Summary of MSc Regulations for Awards and Progressions
(With additional staff guidance notes) Updated July 2015 and Oct 2015
This document summaries some of the pertinent UCL regulations, it also provides guidelines and
additional detail specific to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UCL (sometimes
referred to as ‘local rules’). This document should be read in conjunction with relevant University
Regulations. The latter take precedence in the case of an inconstancy.
Part time students and individual projects.

Part time students may only register for their individual project once they have registered
for, or completed, at least 4 other modules (60 credits).

Students who are registered part time for an MSc may, at the discretion of their Programme
Director, select their project an academic year in advance. They must then register for the
project in the next academic year and may start on it immediately on commencement of
the new academic year.
Staff guidance: Part time students are often in full time employment and this measure maximises
the time they can spend on their project within the academic year they are registered for
their project. Formal supervision should not start until the new academic year but the
student can use time prior to this for preparation and background reading.
Diploma - Under Revision
Consistent with UCL policy a Diploma shall not be awarded for a failed MSc. Exceptionally a
student maybe permitted to transfer from the MSc to the Diploma BEFORE significantly starting
their individual project and where appropriate the ship design exercise.
Staff guidance: The individual project (or where appropriate the ship design exercise) starts once
a student engages in selecting their project but the Department considers that significant
work cannot be performed until about the March exams. Diplomas will have to be reviewed
for AY15/16 in view of UCL’s new Qualifications and Credit Framework.
Use of Condoned pass
A condoned pass* can be offered at the Exam Board’s discretion where a student’s mark in a 15
credit module is between 40 and 49%. The Department’s usual policy is also to require the student
to achieved at least 30% in the exam component, if appropriate, before considering a condoned
pass. The Department’s usual policy is only to offer a condoned pass as a matter of last resort, the
alternative being to fail the MSc.
It is strongly recommend that any student who is considering rejecting an offer of a condoned
pass should discuss the matter with their Programme Director at the earliest opportunity.
Staff guidance: If a student has another opportunity to take a module the Exam Board will not
normally consider a condoned pass. The one exception to this is when a student has passed
all their taught modules except one (or two in the case of B&TE). In this case the Exam
Board may consider offering a condoned pass. Accepting a condoned pass in this situation
will permit a student to complete their MSc but the low grade will appear on the transcript.
A student can reject the offer of a condoned pass and go on to re-sit/repeat the module the
following academic year. This is the second and final attempt at this module. There is no
mark penalty for a re-sit/repeat. This provides the opportunity for a student to improve their
mark and increase the overall MSc average which can be important for some students.
However it will be indicated as a second attempt on the transcript.
* Up to 2 for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering MSc, none for Naval Architecture MSc and up to 1 for the remaining MSc.
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Pass
Please refer to the PORTICO diet for MSc specific requirements.
The UCL regulations are summarised below;

the overall average mark, based upon 180 credits, is 50% or greater;

the mark for the dissertation is 50% or greater

A maximum of 25% of the programme’s taught element (i.e. excluding the dissertation)
may be condoned at 40 – 49%, the remainder of the modules must be at 50% or greater.
If a student has a re-sit mark or a condoned mark the award given can only be Pass or Fail.
Merit [for 2014 intake onwards]
Please refer to the PORTICO diet for MSc specific requirements.
The UCL regulations are summarised below;

the overall average mark, based upon 180 credits, is 60% or greater;

the mark for the dissertation is 60% or greater

no modules with aggregate marks below 50%, no condoned marks, no re-sit marks, and all
marks are first attempts.
Staff guidance: For 2010 to 2013 intake mark for Merit in dissertation was 65%. Merit was first
introduced in AY 2010-11
Distinction
Please refer to the PORTICO diet for MSc specific requirements.
The UCL regulations are summarised below;

the overall average mark, based upon 180 credits, is 70% or greater;

the mark for the dissertation is 70% or greater

no modules with aggregate marks below 50%, no condoned marks, no re-sit marks, and all
marks are first attempts.
Staff guidance: Additional regulations specific to certain MSc courses
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering,
Engineering with Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Engineering with Finance,
Mechanical Engineering,
Power Systems Engineering
No additional rules
Marine Engineering
An average of at least 70% from {MECHGR91, MECHGR99} For Distinction
An average of at least 60% from {MECHGR91, MECHGR99} For Merit
Naval Architecture
An average of at least 70% from {MECHGN01, MECHGN02, MECHGN03} And Average
of at least 70% from {MECHGN05, MECHGN99} And at least 70% from MECHGN99 For
Distinction
An average of at least 60% from {MECHGN01, MECHGN02, MECHGN03} And Average
of at least 60% from {MECHGN05, MECHGN99} And at least 60% from MECHGN99 For
Merit.
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Dean’s List – under revision for AY15/16 awaiting guidelines from Faculty tutor
A student who scores 75% or more overall would normally be recommended for the Dean’s list.
Staff guidance: It would be expected (but it is not a requirement) that all modules are passed at
first attempt and there are no condoned passes. Note that while a student will probably have
gained a Distinction it is not a requirement for being considered for the Dean’s list. 75% is
only for guidance and is not a fixed bar.
Exam Re-sits
If the mark for the exam component is 50% or greater the exam component cannot be retaken.
Where a student has failed the exam component of a module (less than 50%) and the module
overall they have the option of re-taking the exam. The mark at the second attempt is not capped.
Apart from extenuating circumstances the Department does not hold re-sit examinations in the
summer, students re-take any failed examination during the appropriate examination period in the
following academic session. The higher of the marks achieved at the first attempt and second
attempt will apply.
Staff guidance: In the case of a student missing an exam due to extenuating circumstance (e.g.
illness) the Department is now obliged under UCL rules to hold a re-sit exam before the end
of the MSc. Re-sit exams are not available to other students but this may change for in AY
2016-17. Note that the change in the rules about re-sit marks is grand-fathered, i.e. applies
to all students not just those who started in Sept 2012. Students can repeat a module or selfstudy and just attend the re-sit the failed component (not in attendance no UCL fees).
Students can repeat the lecture course (i.e. in attendance and pay fees to UCL) or self-study
(i.e. not in attendance and pay no fees to UCL) and just turn up for the exam; the former are
called repeating students the latter re-sitting students.
Coursework Re-sits
If the mark for the coursework component is 50% or greater the coursework component cannot be
retaken. Where a student has failed the coursework component of a module (less than 50%) and
the module overall they have the option of re-taking the coursework. Apart from extenuating
circumstances the Department does not hold re-sit coursework in the summer, students re-take any
failed course work during the appropriate period in the following academic session. The mark at
the second attempt is not capped and the higher of the marks achieved at the first attempt and the
second attempt will apply.
Staff guidance: It is left to the Module Co-ordinators to set appropriate coursework both for resitting (i.e. not in attendance) and repeating (i.e. in attendance) students. The coursework
should be the same as that set for all other students in that academic year with the same
deadlines. In some cases this might not be possible or desirable, for example a re-sitting
(i.e. not in attendance) student might not have access to necessary specialist software or the
coursework is similar to the previous year which with the feedback previously given would
put the repeating student an unfair advantage. In these cases alternative coursework should
be set which tests for similar understanding and is of a similar degree of difficulty and length.
MSc Individual projects – minor corrections
Under revision for AY15/16 awaiting guidelines from Faculty tutor
A GREIG July 2015
Chair Dept Teaching Committee
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