During your studies
Information for during your studies
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is committed to excellence in adult education and to facilitating an open and inclusive academic learning environment. Students are expected to take full advantage of the facilities, teaching and support offered and to be proactive, independent and self‐directed in their study. Students are also expected to meet deadlines for the submission of work and to complete the course within the timeframe specified.
The student charter demonstrates the shared commitment between ourselves and our students.
We commit to the student charter below and expect the same undertaking from our students:
| What you can expect from us: | What we expect of our students: |
| A learning environment and learning opportunities which enable and encourage active engagement. | To become an engaged member of our learning community. |
Clear, accessible and timely information about your studies, including:
| To embrace the aims and expectations of your chosen programme of study and to take responsibility for your own learning by actively participating in learning opportunities. |
| Clear consultation and engagement with students on any changes to course-content, structure or timings. | To make effective use of guidance and feedback from formative and summative assignments provided during your programme of study. |
| Assistance to understand your responsibility to engage with the learning opportunities provided and to shape your learning experience. | To support open discussion based on the principals of evidence-based academic debate and to engage in a way that is tolerant of others' viewpoints and perspectives. |
| Timely feedback on assignments to facilitate learning. | To treat other students and staff with courtesy and to behave in a way that does not disrupt teaching, studying, research or administration. |
| Opportunities for you to give us feedback and to be clear as to how we have acted on it, e.g. via the end of course student surveys. | To be familiar with our procedures and regulations as given in the student handbook and to seek clarification from our team if necessary. |
| To be treated by our staff with courtesy and professionalism. | To observe our social media guidelines in all course-related activity within our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to ensure all students have equal access. |
| To study in an environment which promotes diversity and where there is equality of opportunity among students and staff. | To advise the course team (tutors and administrators) of any issues which may interfere with your ability to study or submit assignments on time, so that appropriate support may be provided. |
To study on any of our courses, particularly at undergraduate and postgraduate level, you will need to set aside sufficient time to prepare, participate in, and fully engage with your studies. This may include completing the required reading, course assignments and then going beyond course materials to develop your knowledge further.
Full engagement with your course is a factor in achieving successful outcomes and it is a requirement of studying with us. Regular attendance is essential in enabling you to contribute to and benefit from the strength of your peer learning community and the academic expertise of your tutors. As such, you are expected to attend all teaching sessions scheduled for your course.
We estimate that for every 60-credit qualification, a student will spend around 600 hours studying.
We recognise that our learners are likely to have many other commitments alongside their studies. Deciding to study for any course is a significant commitment and success often depends on the support of family, friends and employers. We understand that you may need to miss a session from time to time. We will do what we can to ensure you are able to catch up on any work missed, and to provide recordings of sessions where available.
Learners on award-bearing courses have regular tutorials with their course director. These are your time to discuss your progress on the course, any support measures that need to be put in place and are there to help you complete the course successfully.
Our award-bearing courses are delivered on the online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and this is the main communication channel between learners, tutors, and course administrators. It is also the place where assignments are submitted and tutor feedback is received, unless an assignment is unsuitable for electronic submission.
After registering for a course, you will be provided with login instructions to the VLE by the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) team. Online, you will have access to many resources and explanatory help files to enable you to get the most from your studies. Once enrolled, if you have any questions about the VLE please contact your course team directly.
You will normally retain access to your course’s learning resources within the VLE for two academic years after you have completed your course.
You will need the following to study a course with us:
- basic internet skills
- unique email address
- broadband/internet access
- word processing software if submitting assignments (able to export Word/Office)
When studying for an award, you will need to spend some time each week preparing for assignments. The nature of the activities required may vary from course to course. They may involve the completion of essays, workbooks, other written work, presentations, or practical work and fieldwork. Assignments are designed to contribute to your progress and to enable you to demonstrate the achievement of the learning outcomes specified for the course. Assignments are normally described in the course guide prepared by the course director and tutor(s). The satisfactory completion of such work is essential for the award of a qualification.
Academic credit formally recognises and measures the designated learning outcomes that you have achieved at a specified level.
Each course is designed and approved with clear aims and learning outcomes. It may be delivered through various components as units or modules. The volume of learning for each component, and the programme as a whole, is assigned credits based on the principle that one credit typically represents 10 notional hours of learning. For example, a 60-credit course is equivalent to around 600 hours of study. This is an estimate, and actual study time varies between students.
Study activities may include:
- pre-class preparation
- classroom time (including lectures, seminars, discussions, debates, case studies, break-out groups)
- engagement within the VLE (discussion boards, peer feedback)
- peer-to-peer interaction (informal and guided)
- field-work, lab-work and visits
- preparations for assignments
- assignment writing and feedback
When learners are assessed, they are asked to demonstrate that they have met the programme learning outcomes. If achieved, they will receive academic credit which counts towards their award.
Each qualification carries a specified number of credit points, which are nationally recognised within the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). Under CATS, each year of a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme equates to 120 credit points. Typically, degree levels are as follows:
Undergraduate:
- Year 1 or certificate (120 credits) = level 4
- Year 2 or diploma (120 credits) = level 5
- Year 3 or advanced diploma (120 credits) = level 6
Postgraduate:
- Postgraduate certificate/diploma = level 7
- Master of Studies = level 7
Credit cannot be awarded for partial completion of a course, nor can the same learning receive credit more than once. If you are concerned about the possibility of academic overlap in a course you are proposing to take and a course you have previously taken, please contact us.
CATS offers flexibility, allowing credits awarded by the University of Cambridge through PACE to be transferred to other higher education institutions. However, rules regarding volume and transfer edibility vary, so you should consult the receiving institution directly.
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is used by many higher education providers in England, and across the UK, to support student mobility in Europe, allowing students to transfer credit.
To achieve a University of Cambridge qualification, you need to complete an approved course. Credits earned at other institutions cannot be transferred toward Cambridge awards.
Requirements to achieve a qualification
- You must submit all the assessed assignments for your course.
- You must demonstrate the achievement of all the learning outcomes expected from the course by achieving a pass mark for each unit and/or tasks stated as a requirement in the syllabus.
- You must have paid the course fees.
Our additional expectations
- You participate actively in class work and/or in activities in the VLE, where appropriate.
- You attend the teaching sessions. If you miss a session owing to unforeseen and significant circumstances, the tutor and course team should be informed as soon as possible.
All courses have their own course guides or handbooks detailing specific requirements that must be fulfilled in order to achieve a qualification. Copies of these are available in the course space on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) once you have joined your course.
Achieving a certificate/diploma of higher education (undergraduate only)
In some cases we offer two or three complementary courses in the same subject-area, e.g. in archaeology, English literature and creative writing. Each pathway is offered over one academic year and successful students are awarded a certificate or diploma equivalent to 60 credits.
If you successfully complete a second certificate or diploma in the same subject area, and at the same level of study, then you may either:
- accept the award of a second certificate or diploma (each transcript will detail the subject areas studied), or,
- request a combined award of a Certificate/Diploma of Higher Education (120 credits in the CAT Scheme).
Note that it is only possible to combine two certificates or two diplomas in the same subject area to achieve a combined award. It is not possible to combine one certificate and one diploma in the same subject, as they are taught at different levels of study.
We have developed a feature in collaboration with Accredible whereby digital credentials are now available upon completion of some of our courses. Your credential is available in an online format so that you can retrieve it anywhere, at any time, and easily share the details of your achievement on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can take your certificates with you wherever you go, embedding your credential to your website or in your email signature.
Digital certificates and badges help maximise the value of your certification or training program as they are always available. They are stored securely online, and you can find them anytime using a web link. You can decide who sees your certificates. Whether you share your achievements privately or publicly, it’s your choice.
To get the most out of your digital credential, follow the steps below:
- access your credential, print it at any time or download as a PDF.
- share your digital credential by clicking on the social media widgets.
- there are two ways to share on LinkedIn: either share your credential to your news feed or add it to your 'Licenses and Certifications' in your profile.
- share the unique URL with employers, admissions officers or stakeholders, inviting them to view your credentials.
- embed this digital credential into your email signature or to your website to increase its reach and visibility.
- watch the YouTube video on ‘How to Use Your Credential’.
Digital badging is available now for all our non-award-bearing courses including short online courses, weekend and the International Summer Programme.