Undergraduate General Regulations

References contained with the following general regulations to ‘Swansea University’ also include ‘The College, Swansea University’ unless specifically stated otherwise. Likewise references to Swansea University Executive Deans also include The College Director/Principal of The College, Swansea University.

1.1

Candidates may qualify for an award of Swansea University under these regulations upon successful completion of one of the following approved modular programmes of study: Certificate of Higher Education, Diploma of Higher Education, Bachelor Degrees - Honours, Joint Honours, Major/Minor Honours, Combined Honours, Ordinary, Advanced Initial Degrees. Candidates may pursue a programme on a full-time or part-time basis or a combination of both (mixed mode of attendance).

1.2

All candidates must enrol as students of Swansea University and pay the appropriate fees prescribed by the University.

1.3

Full-time candidates registered on an undergraduate initial degree may not concurrently be enrolled on another degree programme leading to the award of a qualification of this nature in this or another university/institution without the express permission of the Chair of the Regulations, Quality and Standards Board.

1.4

The candidature of students found to be in breach of Regulation 1.3, shall normally be cancelled with immediate effect.

1.5

All candidates shall be expected to enrol within the first week of the first semester or within the prescribed period published annually.

1.6

As enrolled students, candidates must comply with the University’s academic and general regulations.

2.1

The academic year shall be structured in accordance with the Semester and Term Dates information published on the University website or that of The College, Swansea University for students of The College.

2.2

Certain programmes of study may have extended session dates for all or part of the programme. These vary according to the individual programme being pursued and details will be provided by the relevant Faculty/School.

3.1

Candidates are admitted to programmes of study in accordance with the specific programme requirements and the general University requirements governing Matriculation. Conditions of offer may include requirements relating to matriculation (see Regulations 3.2).

3.2

Matriculation is the formal admission of a candidate to a programme of study leading to a degree or other academic award of the University. Candidates who have not previously matriculated at Swansea University must provide evidence to the Admissions Office and/or MyUniHub of their qualifications in the form of original certificates or official academic transcripts confirming the award of the qualification(s) from the awarding institution or other body. The results of Swansea undergraduates are verified using the University’s student record database.

3.3

Prior to admission to the programme of study, Faculties/Schools must ensure that a candidate can communicate effectively in English, in both speech and writing. TOEFL or IELTS tests (or the equivalent) are applicable and guidance can be obtained from the Admissions Office as regards the pass level appropriate to a given programme of study or the pre-course teaching that may be necessary to allow a candidate to proceed with their studies.

3.4

Candidates will be deemed ineligible to enrol where they do not meet the University’s requirements for matriculation. Where the candidate is deemed ineligible to enrol and/or fails to enrol within a prescribed enrolment period, this will result in the candidate’s candidature lapsing and the withdrawal of the candidate from the University (see Regulation 4).

3.5

In order to be eligible to pursue a degree as part of a Degree Apprenticeship, a student must be in employment and in a role which is deemed to provide an opportunity to demonstrate the achievement of the work-based competencies associated with the degree programme.

4.1

The University expects all candidates to enrol in order to be recognised as a student of the University. All candidates shall enrol in accordance with the enrolment instructions for the particular programme of study and within the prescribed enrolment period.

4.2

Candidates are required to enrol within the prescribed enrolment period:

• If enrolling for the first time with the University;
• If enrolling for the first time on a particular programme of study;
• If progressing to the next level of study, the next year of study or in some cases, the next part of study and attending on a full-time or part-time basis;
• If the University is expecting a fee to be paid in accordance with the University’s regulations governing student finance and fees.

4.3

In order to enrol with the University, candidates, where applicable, are required to provide evidence of entitlement to study at the University in accordance with:

• The specific programme requirements;
• The University’s regulations governing matriculation (see Regulation 3.2);
• The laws governing study in the United Kingdom;
• Fitness to return to study regulations.

4.4

Where the candidate does not provide satisfactory evidence of entitlement to study at the University in accordance with Regulation 4.3 above and by the deadline stipulated by Education Services, the candidate will be deemed ineligible to enrol (unless Regulation 4.5 below applies).

4.5

Where the candidate meets all requirements to enrol (in accordance with Regulation 4.3) except for the University’s requirements governing matriculation, the candidate may, at the discretion of the Admissions Office, be permitted to provisionally enrol for a specified period of time, conditional upon the candidate agreeing to meet the University’s requirements governing matriculation by the deadline stipulated by the Admissions Office. If the candidate then fails to meet the University’s requirements governing matriculation by the deadline stipulated by the Admissions Office, the provisional enrolment will lapse, the candidate will be deemed ineligible to enrol and Regulation 4.6 below shall apply.

4.6

Where the candidate fails to enrol within a prescribed enrolment period, this will result in the candidate’s candidature lapsing and the withdrawal for non-enrolment of the candidate from the University.

4.6.1 Reinstatement of the candidature and permission to enrol late 

The decision to approve or not approve permission to enrol late will be made by the Head of Academic Records or their nominee. To request permission to enrol late students must submit a Permission to enrol form within 10 working days of the date of the letter/email to the student confirming their withdrawal for non-enrolment.

In considering such applications the Head of Academic Records, or their nominee, shall consider:

• The timing of the application;
• The circumstances relating to the late application;
• Recommendations from the student’s college/school;
• The legal and financial requirements of enrolment;
• Laws governing right to study in the university;
• The conditions and/or curtailment of the student’s visa (where appropriate);
• Recommendations from admissions/compliance/finance/student records managers (where appropriate).

4.6.2 Review

To request an admin review of the decision to not approve reinstatement of candidature and permission to enrol late, students must submit an Admin Review Form. A review and final decision will be made by the Associate Director of Student Operations or their nominee.

4.7

The University shall notify the relevant authorities, within a prescribed period in accordance with United Kingdom laws governing study in the UK, of students who have been withdrawn for failure to enrol on a programme of study within the prescribed enrolment period.

4.8

Students pursuing programmes delivered in partnership with other institutions shall be required to enrol with the University and the partner institution in accordance with the enrolment procedures published by the individual partner institution and the University.

4.9

By completing the enrolment process, student shall confirm that they will abide by the regulations of the relevant institution(s), and in the case of programmes delivered with partners, confirming that they will abide by the regulations of both institutions, reflecting their status as enrolled at both/all institutions.

5.1

Depending on the type of programme pursued, the following categories of students are recognised:

• Full-time students (normally pursuing 120 credit points);
• Part-time students (pursuing 90 credit points or less);
• Exchange/Visiting students (students admitted to the University in accordance with exchange agreements);
• Associate students (students who are not pursuing a named programme but are studying individual modules);
• Apprenticeship students (students who are in employment and studying a named programme with work based learning);
• Members of staff who have registered as students.

6.1

Undergraduate programmes are delivered according to eight levels of study. Each level indicates a particular stage within a programme of study and in most cases relates to the year of study in which that level might be pursued.

7.1

A module is a discrete educational component of a programme. Each programme shall consist of modules that may be single modules of 10 credit points, multiples of 10 credit points or multiples of 15 credit points.

7.2

In addition:

• Each module is assigned a unique reference number;
• Each module is assigned to a level of study which reflects the academic standard of a module and its learning outcomes;
• Each module shall also be assigned European Credit Transfer System Credits (5 ECTS credits is approximately equivalent to 10 Swansea University credits);
• Modules may have pre-requisites and/or co-requisites;
  certain modules may also be described as incompatible with each other (see section 18).

7.3

Modules may be grouped into the following categories:

• Lecture based;
• Practical based;
• Dissertation based;
• Work based; or 
• An appropriate combination of these categories (composite module).

The contact hours for the different categories of modules have been defined within an official guidance document published in the University’s Code of Practice for Quality Assurance.

8.1

Candidates may be required by a Faculty/School to pursue professional or vocational related modules in addition to the full-time credit load. These modules are not assigned a credit value but must be pursued in order to meet professional body requirements.

9.1

The mode of attendance denotes whether a degree programme shall be studied full-time or part-time. The pattern of attendance indicates the requirements of the degree programme in respect of years spent at the University, Foundation Years, Intercalary Years and periods of Industrial placements. Some degree programmes have specific patterns of attendance e.g. involving Degree Apprenticeship students where full information shall be detailed in the programme handbook.

9.2  Full-Time Mode of Attendance

9.2.1

Full-time candidates are normally expected to pursue modules, the total credit weighting of which will be 120 credit points in one academic year. However, candidates pursuing modules, the credit weighting of which is less than 120 credits but exceeds 90 credits, are also regarded as full-time students.

9.3  Part-Time Mode of Attendance

9.3.1

Part-time candidates normally study modules the total credit weighting of which will be 60 credits. Part-time students shall not be allowed to pursue more than 90 nor less than 30 credits in one academic year.

9.3.2

Candidates studying in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science may, in certain circumstances, be permitted to pursue less than 30 credits in one academic year.

9.4  Mixed Mode of Attendance

9.4.1

A candidate who changes their mode of attendance during the period of candidature of a particular programme of study (i.e. pursues the programme as a full-time and as a part-time student) shall be regarded as a candidate pursuing the programme on a mixed mode of attendance basis.

10.1

Students who are allowed to transfer between full-time and part-time modes of attendance shall be regarded as students pursuing an undergraduate programme on a mixed mode of attendance basis. Such students shall only be allowed to change the mode of attendance under the following conditions:

• The change is approved by the Executive Dean(s) or nominee(s);
• The transfer is made at the beginning of an academic year and at the commencement of a level of study.

10.2

The application to transfer to study in a mixed mode of attendance shall only be approved if the student can complete the programme within the period of candidature as defined in the Specific Regulations. (Not relevant for Certificate students.)

11.1

Faculties/Schools may identify modules which are fundamental to a programme. Faculties/Schools can stipulate that such core modules must not only be pursued but also passed before a student can proceed to the next level of study or qualify for an award. Failures in core modules must be redeemed.

12.1

For most degree programmes, compulsory modules are determined by the Faculty(ies)/School(s) concerned. Such modules should be identified by Faculties/Schools and listed in Faculty/School handbooks. Compulsory modules are those which must be pursued by a student.

13.1

To supplement the compulsory modules, students will normally be expected to pursue optional modules from a prescribed list of options in the specialist subject area(s). Students should seek the guidance of the ‘home’ Faculty/School when choosing optional modules.

14.1

Faculties/Schools may allow students to broaden their education by allowing them to pursue a limited number of modules, which might be at a lower level, from outside the disciplines associated with their chosen programme of study. Such modules are termed elective modules and are taken in place of an optional module in the programme of study for which a student is registered, provided that:

• The student satisfies entry requirements of the elective module;
• There are no timetabling problems;
• The appropriate member of staff from the ‘home’ Faculty/School approves the module as academically valid;
• And on the understanding that the elective module will not alter the title of the award for which the student is registered.

14.2

With the permission of the ‘home’ Faculty/School (which might be influenced by Professional Body requirements), students may be permitted or required to pursue certain modules of a lower level than the current level of study. The maximum credit for such modules is 20 points per session (for full-time students) and for both credit requirement and assessment purposes such modules are deemed to be at the higher level. The modules from the lower level must also be restricted to the level immediately below the current level of study for the student (i.e. level of study minus one level).

14.3

Candidates shall not be permitted to pursue compulsory modules at a lower level.

14.4

Candidates pursuing Advanced Initial Degrees shall not be permitted to take credits at a lower level in the final year of study since it is necessary to pursue 120 credits at Level 7.

14.5

Candidates shall not normally be permitted to pursue modules at a higher level than the level in which they are enrolled.

15.1

Candidates who wish to compensate for a possible failure in a module in Semester One may apply to their home Faculty/School to pursue a “substitute module” in Semester Two.

15.2

The marks of substitute modules pursued at Levels 5 or 6 and passed shall be capped at 40% regardless of the actual mark scored.

15.3

The marks of substitute modules pursued at Level 7 and passed shall be capped at 50% regardless of the actual mark scored.

16.1

Full-time candidates are allowed to pursue replacement modules under the following circumstance only:

• Students who have pursued a module beyond the 6th week of the first semester and who decide to withdraw from the module to pursue a replacement module during the second semester.

17.1

Candidates may be permitted to pursue modules which are not a requirement of the particular programme of study in addition to the full-time credit load of 120 credits.

17.2

Candidates shall be expected to enrol on such additional modules as an associate student.

18.1

Certain choices of modules may have to be restricted due to the nature of the subject matter concerned.

18.2

A Pre-requisite is a named module for which credit must have been attained before a student is allowed to enrol on another related and named module.

18.3

Co-requisites are linked modules that must both be taken to satisfy module requirements.

18.4

Modules taken in the first semester of the session may not be pre-requisites for modules taught in the second semester of the session. Where appropriate such modules will be co-requisites and will be subject to normal referral regulations.

18.5

Programme regulations may also stipulate that candidates taking module “A” may not also take module “B”. Such modules are called incompatibles.

18.6

It is the responsibility of the Faculty(ies)/School(s) concerned to designate modules as pre-requisites, co-requisites or incompatibles.

19.1

A Faculty/School handbook shall be made available to each candidate at or before the commencement of studies.

20.1

Students shall be permitted to transfer programmes of study provided that the transfer meets with the approval of the Faculty/School concerned. The requirements of the Education (Mandatory Award) Regulations shall also be taken into consideration. The University shall not normally permit any transfers of programmes in the final year of study and certainly not beyond the end of the first semester.

20.2

Transfers of programmes shall be forwarded to Education Services for final approval.

20.3

In the case of International students sponsored by the University, a transfer of programme is conditional upon holding a valid Student Route (previously Tier 4) visa. At the point of transfer, an assessment will be made as to whether the transfer meets current Student Route (previously Tier 4) legislation before it is approved. The assessment will include reference to the level of the new programme, the student’s current period of leave, the current time limits governing Student Route (previously Tier 4) study, whether the new programme meets a student’s “genuine career aspirations” and any other requirements specified by the UK Visa and Immigration Service (UKVI). Where the new programme cannot be completed within the period of existing Student Route (previously Tier 4) leave, the student will be required to leave the UK to make an application for further leave to complete the programme. For programmes requiring ATAS Clearance, International students must obtain clearance and provide a copy of the ATAS certificate to the University, before a transfer can be approved.

21.1

All candidates shall be permitted to transfer from one module to another provided that the transfer is approved by the relevant Faculty(ies)/School(s) within the following timescale:

Short modules (of one semester in duration): before the end of the 2nd week of teaching on the module concerned;

Long modules (of two semesters in duration): before the end of the 4th week of teaching on the module concerned.

21.2

Transfers outside these deadlines must be approved by the Chair of the Faculty Education Committee (or nominee).

21.3

Students will be expected to follow the procedures for transfers in force at the time and adopted by the Senate of the University.

22.1

The University expects students to adhere to the engagement requirements as outlined in the University’s Statement on Engagement.

23.1

Candidates shall be expected to attend all scheduled learning sessions associated with each module which they have elected to pursue.

23.2

Engagement shall be monitored in accordance with the University’s Engagement Monitoring Policy.

23.3

Progress shall be monitored through regular discussion sessions with Personal Tutors and through Examination Boards.

24.1

Suspension of studies shall be considered in accordance with the Swansea University Suspension of Studies regulations.

25.1

International students who need a visa to study in the University should be aware that their continued study at the University is dependent upon them meeting the conditions of their visa and the time-limits set by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). For more information please refer to UK Gov Visa and Immigration.

25.2

Decisions taken by the University with regard to a candidate’s enrolment status, academic performance, progression and award shall be made in accordance with the University’s academic and financial regulations and shall not be informed by visa restrictions and time-limits set by the UKVI. However, continued study is conditional upon meeting the University’s requirements and holding a valid visa.

Students who have any concerns or queries regarding their visa should contact International@CampusLife.

Faculties/Schools shall set deadlines for the submission of assessment. The Assessment, Marking and Feedback Policy details information relating to the scheduling, submission and late submission of assessment. 

27.1

The degree programme time limits, as set out in the specific regulations, may be extended, but in exceptional cases only and in accordance with the following criteria:

Normally, extensions will be granted only on compassionate grounds, or in cases of illness and serious domestic difficulties which can be demonstrated to have adversely affected the candidate. A full and reasoned case, supported by appropriate medical or other independent evidence, must be made by the Faculty/School for consideration by the University.

In cases which arise as a result of illness:

• Satisfactory medical evidence, including a medical certificate, must be supplied. (The extent and nature of the illness as described in the certificate are invaluable in assessing the case.)
• A clear statement must be supplied, showing that the Faculty/School concerned has evaluated the situation in which the candidate finds himself/herself as a result of the illness and that it considers the requested extension to be appropriate. Such a statement will, wherever possible, follow direct contact between candidate and Faculty/School.

27.2

Applications for extensions must be routed via the candidate’s Faculty/School to the Director of Education Services and the case will be considered administratively on behalf of the Regulations, Quality and Standards Board.

28.1

It shall be the candidate’s responsibility to inform the relevant authorities ie employer, partner institution and/or the relevant University academic Faculty(ies)/School(s) of any extenuating circumstances which might require specific support or consideration for assessment.

Candidates shall be required to produce appropriate documentation in support of their circumstances and all must be set out on the appropriate form and supported, where possible, by written evidence. Any request must be submitted to the Faculty/School as soon as practically possible and certainly before the examination or assessment in question.

28.2

A candidate requiring adjustments to their studies as a result of disability, long-standing medical condition, wellbeing difficulty or Specific Learning Difficulty should discuss their requirements with the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service. The candidate will be required to provide supporting documentary evidence to either the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service. The request for adjustments will not be implemented if supporting evidence is not provided.

28.3

Where an adjustment is needed and is supported by medical evidence, the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service will send their recommendations to the respective Disability Link Tutor for the candidate’s Faculty/School to act on.

28.4

A candidate requiring specific examination provision for their examinations should discuss their requirements with the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service. The candidate will be required to provide supporting documentary evidence to either the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service. The request for specific examination provision will not be implemented if appropriate supporting evidence is not provided.

28.5

Where a request is made for specific examination provision, the Disability Office or Wellbeing Service will send their recommendations to the Exams Office and to the respective Disability Link Tutor for the candidate’s Faculty/School. In the case of examinations arranged by the University Examinations Office, candidates will be required to confirm their exam arrangements with the Examinations Office. In the case of any examinations organised by the Faculty/School, candidates are advised to discuss their requirements with the Faculty/School and specific examination provisions will be implemented by the Faculty/School.

29.1

The University may, at its discretion, deem the performance of a candidate in study previously pursued and/or any prior experiential learning to count towards the requirements for the award of a degree and, therefore, exempt the student from certain modules or a level of study of an approved degree programme.

Requests for credit transfer shall be considered in accordance with the Policy and Procedures for the Recognition of Prior Learning at Swansea University.

30.1

Candidates on programmes of study that are additionally accredited for professional purposes at the University (e.g. Engineering, Psychology and Law) will not necessarily benefit from such accreditation if they have entered the University with credit transfer. It is the responsibility of the admitting Faculty/School to ensure that any professional accreditation requirements are met by candidates from their overall educational profile, and, where they are not, to advise candidates accordingly.

31.1

All examinations shall be conducted under the jurisdiction of the University’s Regulations and Procedures for the Operation of Examinations. The operation of the Examination Boards shall be conducted in accordance with the Undergraduate Assessment Regulations.

31.2

External examiners shall be nominated and appointed in accordance with the procedures detailed in the Swansea University Code of Practice for External Examiners.

32.1

Academic appeals shall be conducted in accordance with Swansea University Accuracy of Published Marks and Academic Appeals procedures.

33.1

Any allegation of unfair practice shall be considered in accordance with Swansea University Academic Misconduct procedures. 

34.1

Allegations of fitness to practise shall be considered in accordance with the Swansea University Fitness to Practise Regulations.