Postgraduate Regulations

These regulations apply to all students registered, or seeking registration on postgraduate programmes, except those registered, or seeking registration on programmes leading to the degree of MPhil or PhD, who are instead subject to the Research Degree Regulations.

• Admission to the College
• Registration and Enrolment
• Programmes and Awards
• Courses
• Examination of the DClinPsy Thesis
• Award of Taught Masters Degrees, Certificates and Diplomas
• Termination of Registration for Courses and Programmes
• Appeals
• Extramural Study
• Credit Transfer

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Admission to the College

1. In order to be admitted as a student of the College, an applicant must:

(a) be at least 16 years of age on the published start date of the programme;

(b) satisfy or be exempted from the General Entrance Requirements set out in the College prospectus;

(c) be demonstrably proficient in spoken and written English to the satisfaction of the College before commencing the programme of study;

(d) satisfy or be exempted from additional entrance requirements where prescribed for individual programmes.

Qualifications presented for consideration must be in approved subjects, and there may be restrictions against the combination of certain overlapping subjects. An applicant who has already obtained an Honours Degree or an Integrated Masters Degree will only be admitted to a programme which the College has judged to be sufficiently different from that already completed.

2. In assessing an applicant who does not possess the normal qualifications for entry, the College will seek evidence that s/he:

(a) can study at the required level;

(b) has achieved the specific learning outcomes, including professional competencies and proficiency in spoken and written English, required for admission to the programme;

(c) has a broad general education.

The College may set qualifying examinations where it is not satisfied that prior learning has been verified through reliable and valid assessment.

3. Applicants with qualifications or credit at tertiary level, or other relevant qualifications or experience, may be considered for admission with advanced standing in the form of credits or exemptions under the provisions of paragraphs 97-98.

4. Applicants will be asked to give details of special needs so that the College can advise them provisionally on the level of support available. Information provided for this purpose will play no part in assessing an application for admission to the College.

5. The College operates procedures for considering applications from people with criminal convictions or legal charges still pending. Further conditions for admission in respect of these matters may be specified in the regulations for individual programmes leading to the award of a professional qualification or membership of a professional body.

6. A contract is formed between the College and the applicant as soon as the offer of admission to the College has been accepted. Acceptance of an offer is expressly subject to the terms of this contract, which include the requirement that students will comply with the conditions of enrolment with the College.

7. Any person, including students of other universities, may seek admission to the College as a Visiting Student to follow an agreed diet of courses which does not lead to an academic award. The rights of Visiting Students to attend classes, submit work for assessment and use College facilities will be stated either in an exchange agreement between the College and the student’s home institution or in the student’s formal offer of admission.

Registration and Enrolment

Registration

8. To be eligible for registration as a student of the College, a candidate must have applied for and been formally offered admission, and have satisfied the academic and other conditions of admission.

9. Registration with the College is subject to the following general restrictions:

(a) no student may register concurrently for more than one programme for which the requirements of the final award have not been completed, unless special provision has been made in the regulations for the individual programme(s);

(b) no student may register concurrently as a student of another institution, unless s/he has been admitted as a Visiting Student;

(c) Visiting Students may not register for programmes which lead to an academic award.

10. Students who register with the College retain their registration status until they graduate, withdraw permanently from their programme or have their registration terminated. Students are required to give notice in writing to the Academic Registrar before withdrawing.

11. A student’s registration with the College may be terminated at any time on academic grounds under the provisions of paragraphs 69-77.

12. Communications sent from the College or the University to an individual student must be regarded as applying to that student only.

Enrolment

13. Save for the provisions of paragraph 24, students must enrol for each year of their studies by paying, or making arrangements acceptable to the College to pay, the appropriate tuition fees and any outstanding debts with the College, and by completing and signing an enrolment form.

14. It is a condition of enrolment that students agree to abide by and submit to the College Statutes, Regulations and Rules, as amended from time to time by the Academic Board and Council. Without prejudice to the generality of that statement, these include the academic regulations, the fee regulations, the library and computing regulations, arrangements for hearing appeals and grievances, codes of discipline, fitness to practice regulations, safety rules and arrangements in respect of the Data Protection Act. Failure to comply may result in the termination of the student’s registration.

15. Enrolment gives students the right to attend classes, receive tuition or supervision and have access to relevant College facilities, subject to any particular arrangements for Visiting Students.

16. Students who enrol later than the advertised dates without prior approval and in the absence of medical or other good cause may be liable for a late enrolment charge.

17. The amount of paid work undertaken by a student enrolled with the College on a full-time basis shall not exceed 20 hours per week during term time. No student may undertake paid work which may conflict with his/her responsibilities as a student of the College.

Programmes and Awards

Nomenclature of awards

18. The College awards the following degrees of the University of London:

Taught Masters Degrees
Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Music (MMus)
Master of Science (MSc)

Specialist Doctorates
Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

19. The College awards Postgraduate Certificates (PgCert) and Postgraduate Diplomas (PgDip) of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College.

Structure of programmes

20. The structure of programmes and any requirements in respect of course choices, assessment and progression, will be specified in the regulations for the individual programme, subject to the following minimum requirements:

(a) programmes leading to the award of MA, MBA, MMus and MSc will comprise courses leading to the assessment of at least 1,800 notional learning hours at HE Masters Level, including the preparation of a significant piece of individual work of between 10,000 and 20,000 words;

(b) programmes leading to the award of DClinPsy will include elements of a practical, vocational and professional nature as well as formally-taught elements, and will include a substantial research element at HE Doctorate Level which is of a nature appropriate to the discipline and is presented in the form of a thesis;

(c) programmes leading to the award of PgDip will comprise courses leading to the assessment of at least 1,200 notional learning hours at HE Masters Level;

(d) programmes leading to the award of PgCert will comprise one or more courses leading to the assessment of at least 400 notional learning hours at HE Masters Level.

21. The College reserves the right to vary the content and delivery of programmes of study, to discontinue, merge, or combine programmes, and to introduce new programmes if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the College. Such change may occur either before or after admission. Students will be informed, as soon as is practicable, of any substantial changes which might affect their programme.

22. The College aims to offer flexibility within programmes of study. However, while every student will be able to take courses appropriate to the programme for which s/he is registered, no timetable can guarantee that all options will be available to all students qualified to take them.

Period of study

23. Programmes may be offered as a period of full time study and/or a period of part time study as specified in the regulations for individual programmes. The period of study for programmes leading to the award of a Specialist Doctorate will be three calendar years of full-time study, or the equivalent of part-time study.

24. The period of study shall normally be continuous. The Academic Registrar may permit a student to interrupt his/her studies for up to 24 months on financial, medical or personal grounds on the recommendation of the student’s Head(s) of Department or School. A student may only interrupt his/her studies for more than 24 months, whether consecutively or otherwise, with the permission of the College Board of Examiners Executive Committee. Students who have interrupted their studies remain registered students of the College and subject to College Regulations, but do not have the right to attend classes, use College facilities, or receive tuition or supervision other than occasional access to tutors by arrangement.

Transfer of programme

25. Where programmes are designed to allow students to gain either a Taught Masters Degree, a Postgraduate Diploma or a Postgraduate Certificate by following different proportions of a common curriculum, a student may apply to transfer from one programme to another within the common curriculum where provision is made for this in the regulations for the individual programme. The criteria on which any such application will be considered, which must be met before the point of transfer, will be set out in the regulations for the individual programmes, and will specify:

(a) the point(s) at which transfer may take place;

(b) the minimum levels of achievement required to be eligible to transfer from one programme to another;

(c) the requirement that the student must satisfy the normal conditions for admission to the new programme.

26. A student may transfer between programmes leading to a Taught Masters Degree and a Research Degree subject to the following conditions being met before the point of transfer:

(a) the student must satisfy the normal conditions for admission to the new programme;

(b) the student must satisfy the requirements of the new programme, including any in respect of skills development, up to the proposed point of entry;

(c) the transfer must be approved by the department(s) or school(s) responsible for the programmes in question;

(d) the transfer must take place before the student has been entered for the final examination in the current programme.

Registration on the new programme may date from initial registration on the programme from which transfer has been made.

Courses

Registration for courses

27. It is a requirement of enrolment with the College that a student registers for courses as specified in the individual regulations for the programme and in accordance with procedures and deadlines published by the Academic Registrar. Students enrolled for a repeat year must register for courses specified by their Head(s) of Department or School.

28. The regulations for an individual programme may provide for a student to register, subject to the agreement of his/her Head(s) of Department or School, for one or more courses taught outside the College. In such cases, the student will be subject to the regulations of the other institution as well as those of Royal Holloway. Otherwise students must follow the entire programme at the College under the direction of teachers of the University.

29. A student may not register for a course s/he has previously taken and passed or which is deemed to overlap with any other course s/he has previously taken and passed.

30. A student who gains an overall outcome of Fail or Incomplete in a course on the first attempt may be permitted to repeat the course and assessment, subject to availability, by registering a second (final) time in the next academic session. Such students will be required to satisfy afresh the course requirements in respect of attendance and submission of work.

Attendance and submission of work

31. It is a requirement of enrolment with the College that a student attends as far as reasonably possible all parts of the course(s) for which s/he is registered and presents all set work for assessment within specified deadlines.

32. Where in the absence of a satisfactory and adequately documented reason a student has failed to satisfy the requirements for attendance or submission of work specified for one or more courses, the Head of Department or School responsible for the course may terminate that student’s registration for the course under the provisions of paragraphs 69-77.   In addition, for students holding a General Student Visa, the College has obligations placed on it to report non-attendance to the UK Border Agency.

33. A student who is not registered for a course, or whose registration for a course has been terminated, may not attend classes, submit work or have access to facilities for that course.

Methods and conduct of course assessment

34. Methods of assessment will be determined in order to measure the specific learning outcomes of each course and will be communicated to students in the course specifications.

35. Special arrangements may be made in order for students with disabilities and/or specific injuries or conditions to undertake assessment in accordance with the Regulations on Special Assessment Arrangements.

36. Sub-boards of Examiners have discretion to use alternative methods of assessment to those stated in the course specifications for individual candidates when making special assessment arrangements for students with registered disabilities, subject to the following requirements:

(a) the alternative assessment must involve some additional assessment activity which constitutes a justifiable and efficient assessment of the intended learning outcomes;

(b) the alternative assessment must be scheduled so that a final outcome can be agreed by the Sub-board before the beginning of the next academic session, or in the case of candidates under consideration for award classification, before or during the normal Sub-board meeting held to determine award classifications;

(c) where a student has also requested special assessment arrangements under the provisions of paragraph 35, details of any alternative assessment methods must be submitted to the College Board of Examiners Executive Committee for consideration at the same time;

(d) a full statement of the alternative method of assessment and the reasons for which it was used will be recorded in the minutes of the Sub-board meeting.

37. Save for the provisions of paragraph 35, candidates may consult or use during an examination only those materials listed in the rubric for the examination. Candidates may be required to use materials or instruments provided by the College.

38. Assessment offences will be investigated in accordance with the Regulations on Assessment Offences.

39. All assessed work must be written in English unless instructions are given to the contrary. Dictionaries may not normally be used in formal examinations for the purpose of enabling candidates to overcome any deficiencies in their command of English language.

40. All work submitted for assessment, and any materials confiscated during an examination, will remain the property of the College.

Entry for course examinations

41. By registering for a course, a student is also deemed to have entered him/herself for examination in that course.

42. A student who gains an overall outcome of Fail in a course on the first attempt may, subject to availability and any resource constraints, be permitted to resit or resubmit any part of the course assessment not passed on the first attempt by entering him/herself for examination in that course a second (final) time without registering to take the course again. Otherwise a student may not be assessed in a course for which s/he was not registered that academic session. Save for the provisions of paragraph 43, a student will be expected to resit in the next academic year after failing the first attempt.

43. A candidate may apply to the Sub-board of Examiners for permission to defer any part of the assessment on grounds of illness or other acceptable cause for which certification must be provided. Such a candidate will not be regarded as having made an attempt at the course assessment on that occasion.

Outcomes of course assessment

44. In order to qualify for final consideration in a course by the Sub-board of Examiners, a candidate must first:

(a) have satisfied the attendance requirements specified for the course;

(b) have completed and presented for assessment all work specified for the course within specified deadlines.

45. The Sub-board of Examiners will determine an outcome for each candidate who qualifies for final consideration, as follows:

(a) save for the provisions of (b) below, an outcome of Pass (P) with a percentage mark recorded as an integer in the range 50–100% inclusive will be returned where the candidate has achieved a mark of at least 50% overall and in all elements of the assessment which carry an individual pass requirement;

(b) where special provision is made in the regulations for the individual programme, an outcome of Distinction (D) with a percentage mark recorded as an integer in the range 70–100% inclusive will be returned where the candidate has achieved a mark of at least 70% overall, and a mark of at least 50% in all elements of the assessment which carry an individual pass requirement;

(c) an outcome of Fail (F) with a percentage mark recorded as an integer in the range 0–49% inclusive will be returned where the candidate has achieved a mark of 49% or below overall, or in any element of the assessment which carries an individual pass requirement.

46. The assessment of a candidate who does not qualify for final consideration will be marked Incomplete (IN) without a percentage mark.

47. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 78-85, the outcomes of course assessment shall be final and binding on all candidates.

48. Marks and grades communicated to students during the academic session for items of in-course assessment are subject to change and will have no formal status until they have been considered and decided upon by the appropriate Board(s) of Examiners.

49. Final marks and grades will be issued to candidates by the Academic Registrar after they have been determined by the appropriate Board(s) of Examiners. Formal notification or confirmation of results will not be given to students deemed to be in debt to the College or the University.

Examination of the DClinPsy Thesis

Requirements of the DClinPsy thesis

50. The thesis shall:

(a) consist of the candidate’s own account of his/her investigations, indicating in what respects they advance the study of the subject;

(b) form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality shown by the discovery of new facts and/or the exercise of independent critical power;

(c) be appropriate to the subject concerned, having regard to the other formally assessed elements for the degree;

(d) be not less than 25,000 words in length;

(e) be written in English to a satisfactory standard of literary presentation;

(f) be presented in typescript or print and bound in accordance with instructions issued by the Academic Registrar.

51. A candidate may not submit a thesis which has already been submitted for a degree or comparable award of the College or another institution. Work which has already been submitted in this way may, however, be incorporated in a thesis covering a wider field, provided this is indicated on the examination entry form and in the thesis itself.

52. A candidate may submit the results of work done in conjunction with the supervisor or with other researchers, provided the personal share in the investigation is clearly stated and certified by the supervisor.

53. Published work may be included only if it forms an integral part of the thesis and makes a relevant contribution to the main theme of the thesis. A series of publications alone is not acceptable as a thesis. The personal share in publications in joint names must be clearly stated and certified by the supervisor.

54. A candidate may submit as supplementary material in support of his/her candidature any published contribution to the advancement of the subject. Such material should normally be bound in at the end of the thesis in its published form, with appropriate references made in the body of the thesis. The personal share in publications in joint names must be clearly stated and certified by the supervisor.

55. A thesis will normally be placed in the public domain immediately after the award of the degree. Exceptions to this requirement will normally be made only on the grounds of commercial exploitation or patenting or in very exceptional circumstances and will be granted for a maximum period of two years.

Conduct of the DClinPsy thesis examination

56. A candidate must satisfy the examiners in all other elements of the assessment for the programme before submitting the thesis for examination.

57. Examiners for the thesis will be appointed by the College Board of Examiners Executive Committee, which will ensure that:

(a) the examiners are expert in the field of the thesis and able to make an independent assessment of the student;

(b) at least one of the examiners is external to the University of London;

(c) one examiner is from another college of the University of London, except where this is deemed impracticable or inappropriate;

(d) a candidate is not examined by his/her own supervisor, except in the most exceptional circumstances, in which case three examiners in total must be appointed.

58. After reading the thesis the examiners will:

(a) prepare independent written reports on the thesis prior to the oral examination;

(b) examine the candidate orally with only themselves, the candidate and, subject to the candidate’s agreement, the supervisor present, save for the provisions of paragraph 59(c-f).

The examiners may examine the candidate in addition by written and/or practical assessments on subjects relevant to the thesis.

59. There are six options open to the examiners in determining the result of the final examination as follows.

(a) If the thesis is adequate and the candidate satisfies the examiners in all other parts of the examination, the examiners will report that the candidate has satisfied them in the examination for the degree.

(b) If the thesis is otherwise adequate but requires minor amendments and if the candidate satisfies the examiners in all other parts of the examination, the examiners may require the candidate to make amendments specified by them within three months.

(c) If the thesis, though inadequate, shall seem of sufficient merit to justify such action, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present the thesis in a revised form within 18 months. Examiners shall not, however, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination. The examiners may at their discretion exempt from a further oral examination, on the re-presentation of the thesis, a candidate who under this regulation has been permitted to re-present it in a revised form.

(d) If the thesis is adequate, but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the oral examination, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present the same thesis, and submit a further oral examination within a period specified by them and not exceeding 18 months.

(e) The examiners may determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination. The examiners shall not, however, save in very exceptional circumstances, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination.

60. In the event that unanimity is not achieved on the result of the thesis by the examiners, a third examiner, appointed according to the procedure given in paragraph 57 shall be asked to advise. Each examiner will write a report on the examination and submit these to the Chair of the Academic Board, who will conduct an inquiry, taking advice as s/he shall determine, before reaching a decision in the matter.

61. The examiners for the thesis shall provide a detailed and reasoned statement of their judgement of the candidate’s performance and for the decision they have reached, and this report shall be made available to the candidate for her/his personal information.

Award of Taught Masters Degrees, Certificates and Diplomas

Consideration and classification of candidates for the award

62. To be eligible for the award of a Taught Masters Degree, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate a candidate must satisfy the examiners in the assessment prescribed in the regulations for the programme within two years of satisfactory completion of the prescribed period of study.

63. The examiners will determine an award classification for each student using the scheme specified in the regulations for the programme, which will:

(a) include a schedule of course elements which count towards the final assessment and their relative weightings;

(b) satisfy or exceed the minimum criteria stated in paragraphs 64-65.

64. The following minimum criteria shall apply for the award of Taught Masters Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates:

(a) for the award of Pass, an outcome of Pass in all course elements which count towards the final assessment, save for the provisions of paragraph 65;

(b) for the award of Merit, only where provision is made for this in the regulations for the programme, an outcome of Pass in all course elements which count towards the final assessment, and a weighted average of 65.00% or above, calculated to two decimal places, in the final assessment;

(c) for the award of Distinction, only where provision is made for this in the regulations for the programme, a mark of at least 60% in all course elements which count towards the final assessment, and a weighted average of 70.00% or above, calculated to two decimal places, in the final assessment.

A candidate who has taken more than one attempt at any course element counting towards the final assessment will not normally be considered for the award of Distinction.

65. The examiners may, at their discretion and with the agreement of the Visiting Examiner(s), condone a mark of Fail in elements constituting up to one quarter of the final assessment, except that the percentage score in any such element may not normally be below 40%. Course elements in which a mark of Fail may not be condoned will be specified in the programme regulations.

66. Save for the provisions of paragraphs 30, 42 and 65, a candidate who has been given an outcome of Fail in one or more assessed elements will be given an outcome of Fail in the programme overall.

67. Candidates registered for a postgraduate programme who do not satisfy the requirements for the award may be considered for a Graduate Certificate or Diploma where provision is made for this in the regulations for the programme.

68. Where programmes are designed to allow students to gain either a Taught Masters Degree, a Postgraduate Diploma or a Postgraduate Certificate by following different proportions of a common curriculum, candidates will normally receive only the highest award for which they have qualified.

Termination of Registration for Courses and Programmes

Termination of registration

69. A Head of Department or School may terminate a student’s registration for a course where, in the absence of a satisfactory and adequately documented reason, the student has failed to satisfy the requirements for attendance or submission of work specified for the course. In such cases the Head of Department or School will follow the formal warning procedure set out in paragraphs 73-77.

70. A Head of Department or School may make a recommendation to the Principal to terminate a student’s registration for a programme on any of the following grounds:

(a) work of an unsatisfactory standard;

(b) poor attendance;

(c) failure to produce set work;

(d) failure in departmental examinations.

In such cases the Head of Department or School will follow the formal warning procedure set out in paragraphs 73-77.

71. The College Board of Examiners may terminate a student’s registration with the College for failing to satisfy the requirements for progression to the next stage of his/her programme, or for failing the final examination. The College Board of Examiners will not follow the formal warning procedure.

72. The Academic Registrar or a nominee shall write to each student whose registration has been terminated informing him/her of the decision and the reasons for it, of the right to appeal against the decision and the appeal procedure (see paragraphs 86-93), and of the date by which any appeal must be submitted.

Formal warning procedure

73. Where a student’s record of attendance, academic performance or productivity is unsatisfactory to the extent that it would be appropriate to terminate the student’s registration, the Head(s) of Department or School shall issue the student with two formal warnings by letter. If the Head of Department or School is the student’s Personal Adviser, it may be appropriate for a different member of staff to be involved in making such a recommendation and in monitoring the student’s progress.

74. Each letter shall state the reason(s) for the warning, the nature of any requirement made of the student in order to demonstrate improvement and the period of time within which this is to be done in order for the student to avoid his/her registration being terminated. The second letter of formal warning shall state the fact that it is the final warning.

75. At least four weeks, or three weeks in the case of courses taught over only one term, must elapse between the first and second formal warnings in order to give adequate time for the student to demonstrate a satisfactory level of improvement.

76. At each warning the student will be offered the opportunity to submit a written response and/or to meet with the Head(s) of Department or School in order to discuss the grounds for the warning. The student may be accompanied at the meeting by another student or member of staff of the College. The Head(s) of Department or School may set the warning aside and confirm this decision to the student by letter on provision of satisfactory and adequately documented explanation for the student’s record of attendance, academic performance or productivity. Formal warnings which have not been set aside will remain active for the duration of the student’s programme of study.

77. If after the second letter of formal warning there is insufficient improvement, it may be decided to recommend that the student’s registration should be terminated. The Head(s) of Department or School shall communicate the decision and the grounds for it in writing to the Academic Registrar. In cases where a student’s registration on a programme is to be terminated under the provisions of paragraph 70, the Academic Registrar will present the case to the Principal, who will make a final decision, based on the particular circumstances.

Appeals

Representations against the outcomes of examinations

78. A student may appeal against the outcome of an examination only on one or more of the following grounds:

(a) that the student’s performance in the examination was substantially affected by circumstances of which the examiners had not been made aware and which the student could not with reasonable diligence have disclosed before the outcome had been determined;

(b) that there were procedural irregularities in the conduct of the examination, or administrative errors, which might cause reasonable doubt as to whether the outcome would have been the same if the irregularities or errors had not occurred;

(c) that there is evidence of prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners such that the outcome should not be allowed to stand.

79. Appeals must be submitted in writing by the student to the Head of Academic Development within one month of the date on which the student was formally notified of the outcome of the examination. The student’s submission must include:

(a) a statement of all the matters which the student wishes to be investigated and taken into account, which specifies how these matters relate to the grounds for appeal in paragraph 78 and lead the student to believe that the outcome of the examination was unfair;

(b) a statement of the student’s desired outcome from the appeal;

(c) copies of all documentary evidence on which the student wishes to rely in the appeal, and where relevant an explanation for why the student was previously unable to submit any of the evidence or information for consideration by the examiners;

(d) in the case of appeals made in reference to paragraph 78(c), a signed record by the student of all comments or remarks made by the examiners which, in the student’s view, indicate prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment.

80. The Head of Academic Development may dismiss any appeal which in his/her opinion does not fall within the remit or these regulations, fails to present reasonable grounds or fails to provide sufficient evidence in support of the student’s claims. Where there are inadequate grounds for an appeal or insufficient evidence, the Head of Academic Development may give the student one opportunity to address the deficiencies before deciding to dismiss the appeal. Where the appeal does not fall within the remit of these regulations the Head of Academic Development may recommend an alternative route for consideration of the student’s concerns. If an appeal is considered by the Head of Academic Development to be frivolous or malicious, the student may be liable for disciplinary action under the Student Disciplinary Regulations.

81. Appeals which are not dismissed under the provisions of paragraph 80 will be investigated by the Head of Academic Development or his/her nominee. Normally the investigation will be conducted through written correspondence and may include requests to any individual or party for representations, additional information or an expert opinion. The Head of Academic Development may also decide to meet with one or more individuals as part of the investigation, in which case a written record will be kept of any matters arising during the meeting which are relevant to the investigation and would be likely to influence the outcome. Where the Head of Academic Development decides to meet with the student, the student may be accompanied by another student or member of staff of the College, otherwise all such meetings shall be held in private.

82. A student who wishes to abandon or withdraw an appeal at any stage must inform the Head of Academic Development immediately in writing. The Head of Academic Development will then determine how to proceed, taking account of the available evidence and the matters raised by the student in the appeal.

83. Following his/her investigation, the Head of Academic Development will decide on one of the following outcomes.

(a) Reject the appeal, in which case the original outcome of the examination shall stand.

(b) Ask the original examiners to reconsider their decision, the outcome of which shall be final.

(c) Set the original examination aside and to arrange for another examination to be conducted, the outcome of which shall be final. The Head of Academic Development may make stipulations about the conduct of the examination.

84. In addition to the provisions of paragraph 83, the Head of Academic Development may make any recommendations which s/he deems to be appropriate in the light of his/her investigation.

85. The Head of Academic Development will inform the student in writing of his/her decision and the reasons for it, as well as the student’s right to request that the decision be reviewed by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

Appeals against termination of registration

86. A student may appeal against a decision to terminate his/her registration on one or both of the following grounds:

(a) that there is evidence of a failure to follow the procedures set out in paragraphs 73-77 which might cause reasonable doubt as to the fairness of the decision to terminate the student’s registration;

(b) that fresh evidence can be presented which the student could not with reasonable diligence have disclosed before the decision to terminate his/her registration was made and which might cause reasonable doubt as to the fairness of that decision.

87. Appeals must be submitted in writing by the student to the Head of Academic Development within one month of the date on which the student was formally notified of the decision to terminate his/her registration. The student’s submission must include:

(a) a statement of all the matters which the student wishes to be investigated and taken into account, which specifies how these matters relate to the grounds for appeal in paragraph 86 and lead the student to believe that the decision to terminate his/her registration was unfair;

(b) a statement of the student’s desired outcome from the appeal;

(c) copies of all documentary evidence on which the student wishes to rely in the appeal, and where relevant an explanation for why the student was previously unable to disclose any of the evidence or information.

88. The Head of Academic Development may dismiss any appeal which in his/her opinion does not fall within the remit or these regulations, fails to present reasonable grounds or fails to provide sufficient evidence in support of the student’s claims. Where there are inadequate grounds for an appeal or insufficient evidence, the Head of Academic Development may give the student one opportunity to address the deficiencies before deciding to dismiss the appeal. Where the appeal does not fall within the remit of these regulations the Head of Academic Development may recommend an alternative route for consideration of the student’s concerns.

89. Appeals which are not dismissed under the provisions of paragraph 88 will be investigated in the first instance by the Head of Academic Development or his/her nominee. The student’s registration will be provisionally reinstated pending the outcome. The investigation will be conducted through written correspondence and may include requests to any individual or party for representations, additional information or an expert opinion.

90. The findings from the investigation by the Head of Academic Development will be presented in writing to a Vice-Principal, who will determine one of the following courses of action:

(a) to reinstate the student’s registration in full subject to any conditions which s/he may wish to impose;

(b) to confirm the decision to terminate the student’s registration;

(c) to convene an Appeals Committee under the provisions of paragraph 91 to investigate the matter further through a formal hearing.

91. The Appeals Committee will comprise the Vice-Principal as Chair, the Dean from a faculty in which the student has studied, and two other members of academic staff from the faculty/faculties in which the student has studied, but not from the student’s department(s) or school(s). The Head of Academic Development shall be responsible for setting the date and place of the hearing, for notifying members of the Committee and the student of the arrangements, and for sending copies of all relevant documentation to members of the Committee and the student in advance. The Appeals Committee may invite one or more representatives from the student’s department or school to attend all or part of the hearing for the purpose of answering questions. The student may be accompanied by another student or member of staff of the College to assist in presenting his/her case, otherwise the hearing will be conducted in private.

92. A student who wishes to abandon or withdraw an appeal at any stage must inform the Head of Academic Development immediately in writing. The Head of Academic Development will then determine how to proceed, taking account of the available evidence and the matters raised by the student in the appeal.

93. The Head of Academic Development will inform the student in writing of the Vice-Principal’s decision and the reasons for it, as well as the student’s right to request that the decision be reviewed by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

Extramural Study

94. The College may offer programmes which require students to study abroad, in the field or in an industrial or professional setting. Requirements for the period of extramural study, including those of attendance and submission of work, will be stated in the regulations for individual programmes. In exceptional cases, the College may grant exemption from the period of extramural study for students whose personal circumstances would make it inappropriate, and stipulate alternative requirements for such students as it sees fit. The arrangements for any study abroad should normally be facilitated by the Royal Holloway International Office.

95. During the period of extramural study the student will be subject to the regulations of the host institution in addition to those of Royal Holloway, and will be expected to satisfy the normal requirements of the host institution in respect of attendance and submission of work for the courses for which s/he is registered.

96. The host institution will be responsible for providing the student with a formal transcript of his/her results and for hearing appeals and complaints in respect of the period of extramural study in accordance with its own regulations and procedures.

Credit Transfer

97. Credit may be recorded either as marks to be taken into account when considering the candidate for the award or as exemption from part of the programme. Credit given for learning which has already contributed to an award may only be recorded as exemption from part of the programme. The following general conditions apply:

(a) credit will be given only for learning which has been verified through reliable and valid assessment;

(b) the institution at which the learning has taken place and its arrangements for the assessment of students must have been approved for the purposes of credit transfer by the Academic Board or as part of an Institutional Contract;

(c) the College will only consider for the purposes of credit transfer information on courses and examination results provided and certified by the appropriate officer at the institution responsible for the delivery of those courses;

(d) credit will not normally be given for learning undertaken over seven years before the published start of the programme at the College;

(e) credit may be granted only in up to the first two thirds of the programme;

(f) where credit is to be recorded as marks to be taken into account when considering the candidate for the award, the marks gained by the candidate at the other institution may be scaled to reflect any differences in marking practices, using a scheme approved for this purpose by the College Board of Examiners Executive Committee.

98. Applications for credit transfer will be considered in the context of approved courses and programmes of the College in order to ensure that all students are assessed in reference to the learning outcomes specified for the award. To this end:

(a) credit will only be given for learning in subjects and at a level appropriate to the programme;

(b) the courses and/or course assessment to be credited, and the courses to be followed at the College, must together equate to an approved programme in terms of the amount and level of work and the coverage of topics, including any core elements.