Read Me - Important Notes for Students
The following information is provided to help you understand the reasons why your programme is constructed in the way that it is and the limitations on what you may choose to study.
- The modular system is not one which will permit you to choose units in a haphazard way from across the University, but one in which greater transparency will help you see how your programme fits together and the choices you can make. The description of each unit will help you to know its objectives more clearly and the assessment within each unit should help you see what you have achieved. Describing the structure of a programme, and detailing the units which are or may be relevant, will help Directors of Studies to identify units in other parts of the University which may be of benefit to you individually, or to subsequent students through the development of new programmes. The construction of coherent programmes of study, both by design in the first place, and by your own choices where this can be made, is something to which the University attaches much importance.
- Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures. Information provided in the catalogues may not reflect precisely how a unit or programme will run.
- The inclusion of a unit in a programme of study does not necessarily mean that the unit will be available to you. Constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors will determine whether a unit will run. Other constraints such as your ability to meet any pre-requisite rules, will dictate whether you will be able to take the unit.
- Programmes and units described in the catalogues only apply for the year indicated (e.g. catalogues for 2009/10 will only be relevant for that year). Different ranges of programmes and units may be available in subsequent years, so you should not assume, if you will be in year 2 of a programme in 2009/10, that the third year of your programme in 2010/11 will be as described here (for year 3 in 2009/10).
- Check carefully through the definition of each programme to make sure that you have found the correct programme. There are different codes for programmes which, for example, include a third-year placement, from those for programmes which do not. You can find further information on programme codes in Table 3.
- The workload for a typical undergraduate year comprises 60 credits (usually split equally into 30 credits for each semester). For postgraduate students the number of credits varies according to the type of course being studied. A typical full-time postgraduate taught masters course comprises 90 credits, a postgraduate diploma 60 credits and a postgraduate certificate 30 credits. See the programme structures page for further information.
- Undergraduate students are permitted to take one six-credit unit (or its equivalent - two three-credit units) in an academic year, outside the requirements of your programme. This will not count for progression in your degree programme, or towards your degree result. However, the fact that you have taken it, and the result you have obtained will be recorded on your transcript of results, and you will be able to demonstrate that you have done such extra work. Those units most likely to be chosen in this way are listed in the Catalogue of Generally Available Units.
- Once you have chosen your optional units for the year you will only be permitted to change these options during the first week of each semester. Any requests for changes will be subject to constraints as described in '2' above
