Compensation

Criteria:

• Marginal Fail - A student who marginally fails a module may be eligible for compensation and the award of credits for that module. A marginal fail is one where a mark for the module is in the range 30 to 39.
• Option – Compensation can only be applied to options, not modules with compulsory module requirements.
• Credits Achieved - A student must pass a certain number of credits each year in order to be eligible for compensation. Please see the below FAQ ‘Are all modules eligible for compensation?’ for more details.

FAQs:

What time of year is compensation applied?
Compensation can only be applied at the point of progression or award i.e. once all the final grades for an academic year are published. This is normally at the end of the Spring or Summer semesters.

Are all modules eligible for compensation?
No, the rules differ depending on the year of study of the student and what type of module is being considered for compensation -

• Year 1 of a full-time Programme of Study, and part-time equivalence
  A student may have compensation applied for a marginal fail in 20 credits of the first 120 credits, provided that at least 80 of the 120 credits have been passed.
• Year 2 of a full-time Programme of Study, and part-time equivalence
  A student may have compensation applied for a marginal fail in 20 credits of the second 120 credits, provided that at least 80 of the 120 credits have been passed.
• Years 3 and 4 of a full-time Programme of Study, and part-time equivalence
  A student may have compensation applied for a marginal fail in 20 credits of the final 240 credits (i.e. across both Year 3 and 4), provided that the remaining 220 credits have been passed.

Can compensation be applied to a compulsory module on my undergraduate degree programme?
No.

Can compensation be applied to a module which is a pre-requisite to a module to be taken later in my undergraduate degree programme?
No.

Can compensation be applied to a module which must be passed for professional or accreditation purposes in my undergraduate degree programme?
No.

Can compensation be applied to a dissertation (or equivalent module)?
No.

Who takes the decision on compensation?
If you are eligible for compensation, it will be granted automatically by the Student Programmes team when your academic record is reviewed for progression to the next year of study. Students do not need to contact the Student Programmes team to request compensation.

What if I have more than one module that is eligible for compensation?
Compensation will be applied systematically based on a student's overall profile. Where more than one module is eligible for compensation, the module with the higher/highest mark will be compensated.

How will a compensated pass appear on a transcript?
The result of a pass by compensation will appear as a PC without a mark on a transcript for undergraduate students.

I have marginally failed a module – do I need to attempt the resit or can compensation be applied?
In short, no you do not need to attempt the resit provided that you have only failed 20 credits and fulfil the other criteria for compensation, however you may wish to do so to prove your academic ability or to widen your choice of options in future years of study. Students should not use compensation as a reason not to attempt reassessment.

I am an LLB student, how will compensation affect my professional accreditation?
The modules required by the Law Society of Scotland are all designated as compulsory modules in your programme so are not eligible for a pass by compensation. LAWU9P3 Private International Law is not required by the Law Society so may be eligible for compensation but if you plan to qualify as an advocate after leaving university a standard pass in LAWU9P3 will offer exemption from one of the Faculty of Advocates exams. Please speak to your advisor of studies if you require any further information on this.

Criteria:

• Marginal Fail - A postgraduate student may have compensation applied against a module in which they have achieved a marginal fail (i.e. a mark of 40-49%)
• Maximum Credits - The compensation can be applied to maximum of 20 credits towards a Masters or Postgraduate Diploma.

FAQs:

What if I have more than one module that is eligible for compensation?

Where a student has up to 20 credits that are marginally failed, the compensation will be applied automatically.

Where a student has more than one marginal fail they will be able to choose the module(s) for which they are awarded compensation.

Where a student does not actively make a choice of modules for which compensation should be applied then it will automatically be applied to the modules with the highest mark.

How will a compensated pass appear on a transcript?

The result of a pass by compensation will appear as a PQ without a mark on a transcript, as SCQF level 10 credit, for postgraduate students.

I have marginally failed a module – do I need to attempt the resit or can compensation be applied?

In short, no you do not need to attempt the resit provided that you have only failed up to 20 credits and fulfil the other criteria for compensation, however, you may wish to do so to prove your academic ability or to widen your choice of options in future years of study. Students should not use compensation as a reason not to attempt reassessment.

If you have failed more than one module, we strongly recommend you undertake all resits offered to increase your chances of meeting the progression or award requirements.