UCAS course coding

UCAS subject classifications now employ the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS). This system is also used by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and is the result of a joint UCAS-HESA subject code harmonisation project.

The JACS subject classification, introduced for 2002 entry, replaces UCAS' Standard Classification of Academic Subjects (SCAS). The Standard Classification of Academic Subjects (SCAS) was first published in 1984, and was revised by UCAS in 1993. The SCAS coding system was used by UCAS to publish course information up to and including 2001 entry.

The following links provide information on, and subject classification listings for both JACS and SCAS, together with a detailed mapping of the changes between JACS and SCAS (and the coding system previously used by HESA).

Course coding principles

JACS
Subject classifications (pdf)
Generic codes (pdf)

SCAS
Subject classifications (alphabetical order) (pdf)
Subject classifications (in subject code order) (pdf)

Mapping
SCAS-JACS (pdf)
Mapping background HESACODE -JACS (pdf)
JACS-HESACODE (excel spreadsheet)