Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes

Each section of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes can be accessed via the navigation panel on the left-hand side.

Download a copy of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for 2023/24:

Download a copy of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for 2022/23:

Previous versions of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes are available here.

Temporary amendments to the regulations for classification on UG modular programmes are in place in response to the impact of COVID-19 in 2019/20 and/or 2020/21  

Temporary amendments for 2022/23 are also in place to account for the impact of the industrial action upon student academic outcomes at the summer exam boards

INTRODUCTION

1.        Purpose and application of these regulations    

1.1.    These Regulations and Code of Practice (‘the Code’) summarise the University’s expectations for the conduct of assessment, progression and the award of a qualification in undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes, including those taught at the equivalent of level 3 in the national Qualifications and Credit Framework.

1.2.    The expectations of the Code are developed with a commitment to the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, and the awards conferred are benchmarked against the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies.  Individual disciplines will also refer to relevant subject benchmark statements.

1.3.    The relevant sections of this Codemay apply to the assessment, progression and completion of any taught components in research degree programmes. For further information please see the regulations for specific degrees in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes.

1.4.   The Code applies to all taught students, including those who study on a part time basis. For this purpose, where reference is made to ‘years of study’ the policy must be applied on a pro rata basis and equivalent to the volume of credit that a full-time student would normally undertake in an academic year

1.5.    For the purpose of this Code a ‘regulation’ is defined as: ‘a rule set by the University which must be followed’; and a ‘policy’ as a: ‘statement established by common consensus that will be followed, unless there is good and validated reason otherwise.’

1.6.    Regulations within the Code may not be varied. They are indicated by boxed text. The rest of the Code should also be followed.  Any requests to depart from the Code must be approved by the relevant Faculty Education Director and the Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Education (Quality and Standards). If deemed appropriate, the relevant university or faculty committee may be consulted by the Faculty Education Director before the departure from regulation is approved. University and faculty committees will take into account consistency of practice university-wide and the spirit of the Code in its decision-making.

Application of new or revised regulations

1.7.    Students will be subject to the regulations that are in place for the current academic year on registering for that year of study, subject to the provisions set out in 1.9. For clarity, this includes students undertaking assessment in the reassessment period and submitting a dissertation in a taught postgraduate degree programme prior to the finalist exam board. Students who are re-taking units as part of a supplementary year in the next academic year will be subject to the regulations in place for that academic year.

1.8.    Students studying on a part-time basis are subject to the version of the Taught Code that is in place on registering at the start of the academic year, unless a change is being phased in. Where this is the case, schools should ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the phasing in of regulation; applying the more favourable (to the student) regulation in cases where a student first registers on a programme under one regulation, which is then superseded by a revised version of the regulation.

1.9.    When the University proposes significant changes to the formal University regulation and policies that govern taught programmes:

1.10. Where a change is being phased in (as above):

1.11. Should there be uncertainty about which set of regulations cover a particular student, a decision should be made that reflects the best interests of the student.

1.12. The following regulations and policies within this version of the Taught Code are currently being phased in: