4. Units

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Responsibility for units

4.1.    Subject to approval by the relevant Faculty, schools are responsible for determining: 

  • the content and duration of each unit, and in when it is taught within the agreed structure of the academic year
  • the criteria for a unit’s satisfactory completion
  • the value of the unit in terms of credit points and level to be assigned to each unit
  • the pre-requisites and co-requisites associated with each unit.

4.2.    Each unit must have a unit specification that sets out:

  • its content
  • its intended learning outcomes
  • how it is assessed
  • any additional criteria for the award of credit (i.e. in addition to achieving the unit pass mark)

4.3.    Units are not permitted to span more than one academic year. A unit may be scheduled to run outside of the agreed structure only where there are good pedagogic reasons as approved by the University Education Committee.

Unit sizes

4.4.    In undergraduate programmes, unit sizes of 20, 40 and 60 credit points are permitted. A single 120 credit point undergraduate unit which encompasses a full academic year where the student is studying abroad or in industry is also permitted. 

4.5.    In postgraduate taught programmes, unit sizes of 20, 30, 40 and 60 credit points are permitted.

4.6.    Any exceptions to the standard credit sizes must be approved by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education and Students or delegate.

Levels of study

4.7.    The following levels of credit are used by the University, in accordance with the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree Awarding Bodies:

  • level 4 units that are normally taken as part of the first year of an undergraduate programme
  • level 5 units that are normally taken as part of the second, third or final year of an undergraduate programme.
  • level 6 units that are normally taken as part of the third or final year of an undergraduate programme.
  • level 7 units that are normally taken as part of the final year of a masters or integrated masters programme or the year abroad. 

Units may be provided that are equivalent to level 3, as established in the UK Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), where they feature in preliminary year or foundation year programmes.