What is the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS)?

JACS is used by UK institutions to identify the subject matter of programmes and modules. These institutions include the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Home Office and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

JACS codes do not indicate the level of study, as the same codes may be used for undergraduate, postgraduate, research programmes, and continuing education.

History

JACS replaced the SCAS system in 2002.

The Standard Classification of Academic Subjects (SCAS) was first published in 1984, and was revised by UCAS in 1993. The SCAS system was used by UCAS to publish course information up to and including 2001 entry.

How are codes formed?

Codes are formed from a letter and three digits: the letter indicates the subject area; the numbers indicate the topics within the main subject area.

An example:

J represents Technologies

J100 is Mineral Technologies

J200 is Metallurgy

J220 is Metallic Fabrication

J221 is Pattern Making

Course coding principles - useful documents

The following links provide information on, and subject classification listings for, both JACS and SCAS, together with detailed mapping of the changes between JACS and SCAS.

JACS
Subject classifications (version 1.7) (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)

The JACS codes can be found on HESA website.


Course coding principles