Student Handbook - Moodle Book

PLANNING YOUR DEGREE

Queen Mary Academic Credit Framework (“QMACF”)

The College operates under its Academic Credit Framework, which is in line with national norms.  The QMACF ensures that your degree is easily recognisable worldwide by reference to the National Qualifications Framework, as set out by the UK’s Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

 

In the College’s terminology your overall degree (e.g. Film Studies; French and Linguistics; Hispanic Studies with Business Management) is called a ‘programme of study’.  A specific element of study (e.g. French Feminist Theories; Spanish Cinema;) is a ‘module’.  Each module is run by a ‘Module Organiser’, who is the member of staff responsible for all aspects of the module.  In many cases, this will also be the sole teacher of the module, but some modules may involve more than one teacher.  The Module Organiser is named in the Directory of Modules, and is the person to approach in case of any queries about the module.

 

Each module has a weight or ‘credit’ value attached to it, which is a multiple of 15. Students choose combinations of modules up to the required value of 120 credits per year. There is a programme specification for each programme of study which will inform you of the requirements you must meet in order to qualify for a degree in a particular subject.
These are on the website at http://www.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/programme_regulations.html

 

Of the modules available, most are valued at 15 credits. These generally run for one semester and require a quarter of your time for that semester. (Note that only a part of this time will be spent in classes; most of it will be spent on self-directed study.) Some modules are valued at 30 credits. Generally, these last all year and require a quarter of your time during each semester.

 

During their compulsory period abroad, language students are required to complete a Year Abroad Assessment, which may be a single project, or a Learning Log, or be formed from the results of the examinations at their host university (see § 6 YEAR ABROAD AND YEAR ABROAD ASSESSMENT). The Year Abroad Assessment is valued at 120 credits. If you split the year abroad between two different placements, you will submit two 60 credit Semester Abroad Assessments.

 

As well as a credit value, modules also have a level assigned to them, which indicates their difficulty, and you are required to progress up the scale to BA honours level during the course of your studies. There are requirements as to how many modules you can take at the lower levels as well as a minimum number you must take at the level of the award (level 6).

 

Registration and choosing modules

Students will be able to pre-register during the summer for modules in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film in the following session. Most other Schools also allow pre-registration, although only to students enrolled on their own programmes of study. Many modules are heavily subscribed and you may be disappointed if you do not take advantage of pre-registration. Please note that your core modules count towards your 120 credits per year. Native speakers of any language they are studying should check with their Adviser about alternative requirements (see Required pathways through the School’s degree programmes).

 

Your Adviser is there to help you decide which modules to choose each year, and must approve your choices to ensure that you follow a coherent programme throughout your studies at Queen Mary. You should also take care to balance your workload; try to avoid too many modules in the same semester, or too many with a high element of assessed coursework.

 

Students in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film are not permitted to take more than one introductory language at the same time. Students wishing to take Language Centre modules should also note what is said below concerning levels.

 

Levels

All undergraduate modules in the School are assigned a level consistent with the National Qualifications Framework. The level of a module indicates the difficulty and is determined by the learning outcomes; essentially what you will be expected to have achieved by the end of the module. Full details of these are given in §5.2 EXAMINATIONS PROCESS. The academic levels are as follows:

 

Level 3: Pre-university or foundation level

Level 4: Certificate level

Level 5: Intermediate level

Level 6: Honours level

Level 7: Masters level

 

Occasionally, modules may be assigned a dual level, either 4/5 or 5/6, in which case separate learning outcomes are given for each level; there is a separate module code, and different assessment may apply.

 

A few of the College’s modules are defined as level 3, which means they are at or below the standard for admission to an Honours degree programme, and although these modules do count towards your 120 credit load for the year, they do not count towards the number of credits required for progression, or towards the minimum credits required for the award of your degree (see § 5.3 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION).

 

It is usual for students to progress from one level to the next as they progress through each year of their degree.  However, it may be appropriate for you to take some modules from a level lower or, in exceptional cases, a level higher than your year of study may indicate. 

 

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

You take 120 credits at level 4 in your first year.

 

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS

1.   You must take at least 90 credits at level 5 in your second year.

2.   Up to 30 credits may be at level 4 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent. You may not take more than 150 credits in total at level 4 during your entire degree.

3.   Up to 30 credits may be at level 6 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent (sought on a case-by-case basis), and if the appropriate level 5 pre-requisite has been met.

 

FINAL YEAR STUDENTS

1.   You must take at least 90 overall credits at level 6 in your final year. This includes any core modules.

2.   In order for a subject to be named in your degree title, as well as meeting the minimum credit and core module requirements of the programme, you must take at least 15 credits in that subject at level 6 in your final year.

3.   You may take up to 30 credits at level 5 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent.

4.   You may not take any modules at level 4 in your final year.

 

Transfers between modules and programmes of study

If you wish to change a module or your programme of study you should first discuss any proposed transfer with your Adviser. No module or programme changes can be made without approval. You must consider carefully the academic coherence of your chosen modules, as well as their suitability to your own personal interests and to the level at which you are studying.

 

If you have registered for a module, and after attending one or two sessions realise that you are not really suited to it, you may withdraw up to the end of week 2, but you must get your Adviser’s permission.  You will need to come to the School Main Office to make an amendment to your registration.  You will be expected to substitute another module, since all students must be registered for modules to the value of 120 credits per year.  You may not withdraw from a module, or join a new module, however, after the end of the second week of teaching.  If you withdraw from a module, you must remember to let the Module Organiser know, or you may find yourself being chased up for non-attendance.  It is essential that you formally change your registration; it is not enough simply to stop attending one module and start attending another.

 

Transfers between programmes of study require the permission of any department or School concerned. Within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, the transfer must first be agreed by the UCAS selector for the programme you wish to join, including transfers to the single honours programme of a subject you are already taking as a joint honours student.  You may need to repeat all or part of a year of study in order to meet the requirements of your new programme.  If the change is agreed, then you must complete a ‘Change of programme’ form which is available from the School Main Office.

 

Programme Regulations

The programme regulations lay out the requirements you need to meet to qualify for a degree in your chosen programme of study.  Apart from the core and compulsory theory and language modules, there are few prescribed sequences of modules.  However, there are overall specifications to ensure not only that you take sufficient modules in your chosen subject overall, but that you progress in the course of your studies until you are taking predominantly honours level modules.  It is vital that you are familiar with these requirements as these will affect the pathway choices you are able to make.

 

Some modules are core, which means you must take and achieve a pass in order to continue your studies; some are compulsory, which means you must take them but a fail mark will not necessary prevent you from progressing, as long as you gain sufficient credits overall to progress; some requirements differ according to your circumstances, eg there may be different requirements for native speakers of the language studied.

 

The full requirements for each of our programmes are set out on the School’s website under Programme Regulations. The core and compulsory modules are summarised below but you will see from the full requirements that you will need to take more than just these modules to qualify for your degree. Please note that more than one set of regulations may apply to you.