Progression

What you need to achieve so you can move on to your next year of study

The university has progression guidelines and sends out progression emails every year. We know the guidelines can be confusing so we’ve tried to break them down here. If you are studying a professional or accredited course, there may be some variations in what your School will allow, so check the 'Exemptions' and 'Variations' sections of your Programme Specification.

Foundation Year

You must get all 120 credits to progress onto your main degree programme. You must also get an average module mark, which will vary depending on the course you are entering. Please see the Foundation Year Routes page and select your course for information about what marks you need.

Level 4 to Level 5

You may be able to enter Level 5 with up to two failed modules (30 credits) if you have attempts remaining. If you are a dual honours or major/minor student you can only fail a maximum of one module in each subject.

Here is an easy guide to whether you can progress with missing credits:

Failed a module with an attempt left – you can progress.
Failed a module with no more attempts left – you must repeat (if still an option).
Failed too many modules – you must repeat (if still an option).

If you can’t progress to the next year you can choose a repeat option, which will be listed in your progression email.

If you’ve already repeated you will be withdrawn unless you have a case for an appeal.

Level 5 to Level 6

You may be able to enter Level 6 with one failed module (15 credits)if you have attempts remaining or you've failed an elective. You must pass all other modules and any outstanding modules from Level 4.

For an Integrated Master’s Degree, you must also achieve a minimum average module mark at Level 5 of 50%.

Here is an easy guide to whether you can progress with missing credits:

Failed a module with an attempt left – you can progress.
Failed a module with no more attempts left – you must repeat (if still an option).
Failed too many modules – you must repeat (if still an option).

If you can’t progress to the next year you can choose a repeat option, which will be listed in your progression email.

If you’ve already repeated you will be withdrawn unless you have a case for an appeal.

Module Condonement and Module Compensation

You may be able to get a failed module condoned or compensated under Regulation D5.

Module Condonement

If you’ve failed a module you may still be able to get the module condoned - this means the mark will stay but the credits will be given and module will be passed.

Courses that are subject to professional requirements may not be able to allow condonement. For example, there is no condonement available for Medicine and Nursing & Midwifery courses. Law students can have modules condoned but should be aware this could affect an LLB award (please check your course handbook for more information). The following courses will generally allow condonement:

Courses in the Faculty of Natural Sciences
Courses in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Pharmaceutical Science Technology and Business
Health and Wellbeing
Rehabilitation Science
Rehabilitation and Exercise Science

You can get 30 credits condoned in total across Levels 4 and 5 (first and second years) - either 15 credits in each year or 30 credits in one year and none in the other year. In Level 6 (third year) you can get up to 30 credits condoned.

Condonement is applied by the Exam Board at the end of the year if:

You’ve passed every other module;
You’ve used up all your attempts at the failed module;
Your mark is 35-39 (or 30-39 if you started your course before 2022/23);
The module isn’t a ‘qualified fail’.

For Integrated Masters you can get 45 credits condoned across Levels 4-6, with no more than 30 credits in each Level. At Level 7 you can get 35 credits condoned if you get marks in the 45-49 range (or 40-49 if you started your course before 2022/23).

Compensation on Undergraduate Programmes

*This is not available if you began your degree or repeated Level 4 in the 2022/23 academic year or later.*

For students who began their degree or repeated Level 4 before 2022/23: If a Level 5 or Level 6 student on one of the following courses has a module mark under 30 then module compensation could be given if the student has performed well in their other modules. You can read more about compensation on the University website.

This is currently only available for:

Mathematics (BSc Single and Dual honours)
Health and Rehabilitation (BSc)
Physics (BSc Single Honours and Dual Honours) - but not at Level 5 or for compulsory modules at Level 6
Astrophysics (BSc Single and Dual Honours) - but not at Level 5 or for compulsory modules at Level 6

Compensation on Taught Postgraduate Programmes

If you fail a module you may be able to get it compensated, which means the mark stays the same but you are awarded credits as if you had passed. You can get compensation on all taught postgraduate programmes inless your programme specification says otherwise.

To get a module compensated, you must have a mark of 45-49 and you must have a mark of at least 55 in other modules worth the same amount of credits. You can have up to 30 credits compensated. Dissertation or final project modules cannot be compensated.

Please note, if you have a module compensated you will not be able to achieve a higher award than a Pass.

Repeat Options

All students who need to repeat and haven’t already repeated will be given the option of Repeat Full-Time or Repeat Modular in their progression email.

You must tell Student Services which repeat option you’re choosing within 10 days of the email. Your email will advise you to discuss your options with the School and support services before making a decision.

Repeat Full-Time

You will retake the entire year, studying the full 120 credits again.

The marks you achieved this year will be wiped clean and you will start again with first attempts – this means all the marks in your repeat year will be uncapped.

If you choose this option there will be no need to take summer reassessments.

Repeat Modular

You will only repeat the failed modules, attending classes and taking assessments. You will start the modules again with first attempts so all marks in the repeat modules will be uncapped.

If you are choosing this option the university advises that you can still take any remaining assessment attempts over the summer, which could mean you have fewer modules to take next year.

Please note that you will be classed as a part-time student. This means you will not need to pay the full year’s tuition fee but this could affect your Student Finance entitlement for the year. If you’d like to talk to someone about the impact of going part-time please come into ASK.

If you are an international student this option could have an effect on your visa – please come into ASK for more information.

Reassessment Year

If you have attempts remaining in all your failed modules you may be offered a reassessment year in which to take them. You would not be attending any classes during that academic year; you would only take your remaining reassessments. Your marks would be capped, unless you have first attempts granted through ECs

A reassessment year does not count as a year of study for Student Finance funding as it is treated as taking a year out. You will not be charged any tuition fees but you also won't get any maintenance loan from Student Finance.

Appealing Against Your Progression Decision

You may be able to appeal if you can meet one of the appeal grounds, but please note you will not be allowed to progress to the next level with too many modules outstanding - this is because your workload could become too big.

The deadline for appeals is 10 calendar days after you're sent your official email from Student Records. If you’d like to look into appealing please visit our Appeals page.