Delivery of Programmes
The University will take all appropriate steps to deliver programmes and courses in line with the public information available via the University website, course catalogue the online prospectus, in addition to that communicated orally, such as that at University open days. We make every effort to ensure that the information provided to you is fair and accurate at the time of publication, however, as it is prepared well in advance of the academic session to which it applies, changes to the information presented may have occurred. We explain below to you why details of your programme might change, and how you will be informed of this.
Changes to Programmes and Courses: why might these be made?
All changes are approved by the Quality Assurance Committee with an aim to safeguard academic standards and ensure the quality of the student learning experience. Students' best interests are at the heart of the decision making process, and changes will be implemented in a way which minimises impact.
We normally only make changes where they are:
- advantageous for students, for example where a change will enable us to keep our teaching up-to-date with the latest research developments;
- for the maintenance of academic standards, for example where a change is required to maintain compliance with the UK Quality Code;
- required to secure our legal or regulatory compliance, for example if a change is required to maintain or gain a Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body accreditation;
- the result of annual course and programme reviews, taking into account feedback from students, staff and employers;
- due to changes in staffing, for example, due to staff illness or staff departures where the specialist nature of teaching means it is not possible to cover from existing resources and alternative courses are not available.
If changes occur we will ensure that the range of courses available for you to choose from delivers the published learning aims and outcomes of the programme for which you are enrolled.
Minor Changes to Programmes and Courses
A minor change is a small adjustment that does not impact significantly on the student learning experience. An example of this would be the inclusion of a new optional course, a replacement course, or a change in method of assessment. Where the changes are minor, they will be reflected through routine online publications; the University Calendar, Course Catalogue, and the online prospectus, all of which are updated annually.
Major Changes to Programmes and Courses
A major change could be the removal of, or change to, a prescribed course, a change in programme title, or, if necessary, the withdrawal of a programme. Changes to courses will be reflected through routine online publications; the University Calendar, Course Catalogue, and the online prospectus, all of which are updated annually. Students will be advised to check these online publications annually, in order to ensure that they are aware of any such changes.
We try to run all programmes we advertise and for which we have made offers. However, on very rare occasions we may need to discontinue or suspend a programme if the number of students who have applied for the programme is insufficient to make the programme viable, or if there is a change to the law, regulatory framework or Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body requirement which we are unable to meet. If such an instance occurs we will inform applicants as soon as possible, explaining the reasons for doing so, and will endeavour to offer you a suitable alternative programme.
If the title of your programme undergoes any change, we will write to you explaining why and to provide information on the content of the degree.
Course Availability
Many of our programmes offer students flexibility of study, with optional courses to choose from. However, while every student will be able to take appropriate courses in the programme for which they are registered, we cannot guarantee that all course options will always be available to students who are qualified to take them. This may be because some options offered are subject to minimum levels of demand or have a limit on the number of students they are able to take. Combinations of optional courses are subject to timetabling constraints, and so the combination of courses you may have previously considered my not be possible to fit together.