EECS Student Handbook 2024/25

4.6. Interruption & Withdrawal of Studies

Permission to interrupt from your studies on the grounds of illness or another good cause may be granted by the school. You may only interrupt for a maximum of two years in total; longer interruptions will be granted only in highly exceptional circumstances with the express permission of the Academic Registrar. 

If this applies to you, you should contact the Student Support Officer and/or the Senior Tutor to discuss your circumstances and allow the school to provide you with the appropriate support. You will need to complete the withdrawal form which you can obtain from the Teaching Services office in the ITL. The form will need to be signed off by a member of the Teaching Services Team.Prior to your return, the school will contact you to support you with transitioning back into University. You should also contact Advice and Welfare for further support https://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/. ;

Interrupting your studies means that although you remain registered you cease to be an enrolled student of Queen Mary University of London; this has consequences for your student status, funding, (and right to remain in the UK if you are an international student):

• You will not be entitled to attend lectures

• Students are not normally allowed to live in College residences during periods of interruption

• Your Transport for London discount may be revoked

• Students holding a Tier 4 visa where Queen Mary University of London issued a CAS cannot interrupt to gain work experience or to earn money to pay for their studies. Tier 4 students who interrupt their studies may be required to leave the UK, even if they are interrupting because of personal or medical reasons. The college is required to notify the Home Office of interruptions of study for students sponsored under Tier 4 of the Points Based Immigration System where QMUL issued a CAS

If you do interrupt your studies the Academic Regulations in place at the time of your initial registration remain in effect. You are advised to contact your tutor and read the relevant Advice and Counselling Service advice guides before interrupting. 

ASSESSMENTS

If you choose to interrupt from your degree programme and you have completed the teaching for your first semester modules and have summer exams, you can chose to sit those exams whilst you have interrupted.  Please note that the Academic Regulations state that you must elect to either attempt all of the assessments for the modules you have completed the teaching for or attempt none of them. If you are uncertain of your options please discuss them with your academic department. 

TUITION FEE LIABILITY

Until you have formally interrupted from your studies you will officially remain a student of Queen Mary and you will be responsible for payment of part of or the full year's tuition fee and where appropriate, residence fees. As funding regulations change frequently it is important that you understand how your decision might affect your entitlements in the future. If you have any concerns regarding this, the Advice and Counselling Service have some useful guides to help you and their Welfare Advisors can provide you with up to date advice on your eligibility for student finance.

The deadline for the submission of an interruption form is the day before the start of the revision week in April. 

If you are thinking of withdrawing from your studies, you should contact the Student Support Officer and/or the Senior Tutor to discuss your circumstances and allow the school to provide you with the appropriate support. You will need to complete the withdrawal form which you can obtain from the Teaching Services office in the ITL. The form will need to be signed off by a member of the Teaching Services Team. You should also contact Advice and Welfare for further support https://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/. ;

Withdrawal from the College means that you are leaving the College with no intention of returning, the implications of this are:

• It is extremely difficult to return to College once you have withdrawn as your record will have been terminated and your funding body, the Home Office and Transport for London will be advised accordingly
• Your entitlement to financial support from your funding body may be affected in the long term - you are strongly advised to seek advice from your tutor and read the relevant Advice and Counselling Service advice guide before making your decision.

Until you have formally withdrawn from your studies you will officially remain a student of Queen Mary and you will be responsible for payment of part of or the full year's tuition fee and where appropriate, residence fees. As funding regulations change frequently it is important that you understand how your decision might affect your entitlements in the future. If you have any concerns regarding this, the Advice and Counselling Service have some useful guides to help you and their Welfare Advisors can provide you with up to date advice on your eligibility for student finance in the future.

Please note that the Registry deadlines for both forms to be signed off by students registered on the majority of programmes are 4 January 2023 and 3 May 2023 (students who sign forms after these dates will remain registered for examinations in either the January or May examination periods and failure to attend may result in marks of 0 being entered and being used towards progression and award outcomes). 

Information on interruption & withdrawal of studies, including links to the relevant forms, found here:

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/student-handbook/during-your-studies/changes-to-your-registration/