Modules, exams, and managing your exchange

Changing modules

You can change your choice of modules during a three-week period at the start of each semester that is known as Add/Drop. You can only amend modules through Add/Drop once you have completed your in-person registration (subject to availability).

After the end of the Add/Drop period, it is not possible to add or remove modules, and any modules on your student record at that point will remain and appear on your transcript.

Examinations and assessments

You must submit any assessments and attend any examinations required as part of your course. An examination timetable is released online once exam periods have been announced. 

If you have a valid reason for being unable to attend an examination then you should contact your school as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to ensure you are familiar with the University's examination regulations.

If you have a December finish, you must liaise directly with your school(s) to make examination and assessment arrangements.

Grading system

An overall result is recorded for each unit of study in which you are examined. Even though the examination may be made up of a number of components, only a single result is recorded for each unit in official University records. This result may be converted to a grade on a different marking scale on receipt by your home institution.

Explaining what's on your transcript

Transcripts

You will be registered with a Gradintelligence account, and this is where your transcript will be available at the following times:

Undergraduate modules (100-300)

• Autumn semester: Early March
  Spring semester: Early July

Postgraduate modules (400)

• All semesters: Early December

You will receive an email from edocs@sheffield.ac.uk inviting you to log in to your account to access your transcript. You can share your transcript directly with your home university through Gradintelligence.

How to access your digital transcript

December finish for the Autumn semester

Some students find that the Autumn (Fall) semester here overlaps with the following semester at their home institution. We can consider you for a December finish in this scenario.

The following subjects do not allow December finish, so if this will affect you please consider attending in the Spring semester instead:

• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• East Asian Studies (language courses only)
• Modern Languages Teaching Centre
• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
• Psychology

To be offered a December finish, your home university must nominate you for a December finish and you must choose that option when you apply. This way you will also be considered for a shorter accommodation contract when applying for University of Sheffield accommodation.

After arriving in Sheffield and registering, you should immediately contact the school(s) you'll be studying with. It is your responsibility as the student to work with the academic school(s) and your home university to arrange to sit your exams there (known as a proctored exam). It is essential to do this as soon as possible after the term begins, as the process can take time and late requests may be denied.

Extending or reducing your stay

You can only extend your stay if you have permission from both your home university and the University of Sheffield. You must email Global Opportunities to request this before 1 November for Autumn semester students, and 1 April for Spring semester students.

If you have registered for a full academic year and wish to reduce your study period to the autumn semester only, please contact Global Opportunities as soon as possible.

Attendance monitoring

It's very important that you attend teaching sessions and make academic progress on your course of study. The UK Government requires universities to report any student on a Student Visa who does not engage and is consequently withdrawn from their academic programme. 

Student visa attendance and engagement