The Associateship of King's College (AKC) award was the degree-equivalent qualification of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

from 1833. It is the original qualification that King's awarded to its students. In current practice, it is an optional award, unique to King's College London, that students can study in addition to their degree proper. After successfully completing the AKC course, participants may apply to be elected by the Academic Board of King's College London as an 'Associate of King's College' (AKC). Once their election has been ratified, they are permitted to use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters, or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, an academic degree, accreditation ...

"AKC" along with their main qualification.

Overview

In December 1833 the college's council established a committee to organise the disparate courses offered at King's. As a result of this committee's report, the AKC was established by the college's council on 14 February 1834 as a three-year general course based on a core of divinity, mathematics, classics and English, with other options added in the second and third years. The first awards were made at the annual distribution of prizes in the General Department on 27 June 1835. From 1909, only students registered for a

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

degree at King's were normally allowed to study for the associateship. The two-year course involves weekly lectures concerning

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

and

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

. All members of staff at King's may study for the AKC as a free-standing qualification. From 2015, King's alumni—who in their student days opted out of the AKC study—can now study for the programme via distance learning. The 21st-century AKC offers a programme of inclusive, research-led lectures which allows students to explore diverse religious and cultural perspectives. The AKC is at the heart of the College's commitment to an international, interdisciplinary, and innovative curriculum: it seeks to foster an understanding of different beliefs and cultures that can be taken into wider society.

Assessment methods

The AKC programme is assessed by lecture attendance. Lecture attendance is demonstrated by a student's successful completion of a short, online, qualitative quiz after each lecture. Students must demonstrate attendance at 4/9 lectures during each series (semester) to gain a 'pass' mark. Gaining a 'pass' for all four series taken over the course of two years (subject to specific exceptions e.g. students studying abroad for part of their degree programme) entitles the students to wear an epitoge on their academic dress during their graduation exercises. After graduating from King's, students/alumni who succeed in the AKC exams are eligible to be elected as Associates of King's College by the Academic Board of King's College London. Staff who succeed in the AKC are likewise eligible for election.

Previous assessment methods

The AKC has been assessed via weekly qualitative quizzes since the academic year 2019/20. Up until the academic year 2019/20, students were assessed by an annual exam which included three equally weighted questions. Students were allowed to pick two questions from one semester, and one question from the other semester. Each question was based on a lecture that had taken place that academic year. Students who successfully completed the AKC achieved a 'pass' for the award overall. For each academic year, however, they will have achieved an assessment result that was given as a Pass (40-59), Pass with Merit (60-69) or Pass with Distinction (70+) depending on their average grade for the assessment that year.

Theological AKC

From 1848 to 1972, the Theological Department of King's College London (a distinct institution from King's College London and not to be confused with the latter's Faculty of Theology) awarded the ''Theological AKC''. This was an ordination qualification in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

and was a three-year, full-time course of studies. Some ordination candidates read the AKC only and some read the combined BD/AKC course, receiving both qualifications at the end of the three years. The Theological AKC was equivalent to a BA pass degree in theology. It was awarded in three classes with an undivided second class. Holders were entitled to wear distinctive

academic dress Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academia, academic settings, mainly tertiary education, tertiary (and sometimes secondary schools, secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree (or simila ...

by a grant of the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

. The hood is of the "Cambridge shape" ( MA), made of black poplin and edged, inside and out, with "one inch of mauve silk". The gown resembles the classic MA design of the ancient universities with a few exceptions (''e.g.'' it had a black button and cord at the back of the yoke). Also, its sleeves are cut square, that is, without the "crescent" shaping of the other universities.

References

External links

* {{Subject bar , portal1=London , portal2=United Kingdom , commons=yes , commons-search=King's College London , n=yes , n-search=King's College London , q=yes , s=yes , s-search=King's College London , d=yes King's College London British academic awards King's College