Occasionally, a student may seek to change their programme of study; this may be for a number of reasons. It may be the student has decided that they no longer have an academic interest in the subject for which they initially registered or that they wish to pursue another subject. In either case, the following rules apply:
1. Students, in principle, can transfer between programmes, subject to approval, but there is no automatic right of transfer between programmes. Transfer is subject to sufficient space being available and the applicant meeting the academic criteria and requirements for the new programme.
2. Providing the conditions for entry are met, permission to register for a new programme will not normally be granted outside of the following time periods, as it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up on the content of a new programme, especially where practical work is concerned:
· Within the first TWO weeks of the first teaching block*;
· At the end of the first year of study, where the student has met the criteria for progression to the second year.
* Students who still wish to transfer programme following the second week of the start of the first teaching block may be required to suspend studies for the remainder of the current academic session and commence the new programme at the start of the next academic year.
3. Students can, however, transfer outside of these time periods where the structures of the two programmes in question are cognate, i.e. sufficiently similar, so that the student would not be academically disadvantaged by the transfer, for example between an honours programme to one with a ‘study in industry’, or between a joint and singles honours programme, and vice versa.
There are also academic reasons why a student may wish to transfer and, in some cases, a transfer of programme will be required where a student has failed to fulfil programme requirements.
4. A Faculty Progress Board, or equivalent faculty committee, may offer a student who has not achieved sufficient credit points for progression in one programme the opportunity to transfer to a cognate programme, particularly in cases where the student is unable to achieve the credit points in a discrete part of the programme (e.g. in a single unit or in half of a joint honours programme) but has a good overall academic record. Where this is the case, the student will be informed of the decision of the Board and given the opportunity to transfer to the recommended programme.
The accepting school will indicate to the student the point in the programme they will begin their studies following transfer and specify whether any credit and marks obtained from units undertaken in the previous programme, which are common to the new programme, will be accepted.
5. A student is not normally permitted to transfer to another programme if they have already been required to withdraw from a programme. A school may choose, however, to admit such a student to a programme as a new registration on the basis of fulfilling the necessary academic and admissions criteria.
Similarly, a student may seek to change an optional unit within their programme of study during the year of study.
6. Students in principle can transfer from an optional unit to another optional unit in the same teaching block within their programme structure, subject to approval, but there is no automatic right of transfer. Students are not permitted to withdraw from a unit in the first teaching block and undertake a unit in the second teaching block as a replacement, unless there are validated extenuating circumstances.
7. Transfer is subject to: sufficient space being available on the new unit; the student’s timetable; and, the fulfilment of any pre- or co- requisites that the new unit might have.
8. Permission to register for a new unit will normally only be granted within the first two weeks of the unit being taught. Where the taught component of a unit is delivered over a period of less than eight weeks, then the deadline in which students are permitted to transfer onto such a unit may be reduced to the end of the first week in which the unit is taught.
Transferring a programme or unit(s)
9. A student who wishes to transfer from one degree programme to another must first obtain the consent of both the Faculty and the School that will relinquish the student and the Faculty and the School (if different) that is accepting the student onto a programme.
10. A student who wishes to transfer from one unit to another must obtain the consent of their home School and also the School, if different, that owns the unit that the student is transferring from or onto.
11. The ‘relinquishing’ school must notify the ‘accepting’ school of any recorded issues relating to the student, particular those which have had or may have an effect on academic progress, prior to approving the transfer. Where the transfer involves a disabled student, details of any existing reasonable adjustments must also be shared with the ‘accepting’ school.
12. The arrangements for a transfer of programme or unit(s) on the return of a student from a suspension of studies must be set out and agreed by the relevant parties at the point of suspension.
Approved by Education Committee, April 2012