What is APEL.Q?

APEL.Q (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Award of Academic Qualifications) is the award of academic qualifications to individual learners through the assessment of prior experiential learning toward a fully accredited degree offered by the university.

APEL.Q has been widely implemented in Europe and recently in Asia, a number of countries have recognized APEL.Q as an official process with national recognition and it is prioritized for development as an effective policy that serves for liberal education, labor mobility and lifelong learning.

APEL.Q allows professional individuals with no official academic degrees to convert their experiences into a degree. APEL.Q is claimed to be a strict, fair, transparent, accurate and cost-saving process.

In traditional training programs, the award of academic qualification is based on the competencies acquired from the training programs itself. However, APEL.Q is based on the reverse process using the national framework that the government publishes to evaluate an individual’s competency, thereby recognize and grant degrees. Degrees are granted from occupational associations and/or universities if they recognize the assessment procedure.

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

APEL.Q for Master of Business Administration (MBA) of the London Academy of Sciences (LAS) is executed using qualifications criteria published and recognized by the United Kingdom government and The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI).

Students can earn a Specialized Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 6 months by following a 3-step process: (1) A portfolio listing and describing your working history and experience (Portfolios); (2) A Competency Assessment – End Point Assessment; and (3) Final Essay – Capstone Projects. This saves 85% of study time and 95% of tuition compared to full-time study 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 Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI).

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

• International Business Administration
• 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 6 months

• The APEL.Q process helps recognize accumulated experiences to transfer directly to the Capstone Project stage of the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI). Candidates could receive the final results within 06 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 Specialized Master of Business Administration from the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI):
  • The level of the official degree is consistent with that of a full-time study program in Switzerland.
  • SIMI is the first institute in Zug, Switzerland.

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 SIMI

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 Switzerland. Please contact us for more details.

5. Transparent & No extra fees

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

To apply for APEL.Q, the candidates are required to have:

English requirements

• Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2 or equivalent.
• IELTS 5.5; Reading and Writing must be at 5.5 or equivalent.
• If you do not have any English qualifications, you may be required to take our English test.

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

1. Senior Leader Certification by The London Academy of Sciences:

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.

2. 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 Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI). The LAS Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership is an accredited professional qualification that is not a part of the Ofqual system and is not transferable to other academic degrees if it is not recognized by the LAS.

3. 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 LAS’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 LAS.

4. Specialized Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI):

• MBA in International Business Management
• MBA in Marketing Management
• MBA in Financial Management
• MBA in Strategic Management
• MBA in Insurance Management
• MBA in Hospitality Management
• MBA in Logistics Management
• MBA in Human Resource Management
• MBA in Administration Management
• MBA in Engineering Business Management
• MBA in E-commerce management
• MBA in Information system Management
• MBA in Design Management
• MBA in Non-profit organization Management

The degree is equivalent to that of full-time international students at The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation.

The assessment consists of the subsequent:

1. Portfolios Submission

• Submit your portfolios
• The London of Academy of Sciences (LAS) will evaluate your portfolios

2. End Point Assessment (EPA)

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

3. Capstone Project & Postgraduate courses (if any)

• Complete the capstone course(s) and short courses (if any)
• Graduate & get a degree from the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation

During the EPA (End-Point Assessment) assessment, if the Board concludes that applicants do not meet the requirement, applicants still have many opportunities to add evidence and competence to pass the EPA.

Unsuccessful records will be divided into 2 groups: (1) Group needing additional evidence (Resit) and (2) Group needing additional capacity/knowledge (Retake).

1. For records requiring additional evidence (Resit):

• The maximum number of Resit times is 2 times.
• Resit fee for 1 time: 200 Pounds.
• If not, apply EPA refund policy when not reaching Resit 2 times.

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

• The maximum number of Retakes is 1 time.
• Retake fee for 1 time: 300 Pounds.
• If not, apply EPA refund policy when not meeting Retake.

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

The London Academy of Sciences has amended this policy for its APEL.Q applicants. The policy applies when applicants do not pass the APEL.Q process and do not want a Refund. The policy helps guarantee that APEL.Q applicants won’t lose any tuition fee payments they have made. The informant aspects to know are:

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

1. The Université Libérale de Paris (Paris-U). Click HERE for more information
2. The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI). Click HERE for more information
3. The London Language College (for TESOL programmes only). Click HERE for more information

According to the UK government, candidates must be solely responsible for the entire APEL.Q process. However, the London Academy of Sciences (LAS) understands that with support from the LAS and local partners, the process of providing evidence will be more accurate, time-saving and easier for professional councils to evaluate.

Our local partner will support you during APEL.Q process and Capstone Project. There is no additional cost incurred, please kindly notice that your work should be done by yourself, the LAS’s local 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 found false or inaccurate competency proofs in your application.

There is an information connection through the LAS’s End-Point Assessment (EPA) system between the LAS’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.

The LAS’s local partner 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. Provide documents that are signed and committed by yourself before proceeding the APEL.Q process.
5. Instruct to prepare APEL.Q forms.
6. Instruct to submit Portfolios and proofs.
7. Instruct End-Point Assessment.
8. Explain for the LAS and partner universities in case that the provided evidence is in different languages and in misleading or confusing proofs translation.
9. Have a tutor for Capstone Project during study and do Capstone Project with University.

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

No support fee:

Local 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 local partners shall not commit anything that is not under their authority. Please refer to disclaimer for more information.

The APEL.Q process consists of two stages and each stage is independently responsible by The London Academy of Sciences (LAS) and The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI). The responsibility of LAS will end after successful transfer of the End-Point Assessment (EPA) results to SIMI and seeking the recognition from the SIMI. After SIMI has recognized the EPA results, the candidate officially becomes a student of SIMI and can participate in the final stage of SIMI (Capstone Projects). As a student, the candidate will have all the benefits of being an international student from SIMI, including the right to receive a degree and attend the SIMI graduation ceremony if they meet all of the criteria from SIMI.

Depending on the SIMI event schedule, candidates can participate in the graduation ceremony held in Europe or other locations chosen by SIMI. 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 and diploma from the LAS and SIMI will be delivered to the local partner. Candidates can come to the local partner’s office to pick up their degree.

The entire qualifications framework is used to evaluate APEL.Q for the MBA program of the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI) 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):

Direct Evidence

Certificates

You can provide copies of your diplomas/certificates:

• Diploma/certificate
• Result statement
• Workshops attended at work (certified)

Work samples

You can provide work samples:

• Photos, outline, graph, procedure, etc.
• Report
• Written material
• Project plans
• Objectives
• Products or achievement

Records of work activities

You can provide documents showing your work activities:

• Notes
• Emails
• Completed worksheets, paperwork
• Workplace agreement
• Sale Contract

Other documents

You can provide evidence that shows what you have done in your daily life:

• Media articles
• Meritorious awards from occupational association, community

Indirect Evidence

Records

You can provide copies of document such as (completed form):

• Working Diary
• Records
• Journals
• Articles on blog, media social, etc.

E-mail

You can provide copies of email communication with other related departments to prove your correlative competencies:

• Customer feedback
• To-do-list, check list
• Materials that demonstrate “writing and communication” competency

Supporting letters

You can provide letters to verify your competency from:

• Employer
• Community group
• People you have worked with (colleague, partner, etc.)

General information

• The APEL.Q process is based on the government’s recognized competency, but the process does not belong to and not a part of the UK government.
• Partner university recognizes the LAS’s APEL.Q process but does not involve or redirect the assessment process. LAS will appraise the APEL.Q process and make decisions according to the specific criteria. Partner university will only admit and recognize the result when the LAS finalizes the APEL.Q Assessment Report.
• The APEL.Q results (recognized by the LAS) and other attached documents, diploma, certifies are used as a guideline for partner university to recognize candidate’s qualification corresponding to the equivalent training programs in order to transfer to the final stage Capstone Projects to save time and cost. APEL.Q results from the LAS are not working certification, title recognition, diploma or equivalent documents.
• Partner university will award the degree for participants. The LAS will not award the degree, academic qualifications of any kind.
• Diploma issued by the LAS (if any) is a professional certifies, not academic qualification. It is used as a transition purpose to partner universities. The diploma issued by the LAS does not belong to the Ofqual system and is not allowed to transfer to other universities.
• Candidates are not allowed to use APEL.Q Assessment Report to transfer to other universities that do not belong to the partner university system or officially recognized university/institute by the LAS.
• After being recognized by the partner university, the candidate is now a formal student at the partner university and is admitted to the Capstone Projects stage. Candidates are obliged to comply with the provisions of the partner required during doing the Capstone Projects and other related obligations before and after the graduation. The LAS’s responsibilities will end once the candidates receive a confirmation letter which recognizes them as formal candidates from the partner university and participate in doing the Capstone Projects from the partner university and when the learner drop out of the APEL.Q process.
• Neither LAS nor the partner university undertakes anything that is not under their jurisdiction and decision-making right; is not responsible for the usage and the recognition of the diploma in the workplace and that country, job promotion, immigration opportunities, job opportunities, … after graduation.
• The LAS has the right to terminate APEL.Q results immediately without reimbursing any costs when the candidate violates the provisions signed before applying to the APEL.Q process.
• If candidates provide fake, false or inaccurate information in APEL.Q application, the LAS and partner university has the right to terminate the result (both APEL.Q result and awarded diploma if any). In this case, the LAS and partner university will not reimburse any costs, any additional fee (if any) of any kind. Candidates must be totally responsible for all risks and damages caused by those fake, false and inaccurate information.
• Partner university has the right to terminate the student conduct, do not issue diploma/degree or terminate issued diploma/degree if candidate violates the provisions signed, as well as violations of academic integrity during or after the study program and doing Capstone Projects stage.
• The LAS reserves the right to accept or not to accept candidates’ APEL.Q application.
• The conventional time for the whole procedure is 06 months, only guaranteed when candidates submit a complete application, Portfolios and ensure to complete the End-Point Assessment and Capstone Projects on time. Those who do not comply with the predetermined time frame will not receive a graduation confirmation letter and/or Diploma within 06 months. Candidates will receive a graduation confirmation letter within 01 month from the date of Capstone Projects result and the Diploma will be delivered to the authorized representative office in that country within 02 months. The time to receive a degree will depend on the issuance process, issuance time, printing time and delivery time of the university and express delivery company.
• The APEL.Q process tuition fee will exclude fees related to graduation ceremony (if any), diploma delivery fee and other additional fee that are not related to the APEL.Q process.
• APEL.Q registration fee is non-refundable in any circumstances.

Candidates are encouraged to check and research sufficient information from reliable sources before applying to the APEL.Q procedure from the LAS.

The London Academy of Sciences (LAS) and partner university will not commit as following:

• 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.

The LAS and its partners do not commit to anything beyond their jurisdiction.