Information for current undergraduates

Viewing your timetable

If you do not know your timetable and do not have a physical copy you can find your timetable by logging into SDS. Once here click on "Details & Study" and on the next screen click on "My Timetable". This will allow you to see your current timetable.

As your timetable may not be available from the very start of the year initially you should go to the student guide and select 'My Timetable'.

Programmes

The Computing and Computer Science programmes can be taken as a general programme but threads allow you to focus more so on a specific area. Your choices are dependent on your campus, these are as follows:

Module levels

Each module you undertake will have a credit value as well as the term in which it is taught written in your student handbook. As well as this there will also be a letter. These letters denote the level of difficulty which are as follows:

• Certificate (C, level 4)
• Intermediate (I, level 5)
• Honours (H, level 6)
• Masters (M, level 7)

For more information on module levels and what to expect from these modules see qualification level descriptions.

The different levels are not necessarily per stage, for instance you could do an I level module in stage 3 or an M level module if any are on offer

Module credits

Modules you take during your programme all have a credit value, those that run over 1 term tend to be worth 15 credits, those that run over both the Autumn and Spring terms tend to be worth 30 credits. 30 credit modules are significantly larger than 15 credit modules in terms of learning and work necessary for completion. In order to attain the credits for a particular module you must acheive at least a passing grade.

For more information on a specific modules please search for it in the module catalogue or refer to your course handbook. You can find a copy of this under "student handbooks" at the bottom of the modules and programmes page.

Progression onto the next year of study

In order to progress to the next year of study you must accumulate 120 module credits per year. In order to attain the credits for a module you must acheive at least 40% for that module.

In stage 1 as well as stage 2 you tend to do four modules per term, totalling eight per year, all with a credit value of 15. However this may not always be the case.

Further notes:

• Credit by compensation or condonement cannot be awarded for CB302
• Credit by compensation or condonement cannot be awarded for CO320 on any Medway programme or may not be awarded for both CO320 and CO520, or CO322 and CO325 on any programme.
• Credit by compensation or condonement will not be awarded for the placement year CO790, or the project modules CO600/CO620/CO650

Stage weighting

Each stage in your degree has a weighting and makes up a portion of your degree.

• On a three year programme:
  • Stage 1 is your introductory year so does not have a weighting in relation to your final degree classification.
  • Stage 2 is worth 40% of your final classification
  • Stage 3 is worth 60% of your final clasification
• On a four year programme:
  • Stage 1 is your introductory year so does not have a weighting in relation to your final degree classification.
  • Stage 2 is worth 35% of your final classification
  • An extra stage called stage S is when you will undertake your industry placement. This placement lasts for up to a year and is worth 10% of your degree. The 10% is split between a report and a managerial review. Stage S is worth 120 credits and is counted as an I level module.
  • Stage 3 is worth 55% of your final classification

In order to successfully complete a three year programme you need 240 credits across stages 2 and 3, on a four year programme you must acquire 360 from stages 2, S and 3.

Optional modules

In the final stage of your degree programme you may be given the option to pick particular modules from a predefined list of potential modules, when doing this you must remember:

• You must complete 120 credits in stage 3
• 90 of these must be at level H or above
• Only 30 credits can be gained at level I
• M level modules have a passing mark of 50%

Note: Optional modules are dependent on registration numbers meaning a module may be withdrawn if registration numbers are too low.

Classification methods

Your final degree classification can be calculated with two methods:

• The average method
  • This method uses the rounded, weighted average mark of all of your modules. For instance if the average across all of your modules is 60% or above but below 70% your final classification will be a 2:1.

  Example:

  First Class Honours Upper Second Class Honours Lower Second Class Honours Third Class Honours

  70 and above 60 - 69.4 50 - 59.4 40 - 49.4

• The preponderence method
  • This method takes an average mark of all contributing modules and the average from 50% of your modules. For instance if you acheive 70% or above in 50% of your modules and in all other support modules you acheive 65% you would receive a classification of a first.

  Example using a degree with 240 contributing credits

  Class	Number of Credits in class or above	Average mark over all contributing modules
  First Class	120	67
  Upper Second Class	120	57
  Lower Second Class	120	47
  Third Class	240*	Not Applicable

• If both methods are used
  • If the average and preponderence methods are used to calculate your classification, in the event there is a difference in classification between the two methods (for instance 69 and 71) you will be awarded the higher classification.

For more information please see section 12 of the Credit Framework for Taught Programmes which will provide you with a great deal of additional information.

The categorical scale

This is a marking scheme used by the university, it is in place to try and encourage markers to make firm decisions regarding marking as well as when deciding upon classifications.

The scale can be seen in the table below, taken from Guidance and procedures.