Postgraduate taught regulations

These regulations form one element of the Regulatory Framework of the University of Stirling. The framework also includes: Ordinances; other Academic Regulations; Codes of Practice; Policies and Procedures; Module Descriptors; and Programme Specifications.

These regulations apply to all categories of postgraduate taught (PGT) student at the University, except where the Academic Council has qualified them through agreements with third parties such as a Memorandum of Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding, a collaborative agreement, or a joint venture.

Faculties may operate procedures or guidance which supplement or are relevant to these regulations; however, where this is the case, these regulations take precedence.

Some programmes of study are governed by additional requirements defined by professional, regulatory or accreditation bodies.

Academic Council has the authority to vary these regulations and delegates authority to the Education and Student Experience Committee (ESEC) to approve the regulations and any amendments.

Authority to apply exceptions to regulations for individual students is delegated to the Academic Panel (Taught), a sub-group of the Education and Student Experience Committee. 

A student has the right to submit academic appeals in line with the Policy and Procedure on Academic Appeals.

The PGT qualifications (Higher Degrees, with the exception of Doctorates, Doctor of Letters and Doctor of Science) offered by the University are included within Ordinance 58. Ordinance 17 prescribes the basis of admission to the University. Ordinance 18 prescribes the basis for matriculating and becoming a student of the University.

1. A student will have been registered on a programme of study as part of the admissions process. The programme of study may lead to a qualification, or may relate to study on a 'credit only' basis where no qualification will be awarded.

2. A student cannot normally commence a programme of study more than two weeks after its formal start date.

3. A student may not normally register for a module (including transfer from one module to another) later than two weeks after the start of teaching.

4. A student must matriculate (enrol) every academic year, unless on an approved leave of absence for the duration of that academic year. Student registration confirms agreement to adhere to the regulations in force for that academic year, and the programme being studied.

5. With the exception of some credit-only programmes, each programme's curriculum is defined through its degree programme table, available here. A student must comply with the detailed requirements as set out in the appropriate degree programme table.

Recognition of Prior Learning

6. As contribution to a University of Stirling award, credits achieved at other institutions may be acknowledged in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), provided that the credit was achieved no more than five years previously.

7. RPL credit can also be given for recognised academic or vocational qualifications or experience considered to be of equivalent status.

8. RPL credit must be applied for as part of the admissions process.

9. Credit can either be:

• General credit exemptions - allowing prospective students to omit a specified number of credits from their programme of study; or
• Specific credit exemptions - allowing prospective students to omit one or more particular modules from their programme of study.

10. An award from the University of Stirling requires that a minimum of one-third of the total credits are acquired through study at or validated by the University of Stirling. For some specific qualifications, this level may be higher.

11. Study undertaken at another institution during a period of authorised leave of absence cannot contribute to an award of the University of Stirling.

12. Credit previously used as part of Recognition of Prior Learning at another institution cannot contribute to an award of the University of Stirling.

Duration of study

13. The following maximum periods include any extensions and periods of leave of absence:

Postgraduate Certificate
The maximum academic period of study for completion of a specific named Postgraduate Certificate programme is three years from commencement.

Postgraduate Diploma
The maximum period of study for completion of a specific named Postgraduate Diploma programme is six years from commencement.

Master’s Degree
The maximum academic period for completion of a specific named Master’s degree programme is nine years from commencement.

Integrated Master’s Degree
The maximum academic period for completion of a specific named Integrated Master’s degree programme is thirteen years from commencement.

Mode of Attendance / Attendance and Engagement

14. A student will be designated as full-time or part-time. Where part-time, a programme may be studied on a part-time structured basis or a part-time intermittent basis.

15. A student studying for an individual module will be designated as studying on a part-time intermittent basis.

16. A student can change mode of study, provided that the mode of study definition is satisfied, and there is sufficient capacity on the programme of study. There may be financial and, where relevant, visa implications of a change for the student.

17. A student must attend and participate as required in all aspects of their programme of study as prescribed under the University’s Attendance and Engagement requirements and expectations. This includes being available for and completing all forms of assessment.

18. A student must attend and engage with the required academic contact points and activities and actively participate in all of their modules including the dissertation module. 

Temporary Absence from Studies

19. A student who is prevented from engaging with their programme of study for up to five working days is required to self-certify absence for University approval.

20. A student who is prevented from engaging with their programme of study for longer than five working days must submit documentation related to the absence for University approval. 

Leave of Absence

21. A student may be authorised to take a leave of absence from their programme of study.

22. A full-time student may take leave of absence from their programme of study for a maximum of 12 months cumulatively and a part-time student may take leave of absence from their programme of study for a maximum of 24 months cumulatively.

23. Where a programme is to be discontinued or significantly amended, it may not be possible to authorise a leave of absence.

24. A student who does not re-matriculate (enrol) on the agreed recommencement date, or who has not communicated intentions towards their studies by the end of the leave of absence period, may be deemed to have withdrawn from the programme of study.

25. A student may undertake re-assessments (second attempt and assessment only) during a leave of absence, but may not repeat a module in its entirety nor attempt a module for the first time.

26. Any module for which the first attempt assessment has not been completed at the point of leave of absence may not be resumed following return to studies; the module must be repeated. There is a financial implication for repeating a module. There may be exceptions made for dissertations (or equivalent), which will be considered on a case by case basis.

Studying away from the University

27. A student requires authorisation to attend another academic institution on a recognised exchange scheme or other approved programme of study, to undertake an approved placement, or to undertake studies such as a fieldtrip.

Change in Programme of Study

28. A student can change programme of study, provided that (i) admissions criteria for entry to the new programme and year of study are met; (ii) the requirements of the degree programme table for the new programme are or can be met; and (iii) there is a space on that programme of study. There may be financial and, where relevant, visa implications of a change for the student.

Termination of Studies

29. The University has the right to terminate a student's studies where regulations or policy requirements are not met; examples include:

• Failure to make adequate academic progress or complete within the prescribed maximum period of study.
• Failure to comply with the University's disciplinary code.
• Non-attendance, including persistent non engagement with their programme of study and its modules, or prolonged and unauthorised absences from the programme of study.
• Failure to matriculate (enrol), including failure to return from a leave of absence or failure to present satisfactory evidence of permission to study in the UK.
• Failure to comply with the requirements and expectations of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Readmission to a Programme of Study

30. Readmission of a student to a programme of study is at the discretion of Admissions in consultation with the Academic Faculty. A student’s previous academic history will stand, provided that credits were achieved within the past five years.

31. Where a student has previously failed to achieve an award due to academic failure, their case for re-admission will be considered by the Academic Panel (Taught).

32. If readmitted, the current regulations and degree programme table requirements will be applied.

33. If readmitted to a programme of study, the student will be required to surrender certification for any previous University of Stirling qualification awarded for previous study on the programme, once a higher award is achieved.

The University’s Assessment and Marking Policy and Procedure, Policy on Academic Integrity and Procedures on Poor Academic Practice and Academic Misconduct accompany these regulations.

Academic Integrity

34. Students are required to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy and by submitting a piece of work for assessment, a student is stating that it is their own work.

35. A student must not make use of unfair means in any assessment, or do anything prejudicial to the good conduct of an assessment. 

Assessment attempts

36. A student is permitted a maximum of two assessment attempts per module.

37. Failure to comply with published requirements counts as an assessment attempt.

Components of assessment

38. Each module descriptor specifies the elements of assessment for that module, the assessment criteria, and the weight of each component to the module as a whole. 

Common Marking Scheme

39. A student's level of achievement is denoted by the mark (a whole number in the range 0 – 100) achieved under the University's Common Marking Scheme:

40. A student registered on a module will be given a mark for each element of assessment.

41. The overall mark for the module is calculated from the sum of weighted component marks, rounded to the nearest whole number; a pass may not be required in each component. This module mark represents a summary of performance on that module. 

42. Some modules are assessed on a pass or fail basis only, due to the nature of content and the learning outcomes and competencies to be assessed.

Submission of work

43. Students are responsible for ascertaining and meeting submission deadlines.

44. If a student fails to submit a piece of coursework on time, work will be accepted up to seven calendar days after the submission date (or expiry of any agreed extension) but the mark will be lowered by three marks per day or part thereof.

45. After seven calendar days, the piece of work will be deemed a non-submission and will be given a mark of 0 (zero).

Attendance for Examination

46. Students are responsible for ascertaining final examination dates, times and locations, and for attending at the appropriate point.

47. Deferred examinations can only be authorised for students whose absence is on acceptable grounds.

48. Deferred examinations can only be authorised if all required prior elements of assessment have been submitted (where the deadline is in the past), and any class attendance requirements have been met.

49. If a student fails to attend a compulsory examination without formal approval for deferral, the student will be deemed to have failed the module, due to failure to comply with published requirements.

Extenuating Circumstances

50. If a student's academic performance has been affected by personal circumstances, a case for extenuation may be submitted for consideration by the appropriate Board of Examiners.

51. Extenuating circumstances for each module must be submitted at least 14 days before the meeting of the Boards of Examiners.

Re-assessment

52. A student who fails a module upon re-assessment will not be awarded a lower mark than that awarded at the first attempt.

53. The faculty will determine the nature of the re-assessment required. It will be equivalent to the original in terms of both difficulty and educational benefit.

54. A student who has passed a module i.e. achieved a module mark of 50 or higher will not be allowed to repeat that module or be re-examined in that module.

Second Assessment Attempt 

55. Where a module is failed, the student has the option to be re-assessed through a further attempt. This includes a dissertation (or equivalent).

56. The dissertation (or equivalent) second attempt will be unsupervised and must be resubmitted within a maximum of six weeks from confirmation of failure, and by the deadline date for resubmission in the relevant semester, as set by the University. The minimum level of support students should be given is feedback and one meeting with their supervisor (or an appropriate alternative member of staff if the supervisor is not available).

57. The second attempt of a module must be taken at the next scheduled offering.

58. The maximum mark for the module that can be awarded for a second attempt is the pass mark i.e. 50.

Repeating the module

59. Having failed a module following two attempts, a student has the option to repeat the module in its entirety. This has financial, visa and progression implications.

60. A student must repeat the module at the next scheduled assessment period. Not every module is delivered each academic year.

61. A student repeating the module in its entirety (i.e. both teaching and assessment) is subject to the same attendance and participation requirements as a student taking the module for the first time.

62. A module can be repeated on a teaching and assessment basis on one occasion only; both first and second attempts at the assessment can be undertaken.

63. The full range of marks is available for the first attempt of a module repeated (i.e. there is no restriction to the mark awarded).

Compensation

64. A marginal fail is one where a mark for the module is in the range 40 to 49%.

65. A maximum of 20 credits of marginally failed modules will be eligible for compensation by qualified pass.

66. Where up to 20 credits are marginally failed then compensation will be applied automatically.

67. Where more than one module is eligible for compensation by qualified pass, then the student must indicate which module/s will be compensated.

68. The student will be permitted to choose to undertake reassessment rather than accept compensation. 

69. A marginal fail in a dissertation (or equivalent) is not eligible for compensation.

70. The result of a module passed by compensation will be awarded as SCQF level 10.

The University is transitioning to a new PGT award classification algorithm. Students enrolled from September 2024 will have their degree classified using the algorithm as set out in point 77-81

Students enrolled before and up to Spring 2024 who graduate from Spring 2025 to Summer 2026, will have a no detriment rule applied whereby the pre-September 2024 algorithm (Appendix 1) and the current algorithm will be applied and students will be awarded using the algorithm that awards the most favourable outcome.

Students due to graduate in November 2024 will have their award classified using the pre-September 2024 algorithm which can be found in Appendix 1.

71. University of Stirling programmes adhere to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework for the purposes of the level of named programmes and credit accumulation. Minimum credits at each level are as follows:

Award of Credit

72. A student who has passed a module (i.e. has achieved a module mark of at least 50 or has been awarded a Pass) will be awarded the credits for that module.

73. A student following a programme of study which does not lead to a qualification (a credit-only programme) may be provided with an award of completion, in addition to a transcript of credits achieved.

74. A student who has accumulated sufficient credits for the qualification and meets the regulatory requirements will be awarded the qualification (subject to no outstanding tuition fee debt).

75. Degree Programme Tables define the curricula and conditions to be met in order to be eligible for an award in named subject(s), subject to satisfying all regulatory requirements.

76. A student must normally meet all requirements (i.e. passed all modules) at least 30 days before the appropriate graduation ceremony.

Degree classification 

77. For the purposes of classifying the degree with merit/distinction, the University adopts a weighted grade point average (GPA) approach. The classification is derived by calculating the mean of marks for individual modules, weighted by the number of credit points for each module to reach a credit weighted grade point average (GPA) mark. The GPA mark is rounded to the nearest whole number. Excepting adjustments applied through the extenuating circumstances process, no further adjustments will be made to the GPA mark, for example at classification borderlines.   

Where a programme includes modules assessed on a pass/fail basis, these will be discounted for the purposes of awarding the degree with merit/distinction.

79. Where a programme includes credit from Recognised Prior Learning (RPL), these will be discounted for the purposes of awarding the degree with merit/distinction.

80. For awards with distinction the criteria are:

For awards with merit the criteria are:

82. A Board of Examiners may recommend to Academic Council that an aegrotat or posthumous award be conferred in respect to an undergraduate or taught postgraduate programme.

83. Aegrotat awards may be considered where no degree award may be made within the regulations, and the student is close to completing the award but is prevented from doing so because of illness.

84. In recommending an aegrotat award, a Board of Examiners will be satisfied that: the student's prior performance clearly demonstrates that he/she would have satisfied the requirements for the award, but for the illness experienced; and the student is highly unlikely to be able to return to complete his/her studies at a later date.

85. A posthumous award can be considered where a student has died and has either; completed the programme of study, including the required assessments, and has satisfied the requirements of the award; or has not completed the programme of study but the board of examiners is satisfied that the student would have been able to complete or satisfy the requirements for the award.

86. In making a recommendation for a posthumous award in this case, the board of examiners shall consider the evidence of the student’s academic performance overall and in respect to any coursework submitted or assessments completed.

MSc/PgDip Social Work Studies

87. Progression. A student must be registered as a social work student with the Scottish Social Services Council, including clearance under the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme by the end of March in their first semester in order to progress. Registration must be maintained throughout the entire programme of study.

88. Progression. Any leave of absence of one year or more will require the student to complete a readiness to return to studies assessment prior to recommencing the programme.

89. Assessment. Some modules may contain elements of assessment that are assessed on a pass/fail basis and these assessments require to be passed in order to achieve a pass in the module. Where a module contains such an assessment the module mark will not be calculated on a weighted average basis.

90. Assessment Only. Due to the interactive nature of teaching and practice skill requirements on some modules, students are not permitted to repeat certain modules on an assessment only basis, they must be repeated on a teaching and assessment basis.

91. Study Duration. A student must complete the programme within 4 years of programme commencement (inclusive of periods of leave of absence).

MBA and MSc Business and Management

92. Assessment. Students must achieve 50% in the sum of the weighted component marks, rounded to the nearest whole number; students must also achieve at least 40% in each component. Where a student fails to meet the 40% minimum requirement in any component a fail (X) will be awarded for the module. Re-assessment of failed modules will follow the agreed Postgraduate Taught Regulations.

MSc Psychology of Sport (Accredited) and MSc Health Psychology

93. Compensation. A student cannot be awarded compensation by level 10 qualified pass and must pass all modules with a module mark of at least 50.