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Regulations

Find regulations specific to Combined Honours in this section.

Equal opportunities

The University widens access to higher education to students of all backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.

All our students are entitled to work and live in a safe environment, free from fear, intimidation and harassment.

They are entitled to freedom of speech, and to pursue their political and religious beliefs within the law.

The University has an Equality Strategy and Dignity and Respect Policy. We Further policies are outlined in the Student Charter.

Respectful and inclusive

You can expect all members of staff and other students to treat you courteously and fairly irrespective of:

  • race
  • ethnic origin
  • sex
  • marital or parental status
  • sexual orientation
  • religion or belief
  • disability
  • age
  • political belief
  • trade union membership and activities

Newcastle University expects you to treat other students and members of staff with respect, following these policies.

Health and safety

We have a duty to keep you healthy and safe while you're studying with us. Everybody at the University must comply with the University’s arrangements for safety and occupational health. They are set out in the University Safety Policy (and respective School Safety Policies).

Smoking is not permitted in any areas of the University premises or grounds at any time. The University’s detailed Smoke-Free Policy is available online.

Degree regulations

A student is expected to pass 120 credits at each stage before they can progress to the next.

The Stage 1 average does not count towards the final degree classification.

Stage 2 is worth one third, and Stage 3 is worth two thirds (a weighting of 1:2).

Final Average

Degree Classification

70-100

First Class

60-69

Second Class, First Division (2:1)

50-59

Second Class, Second Division (2:2)

40-49

Third Class

0-39

Fail

 

More about degree regulations

Students whose mark is on the borderline and/or have been assigned a PEC rating will be discussed by the Board of Examiners who may use their discretion to award a higher degree classification.

You may have spent an Intercalating Year Abroad and your 20 credit SML3005/SML3006 mark may be better than an SML Stage 2 module mark. We will use the higher mark when calculating the Stage 2 average.

Students do not need to do anything to action this, as the Combined Honours Centre will action this automatically.

Students will be asked to register to attend Congregations in July before their final results are known. Alternatively students may wish to attend a Congregation Ceremony in December, or to graduate in absentia.

Graduates will receive their degree parchement, a transcript of study and a Higher Education Achievement Record. This record outlines any particular achievements such as language level, dissertation titles or work placements undertaken.

Attendance policy

The University wants to make sure you succeed on your course. We've introduced attendance monitoring of some timetabled sessions to ensure your welfare and to support your academic progress.

It's important that all students adhere to the terms of the Student Charter and ensure that they are punctual and attend all timetabled sessions. Students are required to let their academic unit or tutor/supervisor know as soon as possible if they are ill or have other good reason for non-attendance.

Absence procedure and attendance monitoring

You must inform the Combined Honours Centre if you are absent from university.

  • Sickness absence 
  • Personal and Extenuating Circumstances

The University wants to make sure all students succeed in their course, and has a legal obligation to monitor the attendance of international students. 

International student monitoring

The University has a legal obligation to monitor the attendance of international students and to report to the UK Border Agency any student who is not attending.

International students should be aware that they must attend all timetabled sessions to comply with the terms of their visa.

If you're unable to attend because you are ill you must promptly submit a notification of absence via the Student Portal as per the sickness and absence guidance.

You should also seek approval for vacations or plans to leave the UK in the summer period as this may have implications for your visa and eligibility to return to the UK.

Expectations of students and the University

We want to set out explicitly what you can expect from us in Combined Honours and what we expect from you.

This is in line with the Student Charter at Newcastle University. We are committed to providing an efficient service and if you have an enquiry, you can expect an response within three working days of receipt. This excludes University/office closure and vacation periods.

What you can expect from us

As a student, you can expect the Combined Honours Centre to:

  • provide a friendly and efficient customer service that will operate during normal office hours where possible (via e-mail, telephone and/or in person)
  • respond to any enquiries that you may have within three working days of receipt
  • provide you with a Degree Programme Handbook
  • provide you with a copy of the Degree Programme Regulations
  • provide you with relevant information updates related to the Degree Programme and modules offered via e-mail and/or Blackboard
  • provide you with a personal tutor and inform you who this staff member is within three weeks of registration
  • provide a Student-Staff Committee once a semester
  • provide, upon request, advice on University student services and/or redirection to the relevant office
  • provide, upon request, information on our academic regulations, including our disciplinary and appeals procedure
  • adhere to the University's diversity policies
  • adhere to the University's Health and Safety procedure to ensure, as far as is practical, the health and safety of our students
  • adhere to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts, retaining the confidentiality of students accordingly
  • provide, if necessary, proof of your studies with the University
  • provide final assessment results on an annual basis (once the Board of Examiners meeting has taken place) direct via the Student Portal (typically at the end of June)
  • provide a Common Room space dedicated to Combined Honours students
What we expect from you

When you are a student with us, we expect you to:

  • adhere to University and Degree Programme Regulations, including subject module regulations as listed in the Degree Programme Handbook
  • be aware of the University Assessment Irregularity Procedure and ensure that you do not plagiarise work (helpful advice can also be found at the Right-Cite for good Academic Conduct)
  • ensure that your module registration is correct and that your chosen modules are permitted in accordance with the information and criteria set out of the
  • attend all components of modules for which you are registered for and to complete assessments on time (it is your responsibility to check school submission procedures in all of your subjects)
  • make and retain contact with your allocated Personal Tutor throughout your time at University
  • check your Newcastle University email on a regular basis and contact others at the University using this email address
  • read and respond to requests from the Combined Honours Centre and your Personal Tutor
  • let us know if you cannot attend University for any reason and follow our absence procedure (see below)
  • let us know of any disability or disadvantage that might affect your studies, and for which we may be able to make provision
  • provide us with personal contact details and inform us of any changes to these details (it is your responsibility to keep these updated in the Student Portal)
  • participate in module and programme evaluation
  • adhere to the University's diversity policies
  • behave appropriately and be considerate to other students and staff
  • act with reasonable care for your own and others' safety when undertaking University activities and adhere to the University's Health and Safety procedure
  • advise us immediately if you decide to withdraw from the course
  • inform us of personal circumstances affecting your performance