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 through a programme of study and the award of a qualification in approved undergraduate and taught postgraduate awards Annex 11: Academic awards made by the University of Bristol 2026/27 (PDF, 197kB) and qualifications of the University, including those taught at the equivalent of level 3 in the national Qualifications and Credit Framework.

1.2. Additionally, the following programmes are governed by specific regulations:

MBChB, BDS, BVSc, Gateway to Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science, BSc in Veterinary Nursing, Bachelor of Dental Therapy and Bachelor of Dental Hygiene, BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, Postgraduate Diploma in Orthodontic Therapy, Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing, the International Foundation Programmes, Foundation programmes, Postgraduate Certificate in Education, MA in Law, MSc in Social Work, MSc in Leadership and MSc in Global Management (executive education), MRes in Economics, postgraduate programmes in Clinical Neuropsychology, a micro-qualification in Skills for a Changing World, Preliminary year programmes and the Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes Courses.

1.3. The relevant sections of this Code also apply to the assessment, progression and completion of any taught units or 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. The Code and associated policies apply in programmes delivered at the Mumbai Enterprise Campus (MEC) unless a specific variation is agreed by University Education Committee. The principles / framework by which the University of Bristol’s academic regulations are applied are set out in Annex 3: Applying academic regulation in programmes delivered at MEC 2026/27 (PDF, 156kB)

1.6. For the purpose of this Code, the following definitions apply:

a ‘regulation’: ‘a rule set by the University which must be followed’;

a ‘policy’: ‘statement established by common consensus that will be followed, unless there is good and validated reason otherwise.’

a ‘procedure’ – a statement to guide the implementation and application of regulations robustly and consistently.

1.7. 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 Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) or delegate and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) or delegate. A request to depart from the Code should take into account consistency of practice university-wide and the spirit of the Code.

Application of new or revised regulations

1.8. 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 1.11. 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.

1.9. 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.

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

It will consult with the sabbatical officers of the Students’ Union and determine whether its implementation would negatively affect existing cohorts of students.

Where no negative effects are identified, the change may be applied universally to all student cohorts, normally from the beginning of an academic year.

Otherwise, a change may only be introduced for new first-year cohort registrations and phased in (please see 1.11 for those regulations or policies that are currently being phased in).

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

Newly registered students who do not enter the first year of a programme will be subject to the regulations that are in place for the student cohort that they are joining.

Those students who initially registered under one set of regulations and who subsequently join a different cohort that is governed by a different set of regulations (e.g. through a suspension of studies, a requirement to repeat a year or undertake a supplementary year) will become subject to the new regulations on registration into the new cohort.

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:

New academic regulations governing taught postgraduate programmes are introduced for 2024/25. For students who first registered on their programme before 2024/25, classification will be calculated using the new methodology and the methodology set out in the 2023/24 regulations, with the student receiving the higher classification, if any.
The year in industry will become pass/fail for the award of credit in programmes in the ‘Engineering schools’ for new entrants from 2025/26, thus amending the weighting for classification on these programmes. Students who completed their Year in Industry unit prior to 2025/26 but who subsequently join a different cohort for their final year of study after 25/26 (due to suspensions of study or supplementary years) will have their classifications calculated using a "no detriment" approach. Their classification will be calculated in two ways: firstly using the weighted numerical mark they achieved for the Year in Industry unit under the regulations for 2024/25; and secondly treating the Year in Industry as pass/fail and weighting the other year marks as per the current regulations for the cohort. Should either of these calculations result in a higher classification, the student will be awarded the higher outcome.
The programme structure of the MSc Social Work has been changed (becoming 180cp from 320cp). This will apply to the new year 1 cohort from 2025/26 with the previous regulations still covering year 2 students who started before 2025/26.
A new classification method for non-modular programmes in Dentistry will apply for all new and existing students from 2025/26. A ‘no detriment’ process will be run for existing cohorts where both the new and previous methodologies are applied at the point students are considered for classification with them receiving the higher classification, if any (see regulations for specific programmes).
A new classification method for non-modular programmes in Veterinary Science (BVSc) has been introduced for new student cohorts from 2025/26 (see regulations for specific programmes).