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Degree awarding powers and the *title university*

All universities and many higher education colleges have the legal power to develop their own courses and award their own degrees, as well as determine the conditions on which they are awarded. Some HE colleges and specialist institutions without these powers offer programmes, with varying extents of devolved authority, leading to the degrees of an institution which does have them. All universities in existence before 2005 have the power to award degrees on the basis of completion of taught courses and the power to award research degrees. From 2005, institutions in England and Wales that award only taught degrees (first and second cycle) and which meet certain numerical criteria, may also be permitted to use the title university. Higher education institutions that award only taught degrees but which do not meet the numerical criteria may apply to use the title university college, although not all choose to do so.