The Associateship or Associate of King's College (AKC) award was the degree-equivalent qualification of King's College London 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 "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. Since 1909, only students registered for a University of London degree at King's have normally been allowed to study for the associateship. The three-year course involves weekly lectures concerning theology, ethics and philosophy. At the discretion of the Dean, some postgraduates, and medical/dental students who do not intercalate, are allowed to compress the programme into two years. 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 AKC is not a quantified award, and students who meet the requirements of a pass achieve a 'pass'. Students who submit a good optional essay, or who complete over 8/9 quizzes in any semester are awarded a Dean's Commendation in recognition of outstanding commitment to the course. These students still achieve a 'pass' mark overall, but will have their Dean's Commendation recognised on their record. Students whose essays are recognised as exceptionally meritorious have a chance of being awarded the Hanson Prize. The 21st-century AKC offers a programme or 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