board concludes that the candidate has not met the requirements, there are still ample opportunities for the candidate to supplement evidence and/or competencies to pass the EPA. The unsuccessful profiles will be categorized into two groups: (1) Those requiring additional evidence (Resit) and (2) Those needing to enhance competencies/knowledge (Retake).

1. For records requiring additional evidence (Resit):

• The maximum number of Resit times is 2 times.
• Resit fee for 1 time: 200 CHF.
• If unsuccessful, the EPA refund policy applies after two unsuccessful Resit times.

2. For records with additional capacity requirements (Retake):

• The maximum number of Retake is 1 time.
• Retake fee for 1 time: 300 CHF.
• If unsuccessful, the EPA refund policy applies after an unsuccessful Retake.

For more details, please refer to Resit and Retake process.

APEL.Q is a special humanitarian program born in the context of epidemics, wars and crises, when people are forced to immigrate or lose documents to prove their education and abilities. With such nature, the program always creates the best conditions for candidates in difficult circumstances and disadvantaged people who have been directly affected by war and crises.

Scope of application:
Disadvantaged group are people who face disadvantages in life. According to UNESCO’s definition, disadvantaged group include:

• People with disabilities;
• People in particularly difficult circumstances;
• Pregnant women;
• People over 60 years old;
• People with limited mobility;

Policy for those people:

• Support 50% of the entire APEL.Q cost for the End-Point Assessment phase;
• In case of failure in the End-Point Assessment, the disadvantaged people will receive a 100% refund;
• In case the disadvantaged people wishes to switch to the traditional training model with the Master’s program of the partner university, the disadvantaged people will be supported to continue 50% of all fees.

The MI Swiss wants to join hands to partially support the disadvantaged community with policies that span the globe and apply to all programs.

The NO-LOST policy is an exclusive policy for APEL.Q candidates of the London Academy of Sciences, ensuring that candidates will not incur APEL.Q fees if they do not meet the requirements. This policy applies when a candidate does not pass the APEL.Q process and chooses not to apply the Refund policy:

• Applicants can transfer 100% of the tuition fee that they have made, including the Application Fee, into any programme at MI Swiss’s partner universities.
• Applicants can choose any major/ programme in the system of MI Swiss’s partner universities. The new major/ programme can be different from the previous APEL.Q major/programme.
• Applicants can choose any programme that MI Swiss’s partner universities have.

According to the guide of EU and APEL.Q policy, candidates must be solely responsible for the entire APEL.Q process. However, MI Swiss understands that with support from the MI Swiss and its partners, the process of providing evidence will be more accurate, time-saving and easier for professional councils to evaluate.

Our partner will support you during the APEL.Q process and Capstone Project. There is no additional cost incurred, please kindly note that your work should be done by yourself, the MI Swiss’s partner will not take over all your work. In addition, it is compulsory to be honest in every process. Otherwise, we will immediately terminate your APEL.Q application without reimbursement of any costs when we find false or inaccurate competency proofs in your application.

There is an information connection through the MI Swiss’s End-Point Assessment (EPA) system between the MI Swiss’s APEL.Q assessment council for candidates to apply at LAS’s partners in Europe, ASEAN, Africa, MENA region and China. Candidates can only submit 01 APEL.Q application at a time and cannot submit in more than one country.

MI Swiss will help you to:

1. Consult the APEL.Q process;
2. Help you self-evaluate your qualifications successfully before submitting your APEL.Q application;
3. Provide complete information such as regulation, competency standard and liability disclaimer.
4. Instruct to prepare the APEL.Q Application form;
5. Instruct to work on and submit the Portfolios (including evidence);
6. Instruct End-Point Assessment;
7. Have a supervisor for the Capstone Project during study and do the Capstone Project with the University.

Scientific partners will only support you, absolutely not take over your work.

No support fee:

Partners do not charge support fees from candidates. APEL.Q candidates do not incur any additional fee for activities.

No commitment of the contents that are not under authority:

According to EU regulations and those regulations related to transparency, unfair competition, both the LAS, the partner universities and partners shall not commit anything that is not under their authority. Please refer to the disclaimer for more information.

The APEL.Q process consists of two stages and each stage is independently responsible by MI Swiss and University Partners. The responsibility of MI Swiss will end after successful transfer of the End-Point Assessment (EPA) results to University Partner and seeking the recognition from the University Partner. After University Partner has recognized the EPA results, the candidate officially becomes a student of University Partner and can participate in the final stage (Capstone Projects and or dissertation).

Depending on the Partner University event schedule, candidates can participate in the graduation ceremony held in Europe or other locations chosen by the University Partner. Graduation ceremony attendance fees and additional related fees will be paid by the candidates and excluded from the APEL.Q tuition fee.

In case candidates are unable to attend the graduation ceremony, the degree will be delivered to the local partner. Candidates can come to the local partner’s office to pick up their degree.

As a student through APEL.Q, you are not eligible to visit the campuses of our university partners, cannot obtain a student visa, and will not receive an invitation letter to enter the country where the university partner is located.

The entire qualifications framework is used to evaluate APEL.Q for the MBA program is advised by London Academy of Sciences and mapping with standard for apprenticeship which is recognized by the United Kingdom government with the participation of a variety of councils such as Serco (employer chair), Civil Service (employer chair), Acivico (Birmingham City Council), Anglo Educational, Barclays, BT, Balfour Beatty, Barchester Healthcare, Boots UK Ltd, British Army, BBC, CMI, Co-op, DFS, Grant Thornton, Interserve, JRV Associates, KPMG, Morgan Sindell, NHS (Dept of Health), Nestle, Opus Building Services, Pearson, Pendragon plc, Ricoh, Sainsburys, Santander UK plc, Speedy Services, umi Digital, Unipart, United Utilities plc, Virgin Media, Wincanton, and XPO Logistics.

APEL.Q competency for Master of Business Administration program (MBA), at Level 7 in accordance with the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF):

Detailed competency framework (We will keep the original version provided by the UK government):

Direct Evidence

Certificates and Diplomas

You can provide various types of certificates and diplomas that you have accumulated:

• Diplomas, certificates
• Result confirmations
• Courses organized by businesses (with certificates)

Job-related documents

You can provide documents and records that you have accessed or developed during your work:

• Photos, diagrams, charts, processes…
• Reports
• Written documents
• Projects
• Goals
• Products or works that you have acquired

Records of Business Activities

Documents arising from the business activities that you can provide:

• Notes
• Emails
• Completed records, documents
• Contracts, agreements at the workplace
• Contracts with customers

Other documents

You can provide other evidence arising from everyday life:

• Published articles
• Awards from professional associations, communities…

Indirect Evidence

Records

You can provide records (forms or documents with filled information) including:

• Work logs
• Records
• Scientific articles
• Blog posts, social media articles…

E-mail

You can provide communication emails with relevant parties to demonstrate corresponding capabilities:

• Customer feedback
• To-do lists
• Documents demonstrating “writing and communication” skills

Supporting letters

You can provide letters confirming your capabilities from:

• Business owners
• Community, associations
• Those who have worked with you (colleagues, partners…)

General information

• The APEL.Q process is an independent process implemented by the MI Swiss. According to EU regulations and international standards, the APEL.Q process is executed to ensure transparency, fairness, independence, and efficiency, following the stipulations and guidelines. However, it is not a program under the government and does not receive financial support, scholarships, etc., from the government.
• MI Swiss’s APEL.Q process is independent and recognized by partner universities, but it is not subject to intervention or control by partner universities or any third parties. MI Swiss conducts the APEL.Q accreditation and makes decisions. The partner universities only accept and recognize the results after MI Swiss has completed the APEL.Q Assessment Report.
• The APEL.Q result, assessed by MI Swiss along with accompanying documents and certificates, is used solely to assist partner universities in recognizing corresponding capabilities within the training program to transition to the final stage (Capstone Projects), thereby saving time and costs. MI Swiss’s APEL.Q results are not professional certificates, job recognitions, position/title recognitions, degrees, or any similar forms.
• The partner university is the institution that confers degrees. MI Swiss does not award academic degrees (degree, academic diploma) in any form to candidates applying for the APEL.Q process.
• Students may not use the APEL.Q Assessment Report to transfer to universities other than the partner university or universities officially recognized by MI Swiss in writing.
• After having their capabilities recognized by the partner university, candidates are now official students of the partner university and proceed to the Capstones Projects stage. Students are obligated to adhere to the regulations set by the partner university during the Capstones Projects and fulfill related responsibilities before and after graduation. MI Swiss’s responsibility ends once candidates are confirmed as official students by the partner university and enter the Capstones Projects stage.
• Both MI Swiss and the partner university do not commit to anything beyond their jurisdiction and decision-making authority, and they are not responsible for the use of the diploma, diploma recognition in the workplace and country, career advancement, settlement opportunities, employment opportunities, etc., after graduation.
• MI Swiss has the right to immediately cancel the APEL.Q results without refunding any fees if the candidate violates the agreed-upon principles before applying for the APEL.Q process.
• If a candidate provides forged evidence or inaccurate information in the APEL.Q portfolio, MI Swiss and the partner university have the right to invalidate the results (including APEL.Q results and issued diplomas, if any). In this case, LAS and the partner university will not refund any fees or incurred costs (if any) in any form, and the candidate is responsible for all risks and damages caused by forgery and inaccurate information.
• During and after the candidate’s learning process and the completion of Capstone Projects, the partner university has the right to revoke the student status, withhold the diploma, or revoke the issued diploma if the candidate violates the agreed-upon principles, signed regulations, and academic integrity.
• MI Swiss reserves the right to accept or reject the APEL.Q portfolio of the candidate.
• The prescribed timeline for the entire process is 9 months, ensuring that candidates submit complete portfolios and meet the deadlines for End-Point Assessment and Capstone Projects. Cases of non-compliance with the predefined timeline will not receive the graduation confirmation letter and/or diploma within the 9-month period. Students will receive the graduation confirmation letter within 1 month from the date of Capstone Projects results, and the diploma will be shipped to the authorized representative unit in the country within 2 months. The actual delivery time depends on the university’s issuance process, printing time, and the transportation duration by the delivery unit.
• The fee for the APEL.Q process does not cover graduation-related costs (if any), diploma shipping fees, and other expenses unrelated to the APEL.Q process.
• The APEL.Q registration fee is non-refundable in any form.

 Candidates are encouraged to thoroughly check and obtain information from reliable sources before registering for the MI Swiss APEL.Q process.

MI Swiss and the partner university do not commit to:

• No commitment that participating in APEL.Q process is qualified and can take part in the program’s final stage from the partner university if candidates do not meet the standards and regulations.
• No commitment that participating in the final stage is able to get the degree/diploma if candidates do not meet the academic standards, financial obligations and related regulations from the partner university.
• No commitment about the degree/diploma usage process after the partner university issued, including the recognition in the workplace and the country where the degree is used.
• No commitment about immigration, job promotion, easy to get a job, student visa or tourism before/during/after graduation and get a diploma/degree.

MI Swiss and its partners do not commit to anything beyond their jurisdiction.