The Academic Programme

Introduction
Study Options 2008-9
Terms & Vacations
Course Units
Study Levels
Online Course Unit Selection
Study Plans
Assessment
Credit

Introduction

The structure of the Study Abroad Programme have been specially designed to provide you with a period of study which ensures academic coherence and intellectual stimulation combined with maximum flexibility and ease of access. A variety of Study Options enables you to be at Royal Holloway in a way which best suits your personal needs and the requirements of your programme of study at your home university. The assessment and credit transfer mechanisms are also designed to facilitate integration with your main degree studies.

We have also simplified the process for preparing and submitting an application so you have a clear idea of what to expect and what to do at each stage, and have good time to make the necessary preparations in advance of your stay at Royal Holloway.

Study Options 2008-9

You can enrol for the Study Abroad Programme on one of three Study Options. Each Study Option covers a different period of time. The periods of each Study Option are given below. A different programme fee is payable for the different Study Options.

However, please note that if you are applying via an official study abroad or exchange agreement, there may be restrictions on the Study Options available to you. If you are unsure about which Study Option is available to you, please contact your Study Abroad/Exchange Advisor at your university or email us at studyabroad@rhul.ac.uk.

 

Terms and Vacations

The academic year is divided into two semesters and an exam period, interspersed with a vacation at Christmas and a vacation at Easter. In 2008-9, the vacation periods run as follows:

Note that at Royal Holloway, the Summer Term is primarily reserved as a revision and examination period for material covered in both the Autumn and Spring semesters. Some departments run workshops and revision classes in the Summer Term, but new learning material and classes are not usually presented during this final term. It is important that you should bear this feature of the Royal Holloway calendar in mind when selecting your Study Option period

Course Units

Courses or classes at Royal Holloway are known as "course units". Each course unit is a structured entity providing thematic coherence, defined content and contact hours, specified learning outcomes, and progressive learning and assessment procedures.

Each academic department provides a wide range of course units, and most are grouped according to their suitability for first, second or final-year students. Course units vary in the level at which they are taught, but also in their credit value. Some course units are defined as a "whole unit" and some as a "half unit", depending on the intensity of delivery or the nature of the content. Four whole units is the maximum number a full-time student can register on in any given year.

For Study Option 1,, a student will normally enrol for the equivalent of four "whole units" (for example, three whole units and two half units, or two whole units and four half units). For Study Options 2 & 3, a student will normally enrol for the equivalent of two "whole units" (for example four half units or a combination of half and whole units).

When making your application, we recommend that you initially select more courses than the maximum number you will be allowed to study. This will give you greater flexibility in case there are changes in the availability of the selected courses. Therefore, we suggest that you initially select courses as follows:

We encourage you to apply for courses for which you meet normal pre-requisites. It is also important that you choose subjects and courses which you find appealing and interesting. In some cases, our department tutors may suggest an alternative selection which better matches your previous knowledge and your core interests.

We also recommend that you do not apply for study in more than two of our academic departments. Stretching yourself over more departments may spread your efforts too thinly and may also pose practical problems, such as timetable clashes. Furthermore, limiting your studies to a maximum of two departments will enable you to better integrate into their culture. Enjoying the camaraderie and company of your peers, and maintaining an 'identity' with the student body is an important feature of your studies.

Study Levels

Course units are designed to be studied at certain stages in an undergraduate curriculum within the framework of a structured degree programme. To this purpose, course units are designated according to "Levels". Where a course unit level is identified by a year number, - 1, 2 or 3 -, this means it is usually suitable for a first-year student (Fresher), a second-year student (Sophomore), or a third-year student (Junior or Finalist) respectively. Whereas various Level 1 courses may be taken without prior knowledge in the subject, Level 2 and 3 courses as "Higher/Advanced Level" options which may have some knowledge prerequisites.

UK students generally specialise at an earlier stage, in secondary (high) school, than their North American counterparts. Consequently, a level 1 course roughly corresponds to the US sophomore level. Level 2 and level 3 courses correspond to US junior (300 level) and senior levels respectively.

Most Study Abroad students will consider course units which build upon an existing level of knowledge or understanding which they have already acquired in their home university, and will thus typically be interested in Level 2 or 3 course units at Royal Holloway. Level 3 courses may be suitable if you have a strong academic background in a particular subject area. However, if you are interested in a course where the content is entirely new to you, you may wish to make selections from Level 1 course units.

Tutors in your own academic departments at home can often give advice as to which courses could be of special value to you, and the Study Abroad co-ordinators in the departments at Royal Holloway can give detailed guidance as to which of their course units will best match your background and interests.

Online Course Unit Selection

To make the application process easier, we have listed the course units for which you can enrol as a Study Abroad student on our online Study Abroad Course Catalogue. Each entry contains details of the course unit title and code, availability, a short description of the contents and aims, any prerequisites, the type of contact hours, and the assessment procedures.

When you apply for the Study Abroad Programme, you must list the courses you wish to take in the relevant section (Section D) in the application form (see Course Units above for information on how many courses to select).

If you are applying to Royal Holloway via a formal study abroad or exchange programme at your home university, you may need to select your courses in consultation with your own academic department(s). Home institutions may have restrictions on the type of courses you can take.

Study Plan

When you receive a formal offer of admission to the Study Abroad Programme at Royal Holloway, it will detail the Study Option for which you will be enrolled and the course units for which you will be registered. This will constitute your individual Study Plan to which you will be expected to adhere when you enrol with the College. Changes are only possible in case of timetable clashes or unforeseen changes to the schedule, structure, or contents of a course. Whilst it may possible for you to change course units that you do not think are a good choice for you, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to register on other courses of your choice, since many courses are popular and are usually full to capacity.

Assessment

Each of the course units for which Study Abroad students can enrol has its own specified assessment requirements. These will vary between course units and between departments, but may include a mixture of written papers, examinations, special tests, presentations or productions, or other practical assignments. The requirements for assessment are outlined in the individual course unit entries listed here. Where necessary, alternative assessment will be arranged in consultation between the Study Abroad Programme and the individual departments for students attending under Study Options 2, 3, 4 (i.e. those students not staying for term three and the exams). This will ensure that you receive an appropriate grading for transfer to your home institution. The table below shows how Royal Holloway's course units correlate to ECTS credits and into US semester hours.

Credit and Equivalence

In the Royal Holloway course unit system, a half course unit is roughly equivalent to four semester hours of credit, although this may vary depending upon your home institution. For institutions familiar with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), a half course unit is equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits.

Unlike the grading system in some international countries, marks in UK universities generally range between 40% (passmark) and 70%, and few students achieve scores higher than 70%. Consequently, a grade of 60-69% is considered very good. The grading scales currently used at Royal Holloway are shown below.

Credit Transfer

In order to qualify for credit transfer back to your home institution, you must complete all elements of the stipulated requirements by the deadline which your tutors lay down. At the end of your period of study at Royal Holloway, you should request the College to issue a transcript. The transcript will be produced within 30 days and normally sent to your home institution who will then calculate the credit value for inclusion in your degree award. The transcript will show the course title and code, the Royal Holloway mark (as a percentage), the outcome (ie pass or fail) and the ECTS credit equivalent.

Requesting Additional Transcripts

These may be requested from the Examinations & Timetabling Office (Registry), by accessing the on-line form here.

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