Compensation and progression (6.47-6.73)

6.47

Where a student has achieved a taught module mark of between 40.00% and 49.99% and their Taught Credit Weighted Average (see 6.74) is 50.00% or above the failed module can be given a grade of Compensated Pass. Students will receive the credit for the module.

6.48

Compensation will be applied after any re-assessment for which the student may be eligible.

6.49

Some taught modules may be designated as having to be passed at Masters level in which case they must be passed with a mark of 50.00% or higher and may not be compensated. This will be set out in the relevant module specification.

6.50

Compensation may only be applied to taught modules. A project or dissertation module may never be compensated.

6.51

The award of compensation on an eligible module is automatic subject to the rules set out within this section.

6.52

Where a student has failed to achieve the required taught credit weighted average modules with marks between 40.00 and 49.99% will be considered failed.

6.53

The following sets out the number of credits which may be compensated per award:

6.54

Where a student exceeds, at any stage, the number of failed credits which may be compensated this will be considered by the Board of Examiners and may result in the termination of their studies if they are no longer able to meet the requirements of their intended award.

Progression requirements

6.55

A student’s progress will be reviewed at each progression point to determine whether they have met the requirements to progress to the next stage of the programme.

6.56

For students registered for a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma there will typically be no progression point before the point of award unless a programme specific progression point has been approved by the relevant Programme Approval Panel and been set out in the programme specification.

6.57

Where a student has reached a position part-way through their studies where, due to academic failure, they are not in a position to meet the final award requirements for their programme their profile will be considered by the Board of Examiners for a lower award where relevant.

6.58

There will be a progression point for all Masters students after the initial assessment for all taught modules on the programme has been completed. The Board of Examiners will apply the progression criteria below to determine whether a student may proceed to their project, or continue with their project where work has already commenced.

6.59

For the purposes of the following table, a passed module is one that meets the definition set out in Senate Regulation 6.28 above.

6.60

Proceed is defined as: A student will proceed to, or continue with, their project and is entitled to re-sit failed modules up to the maximum credit value set out in Senate Regulation 6.35 above, at the earliest opportunity. If, after exhausting all available reassessment, a student is in a position where they cannot meet the eventual award requirements for their intended award (see Senate Regulation 6.78) they will not be allowed to continue work on their project or dissertation and shall be considered at the next meeting of the Board of Examiners for an intermediate award.

6.61

Stop is defined as: A student will not proceed to, or continue with, the project or dissertation, but is entitled to re-sit failed modules up to the maximum credit value set out in paragraph Senate Regulation 6.35 above.

6.62

Where after initial assessment a student has a mixture of credit that is failed and credit that falls into the compensation zone, priority should be given to re-sitting those modules with a mark of below 40.00%. Boards of Examiners will determine which credits should be re-sat within the overall limit set out in Senate Regulation 6.35 above, in the manner which best supports the student’s overall chance of achieving a qualification. Where a student does not have the opportunity to re-sit credit in the zone 40.00 – 49.99 due to using their resit allowance on other modules, compensation may be granted to modules after one attempt subject to meeting the overall requirement in 6.47-6.54 above.

6.63

Students that have been required to stop their studies but who subsequently pass sufficient re-assessment of their taught modules to mean that they can meet the eventual requirement for a Masters award will be permitted to proceed to their project or dissertation. The timeline for proceeding to the project will be determined by the Board of Examiners, taking into account the logistical requirements of project or dissertation delivery.

6.64

Where students have been required to stop their studies and cannot meet the requirement for a Masters award regardless of the outcome of their re-assessments, they will undertake re-assessment for the purpose of achieving an intermediate award. Where there is no provision for an intermediate award, or where the number of credits failed is such that the student cannot redeem a sufficient number to meet the requirements for an intermediate award, a student’s studies will be terminated.

Re-assessment of the project or dissertation module

6.65

Where a student has failed to achieve a pass in their project or dissertation module one re-sit attempt will be available as standard for each of the assessment components within the module for which a pass mark has not been achieved. Students may not resit elements for which a pass mark has been achieved.

6.66

As for some taught modules (see Senate Regulation 6.42) in some subject areas it may not be possible to offer re-assessment in particular components of a project or dissertation module. Where this is the case it will require approval by the Curriculum and Quality Sub-Committee and will be stated in the both the programme specification and relevant module specification. If the absence of a re-assessment opportunity for a component would result in a student being unable to pass the module regardless of performance in other areas a re-sit will not be offered and the student will be considered by the Board of Examiners for a potential intermediate award. Repeat period of study.

6.67

A repeat semester, where the programme structure allows, or a repeat year may exceptionally be granted by a Board of Examiners where a student has exceptional accepted mitigating circumstances which prevented them from being able to engage with study and assessment for an extended period within the year.

6.68

Students on distance learning programmes with exceptional accepted mitigating circumstances may be awarded a repeat period of study which equates to one or more modules.

6.69

In reaching a decision on granting a period of repeat study a Board of Examiners will follow the recommendation of the Mitigating Circumstances Panel which in turn will comply with the definition of mitigating circumstances articulated in Senate Regulation 7.96.

6.70

Repeat periods of study contribute to the maximum registration period for the programme as set out in Senate Regulation 2. A repeat period that would take a student beyond their maximum period of registration will not be granted unless an Extension to Registration Request has already been approved.

6.71

A student who is repeating a period of study will not carry credit, valid attempts, or marks over from the period repeated. Students will attend teaching and take assessments as if for the first time.

Resit without Residence

6.72

Where a student is required to undertake re-assessment before continuing with active study, for example where they are required to stop their studies in line with Senate Regulation 6.59 they may be required to enter a status of Resit without Residence.

6.73

In a Resit without Residence period students will not attend learning and teaching activities but will undertake their remaining assessment attempts when the relevant assessments are next available.