Programme Details 2011-2012
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATES
These questions will be kept up-to-date and extended when new questions emerge.
REGISTRATION ISSUES
I am a part-time student. What is the minimum number of credits that I can take in a year?
Academic Regulations set a maximum of 80 credits each year for a regular part-time student, but they do not specify a minimum [see Regulation 1.4]. If you wish, therefore, you may limit yourself to one ten-credit module in the year. However, you need 360 credits in total to graduate and must complete your degree within seven years [see Regulations 8.2, 1.7], so in practice you cannot maintain such a low annual rate of progress for very long.
Please note:
Academic Regulations permit you to change from part-time to full-time
(and back again) according to personal circumstances [see Regulation 1.1],
so you could always follow one or two 'light ' years of study with a 'heavier'
commitment in order to get your credit total back on track for completion
in a maximum of seven years.
ASSESSMENT & EXAMINATION ISSUES
When are my examinations 'resits'?
The word 'resit' (an alternative is 'retake') applies when you are having a further attempt at the assessment for a module that you have already taken, but failed. This resit is normally scheduled for the examination period immediately following the one in which your first, unsuccessful attempt was made [see Regulation 7.7]. The term applies to all types of assessment, from coursework to written examinations, and orals to practicals. If you have been 'deferred' in the assessment for a module, i.e. given permission by the Programme Examinations Board to postpone the assessment to a future examination period, this cannot be described as a 'resit' because you are being assessed for the first time.
Please note:
There are two undergraduate examination periods within the year:
- May
- August.
Do I have to take resits?
You are not obliged to take resits, except those for modules that are compulsory, but you are strongly advised to do so. You must remember that as a full-time undergraduate student, you need 360 credits at the end of three years to obtain a degree (480 credits if your programme is four years long), so credits that you fail to achieve in one year will need to be made up during the next [Regulation 8.2]. Remember, too, that you are only allowed to take modules to a maximum of 140 credits in any one year, so if your credit shortfall is too great, you may have to switch to part-time study in order to catch up and graduate.
Do I have to take resits of compulsory modules?
Please see answer above.
GRADUATION ISSUES
How many credits do I need to be eligible to graduate?
There are two parts to this answer:
Firstly, you need to consider the total number of credits overall. Undergraduate students need to obtain a total of 360 credits to graduate (or 480 credits if following a four-year programme): 200 of these must be at levels HE2 and HE3, with at least 120 at level HE3 [Regulation 8.2].
Secondly, you need to consider the total number of credits from the point of view of your subject(s).
Single honours students:
If you are a single
honours student, you need at least 200 credits at levels HE2 and HE3 in your chosen subject, 120 of them at level HE3 [Regulation 10.2].
Combined honours students:
Requirements vary according to the balance you
choose to strike between your two subjects. Full details appear under Regulations
10.3 and 10.4.
How do I calculate the classification of my degree?
Please see the Simple Guide to Credit Requirements for New Regulation Degree Eligibility, Titles & Classifications.
PROGRESSION
Will I still be able to progress into the next academic year if I have failed a module?
This depends largely on the module in question. You should start by looking at the programme regulations (available on the web) to see whether the failed module is 'compulsory', 'optional' or 'required'.
If the module is compulsory, it must normally be passed before you can progress. If it is optional, you should be able to progress provided that overall you have obtained at least 100 credits during the year.
The same is also true of most required modules (those that
have to be taken, but not necessarily passed), though it is always advisable
to check this category with the Programme Convener.
Please note:
- While failure of a required module will usually allow you to progress, it
is often a prerequisite for later modules, so that you may find your
subsequent choices restricted.
- A failed module will reduce your credit total, so that
you will need to take extra modules later to ensure that you have the 360
credits needed to graduate (480 credits in the case of a four-year degree).
What is the '100 credit rule'?
The '100 credit rule' applies only if you are a full-time student. It requires you to pass at least 100 credits by the end of one year of study in order to continue as a full-time student. You will normally take 120 credits each year, so you have a 'cushion' of 20 credits which you can fail before the rule comes into operation [Regulation 7.16].
Please note:
- As a full-time undergraduate student, you need 360 credits
at the end of three years to obtain a degree (480 credits if your
programme is four years long), so credits that you fail to achieve
in one year will need to be made up during the next [Regulation 8.2].
- Even if you have obtained 100 or more credits in a year, there
may still be other reasons why you cannot continue as a full-time student,
for example if you have failed a compulsory module.
- The '100 credit rule' may be suspended by the Awards and Progression
Board (on the recommendation of a Programme Examinations Board) if you
have received permission to change your programme during the course of
the year, and find it impossible to take 100 credits in the new programme
before the end of that year [Regulation 7.16].
What are my options if I am 'programme terminated'?
It is helpful to answer this question in two parts:
Firstly, if you have been 'programme terminated in subject X' because you have failed compulsory modules (usually after two resits) you cannot continue to study that subject. It does not matter whether you are full-time or part-time, single honours or combined honours, the compulsory status of the failed modules is decisive.
Please note:
If you are a combined honours student who has passed the
compulsory modules in your second subject and gained at least 80 credits overall in the year, you should be able to continue studying the other subject, either
as single honours, or in combination with a new subject;
Secondly, if you are a full-time student who has passed compulsory modules but not succeeded in meeting the requirement of the '100 credit rule', you cannot continue with full-time status. Your only option is to change to part-time, with the consent of your Programme Convener(s), and make up the credit shortfall. Once your credit total is 'back on track', you may apply to resume full-time status. This arrangement applies whether you are single honours or combined honours.
Please note:
A change to part-time status may have funding implications
and you should check these carefully with your Local Education Authority.
Can I start the same programme again, if I have been 'programme terminated'?
Please see answer above.
If you have been 'programme terminated' because you have failed
one or more compulsory modules, it does not make much sense to
let you take the same programme again. If you have been 'programme terminated'
for not meeting the requirements of the '100 credit rule',
the appropriate way forward is to change to part-time status
until you have made up your credit shortfall.
Please note:
- Very occasionally, for example if a student's academic career has
been severely disrupted by health or other personal problems, and there are
genuine reasons for poor performance, the University may allow the student
to start again.
- Sometimes, too, after several years absence from the University,
a former student may apply to start the same programme again, and if there
are reasons to think that this time the outcome will be more successful, the
application may be accepted.
Can I repeat a year?
If your studies have been severely disrupted by health or other personal problems, or you have other genuine reasons for wanting to repeat a year, the University will usually endorse the proposal and write in support to your Local Education Authority. Genuine reasons do not, however, include the desire to avoid programme termination or to secure higher marks.
What should I do if I want to continue in one subject and restart in another?
This is a straightforward matter. You should approach the Programme Convener of the new subject, secure acceptance onto the programme, and then complete the necessary documentation.
Please note:
- The correct form for this type of change is coded SR2,
and you can obtain a copy from Roehampton Registry (Erasmus
House, Roehampton Campus).
- You should talk through the full implications of the transfer with
the Programme Convener before making a final decision.
If you require further guidance please contact Registry regarding registration processes or the Academic Office regarding the Academic Regulations.