3. Programmes

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Responsibility for programmes

3.1.    Faculties are responsible for the design of the programmes of study they offer and the units within each programme, subject to approval by Senate.

3.2.    All undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes must be fully modular in structure, with the exception of the MB,ChB, BDS, BDT, BDH and BVSc programmes and Gateway variants.

3.3.    Each programme is owned by a school. For programmes that span faculties, an ‘owning’ school is designated, guided by the balance of the programme and the home school of the academic lead.

3.4.    Each approved programme must have a programme specification that sets out the definitive record of:

  • the units that are available and their status within the structure (‘mandatory’ or ‘optional’), including whether they are must-pass
  • the programme aims
  • the intended learning outcomes
  • methods of assessment
  • any opportunities for conditional progression
  • any programme- rules on the award of credit, student progression and qualifying for the intended or exit awards. 

3.5.    Students may be permitted to take units in addition to their programme structure. If agreed, the student will engage with the unit as normal and be awarded credit if they meet the relevant criteria, however, neither the credit nor the marks contribute to their progression or final award.

Programme start and end dates

3.6.    Programmes must align with the structure of the academic year as determined by Senate (see University Academic Calendar Policy 2026-27 (PDF, 302kB)), except as provided in 3.7. Programmes and units delivered at MEC should also align with the structure, unless otherwise approved. 

3.7.    A programme may have alternative start/end dates where:

  • it contains practice-based elements that are constrained by when they can be arranged in the calendar
  • it is specifically designed to be studied flexibly by working professionals
  • the alternative dates are approved by the relevant Faculty and the University Education Committee.

Levels of study - programmes

3.8.    The University of Bristol awards the following taught academic qualifications, in accordance with the national Qualifications Framework:

  • Masters Degree – at level 7
  • Integrated Masters Degree – at level 7
  • First Degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science – at level 7
  • Postgraduate Diploma – at level 7
  • Postgraduate Certificate – at level 7
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education – at level 6
  • Graduate Diploma – at level 6
  • Graduate Certificate – at level 6
  • Bachelors Degree (with and without Honours) – at level 6
  • Diploma of Higher Education – at level 5
  • Certificate of Higher Education – at level 4

View a list of the Annex 11: Academic awards made by the University of Bristol 2026/27 (PDF, 197kB).

Undergraduate degree programmes

3.9.    Undergraduate honours programmes are either:

  • a single unitary degree
  • a joint degree devoting approximately equal time to two subjects
  • a major/minor combination where the minor subject accounts for at least a quarter of the programme.

3.10.    The degrees of BA, BSc, BEng, LLB, are awarded with: first class honours; second class honours in two divisions and third-class honours or as ordinary degrees.

3.11.    The normal requirement for each full-time year of undergraduate study is 120 credit points.

3.12.    Undergraduate degree programmes include the opportunity for students to take units outside of their subject discipline (i.e. ‘open units’) worth at least 20 credit points across the programme, except in programmes where the curriculum does not allow it for example, due to professional accreditation reasons or in programmes delivered at the Mumbai Enterprise Campus.

3.13.    The final year of an undergraduate degree programme must comprise 120 credit points of University of Bristol units, except where there is an approved agreement with another institution. 

3.14.    The University offers a number of undergraduate programmes that are non-modular in the degrees of MBChB, BDS, BVSc, BDT and BDH. These programmes are governed by their own regulations. 

Undergraduate preparatory programmes

3.15.    The University also offers a number of programmes that prepare students for study at degree level:

  • Gateway Year – a year of study at level 4 that is integrated with and prepares students for studying on an identified non-modular professional degree programme. Such years of study are subject to specific programme regulations: Annex 2: Regulations for Specific Programmes 2026/27 (PDF, 546kB).
  • Preliminary Year – a year of study at level 4 or equivalent to level 3 in the national Qualifications and Credit Framework that is integrated with and prepares students for studying on an identified modular degree programme. Such years of study are subject to specific programme regulations: Annex 2: Regulations for Specific Programmes 2026/27 (PDF, 546kB).
  • Foundation Year – a year of study in a stand-alone programme at level 4 or equivalent to level 3 in the national Qualifications and Credit Framework that prepares students for admission to higher education generally. Such years of study are subject to this Code, with any deviations being captured in specific programme regulations: Annex 2: Regulations for Specific Programmes 2026/27 (PDF, 546kB).

Taught postgraduate degree programmes

3.18.    Postgraduate Masters degree programmes (MSc, MA, LLM, MSocSci, MClinDent) are structured to include a dissertation (or equivalent project) unit of 60 credit points, unless otherwise stated in specific programme regulations due to accreditation purposes, as approved by the Faculty. 

3.19.    The MRes is a classified taught postgraduate degree that provides a structured research training programme as a foundation for doctoral study or for a research career outside academia.  It may also provide an exit award from a doctoral programme which includes a taught component.