SOUTHAMPTON Institute is one step closer to becoming a university.

The institute - the biggest college in the UK - could be just a year away from being able to award degrees in its own right.

It is a major feather in the institute's cap, and would boost the status of Southampton even further as a seat of academic excellence.

The institute heard this week that its application for awarding degrees had been accepted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher education (QAA) - the national body which oversees quality and standards in the higher education sector.

If successful, the institute would be able to use the title of university college and pursue its ambition to become a full university.

The institute has about 11,000 students, most of whom study to degree level. At the moment, their degrees are awarded under the authority of Nottingham Trent University.

An independent assessment of the university by QAA appointed assessors will take place over the next few months.

It is likely that they will make their final decision in a year's time. Both the Department of Education and Science and the QAA will then advise Westminster's Privy Council on whether to grant the institute degree-awarding powers.

If the institute is successful in gaining the power to award degrees, it will still be some years before it will be allowed to apply for full university status.

Southampton Institute principal Dr Roger Brown said: "The institute has succeeded in making a prima facie case to the QAA that it should have the authority to award its own degrees. This decision reflects a tremendous achievement by the institute and its staff."