Teaching Timetables & Study Patterns

Study Patterns: Typically all students take a maximum of four courses at a time, together with professional development activities.

For full-time undergraduates, each year involves studying 120 credits. In the first and second years this will usually mean four 30-credit courses, running from October to April (so the Term 1 and Term 2 timetables are likely to be identical).

In the final year, one of the courses is normally replaced by a 30-credit project.

For some programmes, the final year courses are 15-credits only and run for a single term, meaning that you might take a project and six 15-credit courses, three in each term.

Full-time postgraduate students on taught MSc programmes normally take four 15-credit courses in their first Semester, four different 15-credit courses in their second Semester 2, together with a 60-credit project running over the whole period of the MSc.

Learning Framework: Typically each course involves a two-hour lecture every week, plus a one-hour laboratory session and/or a one-hour tutorial. However, some of the more practical courses may involve more lab/tutorial work and less lecture time.

The lectures are designed to give a broad overview of key concepts and ideas, and a framework for more in-depth individual study. The lab work helps you develop and understand the technical skills required for your programme - you do individual work, but a tutor is on hand to help with any problems you may have. Tutorials may involve group-based or individual work and again aim to help you develop your own skills.