UCEM Single Postgraduate

UCEM Single Postgraduate Assessment, progression and award regulations Effective From: 1 st September 2016 Version: 1.00 Status: Final Author: Academic Regulations subcommittee Date: 31/05/2016 File: UCEM Single Postgraduate Assessment single document v1.00 UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 1 of 9 Version 1.00

Table of Contents 1. Introduction and guidance notes... 3 2. Assessment... 3 2.1. Programme specifications... 3 2.2. Syllabus... 3 2.3. Viva voce exam... 3 2.4. Discretion... 3 2.5. Quality assurance approval... 3 2.6. Research module... 4 3. Module Pass... 4 3.1. Pass principles... 4 3.2. Compensation... 4 3.3. Carry forward... 4 3.4. Retake requirement... 5 3.5. Mark implications of retake... 5 3.6. Attempts... 5 3.7. Due diligence... 5 3.8. Condonation of modules... 5 4. Mitigating circumstances... 5 5. Progression & Registration... 6 5.1. Progression and maximum credits... 6 5.2. Period of Registration... 6 5.3. Deferral... 6 5.4. Suspension of study... 6 5.5. Withdrawal... 7 6. Awards... 7 6.1. Award Credit Requirements... 7 6.2. Full Master s Degree Award Criteria... 8 6.3. Postgraduate Diploma Award Criteria... 8 6.4. Postgraduate Certificate Award Criteria... 9 7.0 Appeals... 9 7.1 Subject to the right of appeal contained in these clauses, the decisions of the Progression and Award Board are final.... 9 7.2 Appeals procedure... 9 7.21 Stage One... 9 7.22 Stage Two... 9 7.3 Independent Appeals Board... 9 7.4 Referral to The Office of the Independent Adjudicator... 9 UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 2 of 9 Version 1.00

1. Introduction and guidance notes This document guides you through the assessment, progression and award regulations for all University College of Estate Management (UCEM) postgraduate programmes. Read these regulations alongside the Academic and General Regulations for Students and any relevant Code of Practice statements (see the Coursework Team tab on the VLE). Note: You will be issued with additional guidance notes before your exams. The regulations that follow are binding. UCEM may vary these regulations from time to time. You will be notified of any changes by email check the VLE and your email account regularly for updates. 2. Assessment 2.1. Programme specifications You will find assessment requirements for each programme in each individual programme specification. 2.2. Syllabus You will be examined on the syllabus which is in the module descriptor when you register or re-register for a module. 2.3. Viva voce exam At the discretion of the Boards of Examiners a viva voce examination (an oral interview) may form part of any assessment. 2.4. Discretion The Board of Examiners has the discretion to vary the standards set out in these regulations. This is only in exceptional circumstances; only with prior agreement of the External Examiners and only if the variation is the interest of a student. Bear in mind that all assessment marks are provisional and may be subject to moderation before they are confirmed by the Board of Examiners. See also Section 3. 2.5. Quality assurance approval All results agreed by the Progression and Award Board are signed off by the Chair of that Board and the relevant external examiner(s) before they are released. Awards results are then passed to the Academic Board of UCEM for final ratification. UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 3 of 9 Version 1.00

2.6. Research module To achieve a master s level qualification, you must complete a researchbased project or dissertation module. The module is worth 40 credits and must be passed at 50 or above. Below threshold standard compensation cannot be applied to your final research-based project or dissertation module (see section 3.2). 3. Module Pass 3.1. Pass principles 3.1.1. The basic overall module pass mark is 50%. This pass mark applies to the appropriately weighted average of all the summative assessment components and does not apply to any individual components. 3.2. Compensation 3.2.1. Compensation is where marks gained across modules at the same level allow for an overall pass at that level. 3.2.2. Where results for a module fall below the pass mark of 50%, you may still be allowed a compensated pass i.e. marks below 50% may be compensated by marks achieved in other modules at the same level (see Regulations 3.2.3. and 3.2.4.). 3.2.3. For masters and postgraduate diploma awards, you can elect to be awarded a maximum of 40 credits at below threshold standard (40 to 49.9%), providing the marks in the other modules are sufficient to raise the average mark at each of these levels to at least 50%. 3.2.4. For postgraduate certificate awards, you can elect to be awarded a maximum of 20 credits at below threshold standard (40 to 49.9%), providing the marks in the other modules are sufficient to raise the average mark at each of these levels to at least 50%. 3.2.5. Compensation is not allowed for your 40 credit final research-based project or dissertation module (see section 2.6). 3.2.6. You will be required to retake modules in which you have achieved below threshold standard outside of the respective credit allowances (see 3.2.3 and 3.2.4). You may need to retake below threshold standard modules within the allowance in order to raise the overall average across the award modules to the required level. 3.3. Carry forward 3.3.1. Unless agreed in advance, you must submit the current assignments for each module by the due dates specified. You may carry forward marks of at least pass standard in either of the assessment components. Component marks will not normally be carried forward in this way to a final attempt. UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 4 of 9 Version 1.00

3.3.2. When the rule applies to carry forward from the first attempt to the third (or exceptional subsequent attempts), the whole module mark is capped at the pass threshold (see regulation 3.5.1). 3.4. Retake requirement 3.4.1. If you fail one or more modules you will normally be required to retake those modules at the next opportunity usually a year later. 3.4.2. You can only retake modules you have failed. 3.5. Mark implications of retake 3.5.1. If you have to retake a module or an assessment component of the module (see Regulation 3.4), your retake mark for the module will be capped at the pass mark of 50. 3.5.2. If you need to retake modules, the mark awarded will be capped (see Regulation 3.5.1) but this will not affect the final classification of your award other than by the mark awarded. 3.6. Attempts 3.6.1. You are normally allowed three attempts at each module. 3.6.2. In the case of electives, you may switch modules after a first or second failure, but the previous attempts count in your three allowed attempts. 3.7. Due diligence If you fail any module at the final attempt, the Progression and Award Board will look carefully at your results. In exceptional circumstances, the Board has the discretion to recommend you are allowed one further attempt. 3.8. Condonation of modules Condonation is where a failed module may be excused, usually at the point of an award. The Progression and Award Board retains the right to recommend a condonation of a failed module but this is not standard practice and is only executed in very exceptional circumstances. 4. Mitigating circumstances 4.1. Refer to the Academic and General Regulations for Students and the Policy on Submission and Approval of Mitigating Circumstances, available on the VLE under Student Services for guidance on mitigating circumstances. Note that programme-specific regulations are set out below in Regulations 6.1.to 6.4. 4.2. If you fail because of illness or other reasonable absence and have properly notified UCEM with supporting evidence, you can be deemed not sat and will not lose an attempt. However, you will still need to take the module(s) or part of the module(s) at the next available opportunity, normally a year later. The carry forward provisions described in Regulation 3.3 may apply. UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 5 of 9 Version 1.00

4.3. In cases where you have passed the module on the first attempt despite accepted mitigating circumstances, you can choose to be deemed not sat and take the module, or part of the module, again in order to improve your module mark. 5. Progression & Registration 5.1. Progression and maximum credits 5.1.1. If you successfully complete all the assessed modules during a registration period you will automatically progress. 5.1.2. If you fail one module or have been deemed not sat in one module, you may, at the discretion of the Progression and Award Board, (re)take the failed module in combination with new modules, providing you do not exceed the limit of 60 credits per semester. 5.2. Period of Registration The normal maximum period of registration for a postgraduate programme can be found in section 2.4 of the Academic and General Regulations for Students. The minimum period for any award is three years. 5.3. Deferral 5.3.1. Deferral applies to modules rather than programmes. Deferral applies when you have started a module but decide for personal, medical, financial or academic reasons that you are not able to complete that module during the Semester. You can opt to defer that module, and pick the module up again at the next available opportunity. 5.3.2. The detailed procedures and ancillary regulations relating to deferral are set out in the Student Handbook. 5.3.3. No refunds are given for deferred modules, although no fee will be charged if you re-join the module when it is next offered. 5.3.4. Permission to defer module registration for a second time will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. 5.4. Suspension of study 5.4.1. You may be permitted to interrupt ( suspend ) your programme of study, and cease to complete work for all the modules that you are currently studying. You may opt to suspend your studies for personal, medical or financial reasons. Suspension is for a specified period of time: usually either a Semester or a 12-month period. 5.4.2. The detailed procedures and ancillary regulations relating to suspension are set out in the Student Handbook. UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 6 of 9 Version 1.00

5.4.3. No refunds are given for modules that started during the semester in which you chose to suspend, although you will not be charged a fee when you re-join the programme. 5.4.4. You will still be considered to be registered with UCEM during your period of suspension, and you will still be subject to the UCEM Academic and General Regulations for Students. Each period of suspension will be included in a student s maximum period of registration. 5.4.5. During the period of suspension you will not be required to undertake academic study, and you will not have access to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for modules that you have not started. 5.4.6. If you do not contact UCEM after your period of suspension or take up the invitation to pay for your next period of study, you will be considered to have withdrawn from the programme. 5.5. Withdrawal 5.5.1. If you wish to permanently leave your programme of study this is defined as withdrawal ( see also Regulation 5.4.6. above) 5.5.2. The detailed regulations relating to withdrawal are set out in the Student Handbook, available in your programme homepage on the VLE. 6. Awards 6.1. Award Credit Requirements 6.1.1. The table below shows the minimum credit requirements for each award: Award Credits Required (at level 7)* Certificate of Higher Learning** 20 Postgraduate Certificate 60 Postgraduate Diploma 120 Masters (MBA, MSc) 180 Certificate of Personal and Professional Development (CPDD)** 20 * Whilst this is the minimum requirement, the requirements of individual programmes may alter. ** This can be at level 4,5,6 or 7 6.1.2. To be eligible for a named award (i.e. one of the awards named in the table above), you must meet the general credit requirements set out in the table in Section 6.1.1 as well as those set out in the individual programme specifications for an award. This includes named intermediate terminating exit awards (i.e. a lower award in the event that you leave the programme before completion). UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 7 of 9 Version 1.00

6.1.3. If you leave the programme of study before achieving the named awards, you may be eligible for an unclassified unnamed intermediate terminating exit award as outlined in table 6.1.1 above. 6.1.4. Certificate of Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) programmes do not normally have award criteria but where they do, the criteria are outlined in the programme specification. 6.2. Full Master s Degree Award Criteria Final awards in the full Master s Degree Programmes are normally based on 180 credits at level 7. All weighted averages are calculated based on the capping on retake module marks (see Regulation 3.5). You will be awarded whichever higher category of award you are eligible to receive. The criteria for final awards on the Master s Degree programmes are set out in the table below: Category of award Grade requirements at level 7 Master s Degree (MBA, MSc) Distinction Merit Pass Average of [70%+] or [68%+ and 50% of credits 70%+] Average of [60%+] or [58%+ and 50% of credits 60%+] Average of [50%+] or [48%+ and 50% of credits 50%+] 6.3. Postgraduate Diploma Award Criteria Final awards in the Postgraduate Diploma programmes are normally based upon 120 credits at level 7. All weighted averages are calculated based on the capping on retake module marks (see Regulation 3.5). You will be awarded whichever higher category of award you are eligible to receive. The criteria for final awards on the Postgraduate Diploma programmes are set out in the table below: Category of award Grade requirements at level 5 Postgraduate Diplomas Distinction Merit Pass Average of [70%+] or [68%+ and 50% of credits 70%+] Average of [60%+] or [58%+ and 50% of credits 60%+] Average of [50%+] or [48%+ and 50% of credits 50%+] UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 8 of 9 Version 1.00

6.4. Postgraduate Certificate Award Criteria You will be eligible for the exit award of a Postgraduate Certificate upon successful completion of 60 credits. Postgraduate Certificate awards are not classified. 7.0 Appeals 7.1 Subject to the right of appeal contained in these clauses, the decisions of the Progression and Award Board are final. 7.2 Appeals procedure 7.21 Stage One You may request an appeal to review of a decision taken by an individual or academic body charged with making decisions about your progression, assessment and awards. There can be no appeal based solely on a challenge to the academic judgement of the examiner(s). If you believe you have legitimate grounds for an appeal you must firstly apply for a stage one (informal) query decision in writing to the Assessment Manager. 7.22 Stage Two If you are not satisfied with the outcome of stage one of your appeal, you may request a stage two (formal) appeal which must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the UCEM Independent Appeals Board (IAB). This may only be raised after stage one of the process has been completed. 7.3 Independent Appeals Board If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Independent Appeals Board (IAB) process, you may request a review within four weeks of receiving a response from IAB. See the UCEM Code of Practice on Student Appeals and Complaints for guidance documents on the appeals process. 7.4 Referral to The Office of the Independent Adjudicator If all internal procedures are exhausted and you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeal, your case may be eligible for consideration by The Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA). Visit www.oiahe.org.uk for further details and advice. UCEM 31/05/2016 Page 9 of 9 Version 1.00