6.10 Progression requirements

To qualify for a Bachelor’s degree with Honours (see 2.1.2 above), the following standard credit requirements apply:

• i. Students must take modules totalling a minimum of 360* credits.
• ii. This is made up of 120 credits at levels 4, 5 and 6**, and students must meet the credit requirements, including the requirement that all compulsory modules must be passed (see section on assessment), at each level before progressing to the next.
• iii. However, to progress from level 4 to level 5, a maximum of 30 level 4 credits may be awarded via compensation marks (see section 6.12 below); and
• iv. To progress from level 5 to level 6, a maximum of 15 level 5 credits may be awarded via compensation marks (see section 6.12 below).
• v. 120 credits must be passed at level 6.

* For Bachelor’s degrees which include a foundation year, any requirements for progression from foundation level (3) to level 4 will be specified in the approved programme specification and student handbook. 

** For Bachelor’s degrees in a Language subject which include an integral language component, foreign language or Academic English modules may be taken to a maximum of 30 level 4 credits at the level 5 stage, and a maximum of 30 level 5 credits at the level 6 stage (i.e. students must take a minimum of 90 credits at level 6 in their final year). Compensation cannot be applied to modules taken outside their validated level. 

** For Bachelor’s degrees in a non-Language subject, but which include an integral language component, foreign language or Academic English modules may be taken to a maximum of 30 level 4 credits at the level 5 stage. Compensation cannot be applied to modules taken outside their validated level.

To qualify for an Integrated Masters degree with Honours (see 2.1.4 above), the following standard credit requirements apply:

• Students must take modules totalling a minimum of 480 credits.
• This is made up of 120 credits at levels 4, 5, 6 and 7, and students must meet the credit requirements, including the requirement that all compulsory modules must be passed (see section on assessment), at each level before progressing to the next.
• However, to progress from level 4 to level 5, a maximum of 30 level 4 credits may be awarded via compensation marks (see section 6.12 below); and
• To progress from level 5 to level 6, a maximum of 15 level 5 credits may be awarded via compensation marks (see section 6.12 below).
• To progress from level 6 to level 7, 120 credits must be passed - no compensation may be applied at level 6.
• 120 credits must be passed at level 7.

To qualify for a Foundation degree (see 1.1.3), the following standard credit requirements apply:

• Students must take modules totalling a minimum of 240 credits.
• This is made up of 120 credits at levels 4 and 5, and students must meet the credit requirements at level 4 before progressing to level 5.
• 120 credits must be passed at level 5.

Progression requirements may vary for Foundation degrees delivered through collaborative partnership arrangements, so please check your handbook for the rules which apply to your programme.  

Individual Master’s degree programmes may impose minimum performance requirements that must be fulfilled before a student may progress to the dissertation/project stage of the award. Any requirements relating to progression will be clearly set out in the approved programme specification and handbook.

The progress and status of all research students, including those studying for a professional doctorate, is reviewed annually. Students must satisfy the requirements set out for annual progress monitoring, which includes an interview with an independent assessor, reviewing chapters of the thesis and overall progress achieved during the year, training undertaken, fieldwork and data collection completed, or other discipline appropriate equivalents, as specified in the Programme Handbook. Students are required to produce a brief written annual progress report and, where appropriate, a particular chapter of their thesis as part of the annual monitoring assessment, though practice may vary, depending on the discipline of the research.

In addition to annual monitoring, the progress of research students will be assessed at the end of the first year of full-time or second year of part-time study, and this will include consideration of the likelihood of the candidate achieving the award of MPhil or PhD. For professional doctorates, this judgement is made at the point at which candidates may be able to exit with a Master’s degree if they fail to meet the requirements to register for the research component of the degree.

Students initially registered for the degree of MPhil only may apply for an exceptional transfer to PhD, following the same process. A candidate who is registered for the degree of PhD and who is unable to complete the approved programme of work may, at any time before the submission of the thesis for examination, apply to the Research Degree Committee, with the support of their supervisors, for their registration to revert to the award of MPhil.

Students registered for Professional doctorate programmes must fulfil the requirements of the MA/MSc exit award in order to be eligible to progress to the doctoral (level 8) stage of the award. Additional performance requirements may be in place for individual awards, and these will be detailed in the approved programme specification and handbook. Once students have entered the doctoral stage, the normal progress monitoring for research students will apply.