Learning and teaching – how it all works

The University’s official teaching day runs from 9am to 9pm, with a few classes ending at 9.30pm. 

Normally in your first year you can expect to spend up to four hours a week per module of class contact time, meaning time spent in some kind of formal learning and teaching with a lecturer or tutor.

In addition, you should expect to spend around 6 hours studying on your own for each module.

The University calls this kind of independent study Student Directed Learning (SDL). To ensure you are prepared to actively participate in your learning, you need to engage fully in class contact time and SDL.

What your course will look like

You will either have chosen to study a single-subject course, which is where you will concentrate on one subject; or an integrated joint course, where you have chosen to combine two subjects. You will be provided with a Guide to Your Course which will last you for the life of your course, although some module content may vary due to staff availability and circumstances.

Your course is made up of a series of units called modules. When you pass each module you will be awarded a number of credits depending upon the size of the module. Normally, for a module you will gain 20 credits.

As an undergraduate student you will be required to study 120 credits per level. The academic regulations will inform you how many credits you must study in your course to gain your award.

If you are a full-time or sandwich student, you will normally study modules worth 40 credits per semester and 2 year long modules each of which are worth 20 credits. To continue to the next level of your course you will need to pass modules totalling 100 credits or more (and be in a position to recover any failure within the rules of your course).

If you are a part-time student, you may study a maximum of 80 credits each year and to continue to the next year of your course you must have passed all but one module.  

If you fail to achieve the progression requirements specified above, your Personal Tutor, Course Manager or Award Leader will be available to help you consider the best options for you. You need to see them quickly to ensure you have the most time available for you to consider your options. If you’re not sure who to speak to, ask your Student Office for help in contacting the right person.

The modules you will study will have the following status:

Core – integral to the outcomes of your course – you must study and pass all these compulsory modules.

Option – strongly related to the outcomes of your course – allow you to choose and study a specific number from a defined group of modules. This allows you to decide the flavour of your course.

If you are studying for an Honours Degree BA(Hons) or BSc (Hons), your final classification will be based on the grades you achieve for your modules at Levels 5 and 6. Further information is available on the academic regulations web site.

How you'll study at undergraduate level

“Attending university as a mature student was probably the best decision I ever made. ...The course I chose was brilliant. The lecturers were only too happy to teach and made learning easy... I had the best time of my life”.

Susan Colborne, English and Creative and Professional Writing graduate