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Master of Arts in Urban Economy and Culture : Assessment Regulations
1. Examinations and Assessment
This programme is assessed through a combination of written and practical assignments and a dissertation.
1.1 Marking
- All pieces of assessment (written, practical and dissertation) must be marked against the University's standardised 0-100 scale using the School's criterion-referenced marking scheme for individual answers.
- A second marker must be nominated to check/moderate a minimum of all distinctions/fails and a 5% sample of the remainder for each unit. For those units with very small numbers, a sample greater than 5% should be used to cover all classifications awarded. In the case of presentation/performance assignments, either a sample of second marking at the time of these events should be operated OR the plan of the presentation, together with the marking sheet and criteria, should be moderated and checked.
- All dissertations must be double marked, with differences of 10% or less being resolved between the two markers. Cases where marks differ by more than 10% should be passed to a third marker.
- The School will communicate full information about the marking of individual papers to parent Schools and to Boards of Studies, including marks for individual answers.
- The marks for each unit will be returned separately and may not be combined to secure a pass or fail.
1.2 Disclosure of Results and Assessment Procedures
- Students will be given the marks they obtain in each individual unit of study only after they have been agreed by the examiners. These marks will be made available according to the agreed procedures. All marks will remain provisional and subject to change until after the Board of Examiners has met.
- Marks for individual pieces of assessed work will be made available by the School within 5 working weeks of the submission deadline. These marks will remain provisional and subject to change until after the final Board of Examiners has met.
- More detailed information, such as marks for individual components within a piece of assessment, will be made available to students upon request.
1.3 Failure to Satisfy Coursework Requirement
- Failure without good reason to comply with requirements for the submission of assessed work may result in no marks being awarded for that part of the course.
- Students who fail to achieve a satisfactory standard in a piece of assessment may be required to undertake additional work and/or an examination to remedy the deficiency.
1.4 Absence from Written Examination
- Students who are absent from a written examination are considered as special cases at the end of session meeting of School representatives who make a recommendation to the Board of Examiners on the course of action to be taken (normally involving examinations in the Supplementary Examination period).
1.5 Referral Examinations
- Referral examinations are normally taken in the Supplementary Examination period following the academic year in which the module was failed, but may be taken at other times by agreement with the School. Such students will be registered as external candidates and will not be in residence until they satisfy the requirements to proceed.
- When a referral examination involves an option assessed wholly by practical or coursework, special re-examination arrangements will be made. Details of the re-examination arrangements for the students concerned must be conveyed by the unit convenor in writing to the Examinations Officer before the Board of Examiners' meeting that confirms the results.
- When a referral examination involves a unit assessed by up to one third by practical or coursework, the original mark obtained for the practical or coursework will normally be used when determining the result of the re-examination. If a student failed to submit any coursework for a unit in which they are referred, and there are no documented mitigating circumstances, a mark of zero for that coursework will normally be carried forward to the referral examination.
- When a referral examination involves a unit assessed by more than one third by practical or coursework, special re-examination arrangements may be made by the unit convenor. These arrangements must be conveyed in writing to the Examinations Officer before the Board of Examiners' meeting that confirms the results.
1.6 Resits
- The number and type of assessments to be re-taken are defined in the programme specification. A candidate's registration is suspended until the resit has been successfully completed. University regulations only allow one resit during the whole duration of a student's programme.
- If there are special circumstances, the Board of Examiners may allow a candidate to repeat as an alternative to resitting. In the absence of special circumstances, an internal resit may be permitted if this is considered to be in that candidate's best interests. In either of these cases, normal fees are payable.
Return of Assessed Work
- The School Board may permit the return to students of any work submitted for examination purposes, provided that the students concerned accept responsibility for ensuring that, in case of need, it remains available to the University until the end of the session following the announcement of the final examination result for the programme. A detailed record of performance shall in any case by retained by the School.
2. Classification of Masters/Diploma/Certificate Awards
2.1 Requirements for the Degree of MA
- The assessment of all taught units (120 credits) and the dissertation (60 credits) will form the basis for the classification of the degree result.
- A candidate who successfully achieves the pass mark of 40% on units totally 120 credit points, and achieves 50% or more on aggregate, is eligible to proceed to the dissertation.
- A candidate who achieves the required aggregate pass mark of 50% and shows strong performance (ie: achieves a minimum of 60% in all core units), but fails to achieve the pass mark in non-core units totalling not more than 30 credit points, may be allowed to progress to the dissertation.
- Referral procedures will be available to candidates who fail to achieve the required aggregate by 3% or less, or who achieve the aggregate pass mark but fail to achieve the pass mark in core modules, or who fail non-core modules and do not qualify to progress under the 'strong performance' definition.
- Resit procedures will be available to candidates not achieving the aggregate pass mark or failing at referral and who have not previously resat. An aggregate mark of 50% for the taught element will be recorded for candidates progressing following a resit.
- The dissertation will be marked on a percentage scale or an equivalent letter grade scale. The pass mark for the dissertation will be 50%. A candidate failing to achieve this may submit a revised dissertation on one occasion only. Such a candidate will not be eligible for Distinction.
- A candidate achieving 70% or more aggregate on the taught element, and 70% or more on the dissertation, is awarded the MSc with Distinction. The Board of Examiners may also recommend the award of distinction to a candidate whose dissertation is outstanding (normally 80% or more) and whose aggregate mark on the taught element is at least 68%. Vivas may also be used in marginal cases at the discretion of the Board of Examiners.
2.2 Requirements for the Award of Postgraduate Diploma
- A candidate who successfully completes modules totalling 120 credit points and achieves 40% or more on aggregate on these modules, but who does not proceed for any reason to qualify for the MA, is eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.
2.3 Requirements for the Award of a Postgraduate Certificate
- A candidate who successfully completes modules totalling 60 credit points and achieves 40% or more on aggregate on these modules, but who does not proceed for any reason to qualify for the Postgraduate Diploma, is eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.
2.4 Special Circumstances
- Where a candidate's performance is adversely affected by illness or other serious circumstances and wishes such special circumstances to be considered by the Board of Examiners, such request must be made no later than eight days following the submission of the affected assessment and must be accompanied by a report from a qualified medical practitioner or other relevant professional.
- Candidates who have missed examinations worth more than 30 credits may be assessed during the supplementary Examination period or in the following session.
Alternatively, the candidate may be considered for the award of an Aegrotat Degree under the conditions prescribed by Ordinance.
If any candidate, having completed the whole or a substantial part of his or her course, is prevented by illness or other sufficient cause from completing sufficient part of an examination (leading directly to a degree, diploma or certificate) to satisfy the examiners in accordance with relevant regulations, that candidate may be awarded an Aegrotat Degree, Diploma or Certificate. Such award may be made upon the recommendation of the Board of Examiners concerned (or other authorised body), and upon such conditions as the Senate may decide, provided that the candidate shall not be exempted from presenting a dissertation, and further provided that the candidate shall not be awarded a Distinction.
Applications for the award of an Aegrotat Degree, Diploma or Certificate must be made in writing by the candidate, or by the tutor or supervisor concerned, and must normally be received by the School Manager not later than eight days after the end of the assessment period for the degree programme concerned. Any application based on ill-health must be accompanied by a report from a qualified medical practitioner.
- Each Board of Examiners shall attempt to reach its decisions by consensus, according due weight to the views of the External Examiners.
- Candidates who do not achieve a sufficient aggregate for the award of a degree have an automatic right to resit the whole examination, provided that this right has not previously been used.
- In considering the examination results of successful resit candidates, the Board of Examiners decides whether or not to recommend the award of Honours.
3. Appeal Procedures
The full text governing reviews and appeals by students on taught courses can be found in Section IV of the University Calendar: Regulations Governing Reviews and Appeals by Students on Taught Courses.
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