university of essex dissertation results

Accessibility

Library & Cultural Services

• Book a Study Space
• Reading Lists
• Journal Articles
• News. Media
• Policy Documents
• Film. Documentary. Audio-Visual
• Data. Statistics
• Theses & Dissertations

General Information

Essex theses, uk & north american theses, open access digitised dissertations.

• Search Skills This link opens in a new window
• Finding the full text
• Evaluating Information
• How to reference
• Reference management software
• Support For Researchers This link opens in a new window
• Politics (General & Comparative)
• United Kingdom
• United States. Canada
• Asia. Oceania
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Constitutional History. Treaties
• Democracy. Populism. Civil Society. Events. Political Protest. Ethnicity. Far Right
• Elections. Voting. Political Parties
• Freedom of Information. Privacy. Transparency
• Human Rights. Civil Liberties. Rule of Law
• International Relations. Diplomacy
• Media. Journalism. Fake News
• Political Theory & Philosophy
• Public Opinion
• Security. Conflict. Peace. Disasters
• Visual Resources

Theses or dissertations are the product of extended independent research by students. They are often required at undergraduate level (e.g. final year Capstone projects), and are nearly always a feature of postgraduate research from Master's through to Ph.D. level. The terms thesis and dissertation are often used interchangeably. In the UK, dissertation tends to be the preferred term at undergraduate and taught postgraduate level, and thesis used for original research at doctoral (Ph.D.) level. Confusingly, in the US, usage of these terms is reversed! 

Print books offering guidance on  how to write  a thesis can be found at  LB 2369  on floor 5 of the Albert Sloman Library, you can also search the library catalogue for ebook versions.

Students often need to consult theses for various reasons, including:

• checking the style and presentation of good past dissertations from their department
• not repeating research already undertaken
• using theses on a similar topic to help with the literature search, data sources, methods or data analysis

Essex Politics theses  can be found in the following locations:

• Politics Department  - copies of undergraduate and Master's dissertations. Undergraduate students have access to anonymised hard copies that can be consulted in the Meeting Room (they cannot be removed from the department). For Master's students, examples of relevant published papers on the GV993/995 Moodle page should help give guidance regarding structure, using different methodologies, etc. 
• Albert Sloman Library  - the University Library at Colchester holds print copies of all Essex Politics M.Phil. and Ph.D. dissertations up to 30 September 2016. They are listed in the catalogue, and must be consulted in the Library. To search by department type the keywords: essex thesis politics
• University of Essex Research Repository  - contains digitised versions of PhD theses submitted after 30 September 2016.

To search for dissertations from  other universities in the UK and beyond , there are a couple of very useful databases:  

EThOS  offers access to digitised UK doctoral theses

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses  lists North American & UK theses (with some coverage of other countries):

• EThOS EThOS is the British Library’s online service that provides access to UK doctoral theses. The database can be searched by anyone, but users need to register to access theses. Many theses are free to download instantly, and digitisation can be requested for those not currently available.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Global (PQDTGlobal) is the world's most comprehensive collection of full-text dissertations and theses. As the official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress and as the database of record for graduate research, PQDTGlobal includes millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full-text coverage for older graduate works. It also includes PQDT UK & Ireland content back to the 17th century. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Where available, PQDTGlobal provides 24-page previews of dissertations and theses. more... less... Shibboleth login

Many countries maintain repositories offering open access digitised dissertations . These can be useful to search if you have specific area interests. Useful listings of these repositories by country are maintained by:

• International Theses (Bodleian Library) The Bodleian Library at University of Oxford maintains a useful directory of national e-theses repositories
• NDLTD Find ETDs The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) is an international organization promoting the dissemination and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs)

If you want to cross-search your topic across countries you can use a portal that offer access to e-theses from around the world:

• Ebsco Open Dissertations
• Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations
• Open Access Theses & DIssertations
• << Previous: Data. Statistics
• Next: Search Skills >>
• Last Updated: Aug 5, 2024 4:49 PM
• URL: https://library.essex.ac.uk/politics

Results and submissions

Introduction to the ref results.

• Unclassified

The University of Essex

Unit of assessment 2: public health, health services and primary care, overall profile.

Percentage of submission meeting of the standard of:

• Four star: 12%
• Three star: 66%
• Two star: 22%
• One star: 0%
• Unclassiified: 0%

Overall profile

Outputs Profile

60% of overall profile

• Four star: 20.0%
• Three star: 60.0%
• Two star: 20.0%
• One star: 0.0%
• Unclassiified: 0.0%

Impact Profile

25% of overall profile

• Four star: 0.0%
• Three star: 75.0%
• Two star: 25.0%

Environment Profile

15% of overall profile

Unit of assessment 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

• Four star: 45%
• Three star: 44%
• Two star: 10%
• Unclassiified: 1%
• Four star: 40.7%
• Three star: 44.3%
• Two star: 13.2%
• One star: 0.9%
• Unclassiified: 0.9%
• Four star: 60.0%
• Three star: 40.0%
• Two star: 0.0%
• Four star: 37.5%
• Three star: 50.0%
• Two star: 12.5%

Unit of assessment 5: Biological Sciences

• Four star: 30%
• Three star: 50%
• Two star: 18%
• One star: 1%
• Four star: 34.2%
• Three star: 46.5%
• Two star: 16.7%
• One star: 0.8%
• Unclassiified: 1.8%
• Three star: 62.5%
• Two star: 37.5%

Unit of assessment 10: Mathematical Sciences

• Four star: 10%
• Three star: 76%
• Two star: 14%
• Four star: 12.8%
• Three star: 79.5%
• Two star: 7.7%
• Three star: 83.3%
• Four star: 12.5%

Unit of assessment 11: Computer Science and Informatics

• Four star: 41%
• Two star: 9%
• Four star: 33.9%
• Three star: 60.6%
• Two star: 5.5%
• Four star: 83.3%
• Three star: 16.7%

Unit of assessment 16: Economics and Econometrics

• Four star: 47%
• Two star: 3%
• Four star: 43.4%
• Three star: 55.7%
• Two star: 0.9%
• Four star: 30.0%
• Two star: 10.0%
• Four star: 87.5%
• Three star: 12.5%

Unit of assessment 17: Business and Management Studies

• Four star: 27%
• Three star: 51%
• Two star: 21%
• Four star: 25.9%
• Three star: 51.9%
• Two star: 19.8%
• One star: 2.4%
• Four star: 38.9%
• Three star: 27.8%
• Two star: 33.3%
• Three star: 87.5%

Unit of assessment 18: Law

• Four star: 46%
• Three star: 40%
• Two star: 13%
• Four star: 40.2%
• Three star: 39.1%
• Two star: 19.6%
• One star: 1.1%
• Four star: 71.4%
• Three star: 21.5%
• Two star: 7.1%
• Four star: 25.0%

Unit of assessment 19: Politics and International Studies

• Four star: 48%
• Two star: 2%
• Four star: 57.0%
• Two star: 3.0%
• Four star: 10.0%
• Three star: 90.0%
• Four star: 75.0%
• Three star: 25.0%

Unit of assessment 21: Sociology

• Four star: 54%
• Three star: 34%
• One star: 2%
• Four star: 43.6%
• Three star: 36.5%
• Two star: 17.3%
• One star: 2.6%
• Four star: 50.0%
• Four star: 100.0%
• Three star: 0.0%

Unit of assessment 24: Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism

• Four star: 15%
• Three star: 70%
• Two star: 15%
• Four star: 15.0%
• Three star: 63.3%
• Two star: 21.7%
• Four star: 16.7%

Unit of assessment 26: Modern Languages and Linguistics

• Four star: 57%
• Three star: 32%
• Two star: 11%
• Four star: 34.1%
• Three star: 47.7%
• Two star: 18.2%
• Four star: 77.5%
• Three star: 22.5%

Unit of assessment 27: English Language and Literature

• Four star: 38%
• Three star: 47%
• Four star: 43.3%
• Three star: 36.7%
• Three star: 77.5%
• Two star: 22.5%

Unit of assessment 28: History

• Four star: 25%
• Three star: 61%
• Four star: 38.6%
• Three star: 38.7%
• Two star: 22.7%
• Three star: 100.0%

Unit of assessment 30: Philosophy

• Four star: 33%
• Three star: 54%
• Four star: 31.3%
• Two star: 18.7%

Unit of assessment 32: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

• Four star: 50%
• Four star: 61.9%
• Three star: 33.3%
• Two star: 4.8%
• Three star: 55.0%
• Two star: 45.0%

Unit of assessment 33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies

• Four star: 24%
• Three star: 41%
• Two star: 30%
• One star: 5%
• Three star: 20.8%
• Two star: 33.4%
• One star: 8.3%
• Two star: 27.5%

Submissions

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines both on this page, and within the relevant submission  template:

• Template for academic writing (essays, research papers, case studies, academic blog posts, etc.).
• Template for creative writing (short fiction and poetry - please get in touch if you want to submit other forms).

Use the relevant template to format your paper, then register for an account before submitting (or login if you have an existing account).

This visual guide outlines the publishing process from pre-submission to publication. The short video below provides an overview of the submission process, and how to convert your paper into a journal article.

The Essex Student Journal is an online multi-disciplinary academic journal, run by and for University of Essex students, with the administration funded and supported by the University of Essex. 

The journal is dedicated to the publication of high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate writing, and is committed to creating accessible and engaging content for a non-specialist readership. The Essex Student Journal encourages and celebrates student research by offering valuable early experience of academic publishing and the peer review process. 

More information about the Essex Student Journal is available on the About pages and  University of Essex Library website . 

Focus and Scope

The Essex Student Journal publishes the work of undergraduate and Masters students currently studying at the University of Essex. Submissions will also be accepted from individuals who have graduated from the University of Essex within the last 12 months.

The Essex Student Journal is a multidisciplinary journal, meaning we accept submissions from all subject areas. Please see below for further information.

Peer Review

This journal operates a double blind peer review policy, meaning that neither the author nor the reviewer will be aware of each other's identities. The final decision on accepting/publishing a paper is made by the editor but informed by peer reviewer comments.

If you are a PhD student and are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, you can sign up here . Please ensure you add your subject interests when creating your account, as this ensures you are assigned papers relevant to your expertise and interests.

You can find more information and advice on completing peer review in our peer reviewer guidance . No experience of peer reviewing is required to be a reviewer for the Essex Student Journal, and we are always happy to help.

Submission Checklist

The Essex Student Journal is open for submission with no deadline; articles are published online when ready.

Submissions must be written by University of Essex undergraduate or PGT students. They can be original works or based on coursework written whilst studying at the University of Essex. If based on coursework, please ensure you refine the work using any feedback you received from tutors before submitting.

Submissions must be in English, and written or substantially revised (e.g. to ensure the content is up to date) no more than one year prior to submission.

We currently accept these types of submissions from all subject areas:

• Research papers
• Case studies
• Other academic writing (e.g. academic blog posts, conference papers, reviews etc.)
• Creative writing in the form of short fiction or poetry. More information about the format of creative writing is available in our creative writing template . If you would like to publish creative writing in a form other than short fiction or poetry, please  get in touch with the team .

Below is some information about how we classify our standard academic publication types: essays, research papers, and case studies.

And below is information on the forms of creative writing we accept:

Submission checklist

• Submissions must be submitted in a Word document, using either our academic writing template , or our creative writing template .
• Abstracts should be 200 words maximum.
• The word limit for general submissions is 2,800-3,000 words for the main body. For Masters students who wish to submit their dissertations, the word limit is 8000 words. Please be aware that longer submissions of this nature will take more time to peer review.
• Submissions must be edited according to the style guide (below) to suit the journal audience.
• Do not include your name anywhere in the Word document, as the peer review process will be double blind (both author and peer reviewer are anonymous). Your name will be linked to the document in the submission system, which only the Editor will see. 

Style guide

• All formatting should follow the guidelines available in either our  academic writing template , or our  creative writing template
• We require all submissions to follow Harvard style referencing  where sources are cited . However, in some cases, such as legal texts, other referencing styles can be used (e.g. OSCOLA ).
• Academic writing should be  concise , with clear subjects and actions in every sentence. This style will vary when submitting creative writing.
• Use consistent verb tenses throughout your manuscript. This style will vary when submitting creative writing.

Please note that all submissions will be subject to peer review to decide whether they are suitable for the journal. We also expect that submissions will not be under consideration, or previously published, with another publication.

If you have any questions about submissions, please email us at [email protected] .

Expectations for authors

• Follow the journal’s deadlines (for corrections and re-submission in case of conditional acceptance). 
• Provide an email address that will stay active for at least 6 months. You can provide either your Essex email address or your personal one. 
• In cases where we cannot communicate with you for more than 4 months, your paper will be deleted from our system, and it will not be published. 
• Don’t forget to remove your name or personal details from any part of your paper.
• Follow the style guide on the submission checklist.

Expectations for reviewers

• Follow the journal’s deadlines for reviewing the papers. In cases where you need more time, you can contact the journal to ask for an extension to the original deadline. 
• Provide an email address that will stay active for as long as you are volunteering to be a reviewer. You can provide either your Essex email address or your personal one. 
• Remember to anonymize your review, because the journal operates a double-blind peer review process. 
• Provide fair and constructive feedback to authors, and offer additional clarification if requested by the editor.

Expectations for the editor

• Respond to any enquiries within a week.
• Pass on the submitted papers to peer reviewers in a timely fashion. 
• Inform authors about completed reviews, including comments and feedback from the reviewers.
• Notify the author when the paper is published.
• Provide clear messaging if the editorial team will be on a break.
• Be objective and professional when reading the submitted papers.
• Make the final decision on whether a paper should be accepted and published.

• Login [Admin or PGR students only]

Latest additions

• Simple search
• Advanced search
• Browse by Year
• Browse by Subject
• Browse by Department
• Browse by Author
• Open access
• Repository policies

Essex Open Access Research Repository

This is the open access institutional repository for the University of Essex. The repository has been established to facilitate the dissemination and preservation of digital material created by the members of the University of Essex. The Research Repository is a showcase for the University's cutting-edge research and an on-line archive to increase the visibility and impact of our pioneering work in all disciplines. The full-text of many items is available, and can be used free of charge for non-commercial, personal study.

Browse our research outputs

Browse by author

Browse the list of researchers at Essex.

Search the repository

Search the repository for research outputs.

Browse by department

View outputs filtered by Department.

Last month's top authors

Last month's top downloads.

The Essex website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are consenting to their use. Please visit our cookie policy to find out which cookies we use and why. View cookie policy.

Board of Examiners' outcomes (undergraduate students)

If you undertook assessment in the 2023-24 Academic Year, but didn’t pass all your modules, these pages outline what the outcome(s) you have been offered means and provide important information on what you need to do next. These pages are also relevant to students who have been offered any voluntary reassessment.

Reassessment provides you with the opportunity to have another attempt at a module either through resitting exams and resubmitting coursework or repeating entire modules. Your results page will tell you what you have passed and what you need to retake to allow you to progress to your next year of study or graduate with your award. It will also list any voluntary reassessment you may have been offered and the outcomes that are available to you based on the decision of the Board of Examiners.

The options you have been offered by the Board of Examiners are dependent on your own individual results – so please read this guidance carefully and the information on each outcome you have been offered before making your decision. If you’re not sure what to do next, or if you have any questions, please talk to your department , who will be happy to help you.

See our webpage on how to select your outcome choices for more information.

We understand that results time can be difficult or disappointing, and our supportive staff in the  student wellbeing service are on-hand to support you throughout this period. You may also wish to contact SU Advice , who provide free expert and independent advice on the University's policies and procedures.

General reassessment info and how modules are awarded marks

During your studies you’ll take a number of modules, which are assessed by coursework (including in-class tests and presentations) and/or exams.

Each module will be made up of units of assessment which will each have their own weighting towards the overall module aggregate. When calculating the module aggregate the marks for all units are combined according to their weightings. For information on module weightings, you can use the Module Directory .

In most cases the pass mark for each module is 40. If your reassessment is capped the maximum mark you can achieve for the affected module, following reassessment, is the pass mark, i.e. - 40.

It’s important to know that there are variations to the Rules of Assessment  in different departments. For example, in some modules, achieving the standard pass mark of 40 may not be sufficient to achieve a pass overall in that module.

All reassessment offered is capped, unless you have been offered an uncapped ‘First Sit’ due to accepted extenuating circumstances. Please note, whilst named a ‘First Sit’, this is only in reference to the fact that it does not count as one of your three attempts at assessment in a module, previous marks and attempts may still appear on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). For full details on the above and any departmental variations that may apply please see the Rules of Assessment .

Important - decision deadlines

If your results show that you have a decision to make on the outcomes you've been offered and/or which reassessment you will be undertaking, there are set deadlines by which you must select your choices on the web results page.

For the Summer 2023-24 reassessment period the main decision deadline is midnight on Wednesday 17 July. However, if your decision affects your ability to attend Graduation and you wish to attend, you must confirm this by Thursday 4 July.

If you do not make a decision by Wednesday 17 July, an outcome will be imposed for you based on the options you have been granted. If you are appealing your outcomes, we would still advise you choose your preferred outcome by the relevant deadline. If your appeal is successful, your outcome will be amended accordingly.

Please note that this deadline may be different for some courses. Please check the information in your Board of Examiners outcome email or contact your department to confirm your deadline.

In-person examinations

In the 2023-24 academic year we will hold in-person examinations for the majority of our modules, although some may be remote. If your assessment was in- person in the Summer, your reassessment will also be in-person.

Details on whether a module will be holding in person or remote examinations can be found on the Module Directory .

Further reassessment and Graduation

If you’re a Final Year student who has not met the eligibility criteria for either your full degree or an Exit Award of an Ordinary Degree, and have therefore been offered further reassessment over the Summer, the Board of Examiners will meet, generally in September, to assess your results from your coursework and exams reassessments to decide whether you’ve passed.

If you have passed after this reassessment, and you’re eligible for a degree, you will receive your degree once your results have been confirmed. You will not be eligible to attend Graduation until you have completed this reassessment.

Extenuating circumstances actions

If you had an accepted extenuating circumstances claim, the action taken by the Board of Examiners will be noted on your results webpage .

If the Board of Examiners decides that your reassessment will be treated as an uncapped ‘First Sit’, due to extenuating circumstances, then your mark will not be capped upon reassessment.

The Rules of Assessment state that you have a maximum of three opportunities to undertake assessment in a module, however, the Board of Examiners can grant additional attempts where there are accepted extenuating circumstances.

Academic offences 

If you decide to undertake reassessment over the Summer, or without attendance, in a module in which you have already had an academic offences penalty applied, this penalty will continue to apply to your reassessments. Please bear this in mind when selecting your progression option.

Difference between compulsory and voluntary reassessment

It is essential for your continued progression on your course that you undertake all compulsory reassessment that you have been offered.

If you choose to undertake any of the voluntary reassessment you have been offered, but then you change your mind, you need to email [email protected]   as soon as possible so that we can advise you on next steps.

If you do not undertake the voluntary reassessment you have chosen to undertake and do not let us know, the Board of Examiners can reinstate your previous module mark, however this will show as an attempt at assessment on your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report).

If you choose to undertake a combination of compulsory and voluntary reassessments, it is important that you prioritise passing your failed modules, particularly any modules which are core for your course. You will not be able to progress to your next year of study, or be awarded your full Honours Degree, without passing all core modules and achieving the required number of credits.

If you have been offered voluntary reassessment, but you’ve decided not to take it, you will retain your current marks. Please note, you are not able to request this reassessment at a later date.

Implications for your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)

If you undertake any reassessment, compulsory or voluntary, all attempts at your assessment will show on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), even where undertaken as a ‘First Sit'.

If you choose to accept the voluntary reassessment you are offered, but do not undertake it, your HEAR will show your previous assessment mark but will count the missed reassessment as an attempt.

Receiving your award documents - Final Year students

Academic transcript.

Your academic transcript will be available electronically as part of your Higher Education Achievement Report  (HEAR) within five working days of your results being released. If you have been given a choice of outcomes, your HEAR will not update until five working days after you have confirmed your decision. Please note, the HEAR will not update if you are undertaking further reassessment this Academic Year, I.e., over the Summer, until your final marks for this year have been released after the September Reassessment Boards. We therefore advise that, if you are undertaking Summer reassessment, you take a screenshot of your results page for your information.

You can access your HEAR and securely share it with others via your GradIntelligence account.

We no longer issue hard copies of students’ transcripts as standard. Please contact [email protected] should you require further assistance.

Award certificate

Your electronic award certificate will be available on your GradIntelligence account, alongside your HEAR, within five working days of your award being conferred. If you have been given a choice of outcomes, this will be available five working days after you have confirmed your decision to accept the award.

You will also receive a hard copy award certificate which will be provided at your Graduation ceremony. Please be aware that if you are undertaking reassessment, your hard copy certificate will not be issued until your reassessment has been completed.

The Graduation and Awards Team will contact all graduates via their Essex emails to confirm where the certificate should be posted. If you do not confirm your address by the deadline stated by the Graduation and Awards Team when they contact you, your certificate will be posted to your home address on MyEssex.

Please contact [email protected]  if you require further assistance.

Graduation ceremonies

Our Summer Graduation Ceremonies will take place between Tuesday 16 and Friday 19 July 2024 on our Colchester Campus. All expected graduates will be contacted with information about when their ceremony will be and how to book in due course. Please ensure your external email address is up to date in MyEssex so we can stay in touch. All updates will also be published on our Graduation website . Please contact [email protected] should you have any queries in the meantime.

Board of Examiners' outcomes and your visa

The Board of Examiners applies the Rules of Assessment and makes decisions based on academic grounds. It is not always possible for a sponsored student to choose some of the academic options offered by the Board of Examiners due to the immigration rules, regulations and guidance. It is your responsibility to check our immigration pages  and Board overview page for guidance on how possible outcomes may affect your visa.

If you complete your course earlier than expected the University will be required to report this to the UK Home Office, which may mean your visa will expire early. The International Services Team will email you when a report is made to the UK Home Office to advise you further. In the meantime, if you require advice, please contact our International Student Advisors by completing the online immigration enquiry form .

As a student sponsor, the University must comply with all Home Office requirements. Please read our immigration guidance on Board of Examiner decisions . If it is recommended or you would like clarification before making your choice, please contact our team via the  online enquiry form .

Important information for Law students on Qualifying Law Degrees

• If you are a Law student there are specific rules which apply concerning the number of assessment attempts you are permitted, the modules you can carry fails in, and the amount of time you can complete your course within when you are on an accredited course, known as a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD).
• If you fail one of the Foundations of Legal Knowledge subjects, and do not retrieve this fail, you will no longer be eligible for a QLD without a successful application for exemption to the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority or Bar Standards Board.
• The lack of a QLD will affect you if you are hoping to qualify as a barrister or solicitor in England or Wales. This may also have implications for the recognition of your degree in other countries.
• If you choose to graduate carrying a fail in a Final Year Foundations of Legal Knowledge module, you will be offered only ONE additional reassessment attempt. If you are successful, your degree will be updated to a QLD.
• If you decide to carry the fail in a Foundations of Legal Knowledge module in Year One or Year Two, or are unsuccessful in your Final Year reassessment attempt in a Foundations of Legal Knowledge module, you will be offered ‘Reassessment for Professional Purposes’ in the next available reassessment period. If you are successful, you will get confirmation that you have completed the required module and we will notify the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board, via the Joint Academic Stage Board, however, your transcript and degree will not be updated to a QLD.
• Please note, that you can only be offered Reassessment for Professional Purposes where you have not already had three attempts at the assessment for that module, except where you have been offered an additional attempt due to accepted extenuating circumstances.
• To obtain a QLD you must also complete your degree within the required time frame, which is the length of your course plus two years. For three-year courses this means you have a maximum of five years, and for four-year courses six years to complete your degree.

Leaving or withdrawing from the University

We understand that results time can be disappointing and that this can be a difficult time if you’ll be leaving the University before the anticipated end of your studies.

It’s important that you access our range of student support services, so you have the right information to weigh-up the options and decide on your next steps.

• The Student Services Hub is available to offer guidance on accessing your results, deadlines and making decisions via the online portal. This team can also be contacted via Live Chat .
• Our friendly and supportive Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service is on-hand to talk through any issues you might have by emailing  [email protected]
• SU Advice provides expert and independent advice on University policies and procedures as a free service to all students. Contact them by emailing  [email protected] .
• Other good points of contact to talk through your next steps are your departmental personal tutor and the University’s Careers Services .

You may decide that you want to continue your studies at another institution. Your Higher Education Achievement Record provides a record of your achievements at our University, which you can make available to another institution.

Registering for your next year of study

If you are repeating the year or repeating modules on a part-time basis you will be able to register online in the normal manner.

If you are undertaking reassessment without attendance, you will be registered automatically.

Find out more about registration .

Student finance and funding

Tuition fees.

If you are entitled to the Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England, this will cover the tuition for the ordinary duration of your course, plus one additional year (known as a ‘gift year’), minus any previous years of study at Higher Education level.

You will be eligible for tuition fee funding for a repeat year or part-time repeat, where you have not yet used your additional year of funding or had previous Higher Education funding prior to your current course. If you have previously studied at Higher Education level or already used your additional year of funding, you will need to fund your own tuition fees during any repeated studies, i.e. a repeat year or if repeating modules on a part-time basis.

When funding is affected by previous study, you will not be able to get a tuition fee loan but should still be able to access the maintenance loan and additional grants such as the Parents Learning Allowance or Disabled Student Allowance as usual.

Compelling personal reasons

There is an exception to the previous study rules, which is if you have had extenuating circumstances for not completing a year of study. If this applies to you, you can write to Student Finance England to request an additional year of funding. Student Finance call this ‘compelling personal reasons’. You need to write a letter to explain how the compelling personal reasons have affected your studies and submit supporting evidence. UK Home funded students can submit this request via their online account, EU students need to post it. If your request is successful, your tuition fee loan will be reinstated.

You only need to submit a ‘compelling personal reasons’ request if you have already used your ‘gift year’ or have studied previously.

Please contact the Funding Team ( [email protected] ) for further advice on compelling personal reasons if required.

If you are undertaking reassessment without attendance, you will not be fully registered or liable for tuition fees, you’ll only need to pay the relevant resit costs and therefore this will not count as a year’s funding entitlement. As such you will not be eligible for any funding from Student Finance England as they generally only provide support for students in attendance.

Any student who is in debt to the University will normally be required to pay the debt before registering for the next academic year. If you are unable to pay the debt, you should contact the Student Services Hub  for advice and support.

Changing course

You can request to change your course via the Student Request Portal - where you can also find out more about:

• requesting a special syllabus
• intermitting
• withdrawing

If the Board of Examiners require you or have offered you the option to change course and continue your studies and you select this outcome, you will not need to request a course change to action this, it will automatically be actioned for you. For information on course changes due to Board of Examiners outcomes please see the relevant pages which will be linked to on your web results outcome page.

For further information, see the changing course webpages .

If you are considering making an appeal against a decision made by the Board of Examiners, it’s important to be aware that there are limited grounds and strict deadlines for submitting an appeal. Check the deadlines as soon as possible on the appeals webpage .

You are encouraged to discuss your results with your department. You can also contact the SU Advice team for support with completing your appeal by emailing  [email protected] .

Useful contacts

Reassessment options

• Reassessment this Summer
• Repeating a year
• Repeating modules on a part-time basis
• Reassessment without attendance
• Repeating a year on a different course
• Proceeding to the next year carrying 15 failed credits
• Proceeding to the next year carrying 30 failed credits
• Changing course and proceeding to the next year carrying failed credits
• Graduating this year and returning for reassessment
• Leaving the University with an alternative award
• Summer reassessment in trailed modules, progression confirmed at September Board
• Carry fails in trailed modules and repeat current year
• Carry fails in trailed modules and repeat failed current year modules on a part-time basis
• Carry fails in trailed modules and undertake reassessment without attendance in failed current year modules

• For enquiries contact your Student Services Hub
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ
• Accessibility
• Privacy and Cookie Policy