8.1 The Supplementary Year is an additional year of study within a programme that is provided for eligible students to enable them to meet the criteria for progression whereas otherwise they are not able to progress to the next year or component.
8.2 The relevant board of examiners will use its academic judgement to determine whether the student is required to take the units in the supplementary year with teaching and assessment or on an ‘assessment-only’ basis where the teaching has already been received. The Faculty Board of Examiners should ensure decisions on whether the supplementary year is taken with or without attendance are made consistently across its programmes.
In undergraduate programmes
8.3 A Faculty Board of Examiners may permit a student on an undergraduate modular programme to undertake the Supplementary Year if a student does not have sufficient credit points to allow him or her to progress by the end of the academic year, because of:
(a) Academic failure: if a student fails a unit/s* or has self-certified their absence from assessment on a unit/s such that the credit points cannot be awarded, they may be permitted an opportunity to re-take the assessment. A student is only permitted to take a supplementary year for this reason once during their programme of study.
* a student is only permitted to take a unit of up to 40 credit points as a third attempt in a Supplementary Year
(b) Exceptional circumstances: if a student’s ability to fulfil the criteria for the award of credit points has been affected by medical or other circumstances, and they have not met the academic conditions for progression or completion by the end of the year of study, the student may be permitted to attempt the relevant units again without academic penalty in the next academic year. A student will normally only be able to take a supplementary year due to exceptional circumstances once during their programme of study.
8.4 The Supplementary Year is not available to students on non-modular professional programmes.
8.5 Where a student experiences significant exceptional circumstances on two separate occasions or due to a combination of academic failure in one academic year and exceptional circumstances in another yearsuch that they exceed the maximum period of study (see 24.14), the relevant exam board may recommend that the student undertakes an additional supplementary year as mitigation for the presented exceptional circumstances. A request to extend the student’s period of study should be submitted by the relevant faculty to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) or delegate for approval. The outcome of this consideration should return to the faculty to become a decision of the faculty exam board.
8.6 Students with a student visa (formerly known as T4) registered on a four-year Integrated Masters Degree in most circumstances cannot undertake a second supplementary year due to UK Immigration Rules’ application of a five-year study cap to study in the UK. Please contact the Student Visa Team to determine whether a student may be eligible. Additionally, students with a student visa registered on a five-year Integrated Masters degree (e.g. with a Year Abroad/ in Industry) cannot undertake a supplementary year in any circumstance due to the same restriction on the visa.
8.7 In cases of (a): students who are placed on a supplementary year are required to undertake the units they have failed or a replacement unit from their programme structure and any additional units appropriate to the programme of study, as determined by the faculty; additional rules for students holding a student visa are provided in 8.6 and 8.13. Marks for units that contribute to the final programme mark will be capped at the minimum pass mark. Where it is necessary for a student to undertake additional units, they will be required to engage with the teaching and learning of the unit/s. A student is not required to pass additional units for the purposes of progression but may undertake the assessment and obtain the credit for the unit. Where this is the case the credit and mark will not count towards the student’s programme of study.
8.8 In cases of (b): students who are placed on a supplementary year due to exceptional circumstances will undertake the affected units as determined by the Faculty Board of Examiners. Marks will be awarded as normal (i.e. not capped if first attempt).
In taught postgraduate programmes
8.9 A Faculty Board of Examiners may permit a student on a taught postgraduate programme to undertake a supplementary year if a student does not have sufficient credit points to allow them to progress by the end of the academic year, because of:
(a) Academic failure: exceptionally, if a student fails a unit/s* or has self-certified their absence from assessment on a unit/s such that the credit points cannot be awarded, they may be permitted an opportunity to re-take the assessment. A student is only permitted to take a supplementary year for this reason once during their programme of study.
* a student is only permitted to take a unit of up to 30 credit points as a third attempt in a Supplementary Year
(b) Exceptional circumstances: if a student’s ability to fulfil the criteria for the award of credit points on units in the taught component has been affected by medical or other circumstances and they have not met the academic conditions for progression or completion by the end of the year of study, they may be permitted to attempt the relevant units again without academic penalty in the next academic year. A student will normally only be able to take a supplementary year due to exceptional circumstances once during their programme of study.
8.10 Where a student experiences significant exceptional circumstances on two separate occasions or due to a combination of academic failure in one academic year and exceptional circumstances in another yearsuch that they exceed the maximum period of study (see 34.9), the relevant exam board may recommend that the student undertakes an additional supplementary year as mitigation for the presented exceptional circumstances. A request to extend the student’s period of study should be submitted by the relevant faculty to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) or delegate for approval. The outcome of this consideration should return to the faculty to become a decision of the faculty exam board.
8.11 In cases of (a): students who are placed on a supplementary year are required to undertake the units they have failed or a replacement unit from their programme structure and any additional units appropriate to the programme of study, as determined by the faculty; additional rules for students holding a student visa are provided in 8.13. Marks for units that contribute to the taught component mark will be capped at the minimum pass mark.
Where it is necessary for a student to undertake additional units, they will be required to engage with the teaching and learning of the unit/s. A student is not required to pass additional units for the purposes of progression but may undertake the assessment and obtain the credit for the unit.
Where this is the case the credit and mark will not count towards the student’s programme of study.
8.12 In cases of (b): students who are placed on a supplementary year due to exceptional circumstances will undertake the affected units as determined by the Faculty Board of Examiners. Marks will be awarded as normal (i.e. not capped if first attempt).
In undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes
8.13 For students holding a student visa who need to re-take a limited number of units during a supplementary year, in order to retain their visa, the student must be taking at least one unit in each teaching block, and that unit must be:
8.14 It is the discretion of the relevant exam board to determine whether the student is required to engage with the content of the whole unit or a particular component of the unit.
8.15 Students undertaking the supplementary yearare expected to be in regular contact with the faculty / school / department, attend certain components of the unit and fulfil any specific attendance requirements as determined by the faculty.
8.16 An appropriate fee will normally be charged for the supplementary year (including repeat years), except in ‘severe’ exceptional circumstances, as determined by the University.
8.17 Sponsored international students with a student visa are subject to attendance monitoring requirements throughout the whole year on a monthly basis and will be expected to be in regular contact with the faculty / school / department, such that the University’s reporting responsibilities can be fulfilled. See the University policy on student engagement and attendance for details.
