Programme Regulations
2024–2025
Economics, Management,
Finance and the Social
Sciences (EMFSS)
Certificate of Higher Education in
Social Sciences
Important document – please read
This document contains important
information that governs your
registration, assessment and
programme of study
Programme Regulations 2024-2025 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social
Sciences (CertHE)
University of London 1
Contents
Important information regarding the Programme Regulations ............................................................. 2
1 Programme overview ................................................................................................................... 5
2 Registration .................................................................................................................................. 6
3 Course selection .......................................................................................................................... 7
4 Recognition of prior learning and Credit transfer ......................................................................... 7
5 Assessment for the programme ................................................................................................... 8
6 Mitigating circumstances during the assessment session ......................................................... 10
7 Scheme of award (2022-23 and after) ....................................................................................... 11
8 Progression from CertHE in Social Sciences to the degrees .................................................... 13
Appendix A – Structures of the programmes ................................................................................... 15
Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences ............................................................................ 16
Appendix B – Exclusions .................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix C – Scheme of award (2021-22 and before) ..................................................................... 20
1 Eligibility for the award of the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences .................... 20
2 Grading scheme ......................................................................................................................... 20
3 Failed courses and resits ........................................................................................................... 21
4 Pairing of half courses ............................................................................................................... 22
Appendix D – Assessment Criteria .................................................................................................... 23
Programme Regulations 2024-2025 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social
Sciences (CertHE)
University of London 2
Important information regarding the Programme Regulations
Last revised 8 February 2024
About this document
As a student registered with the University of London you are governed by the current General
Regulations and Programme Regulations associated with your programme of study.
These Programme Regulations are designed and developed by the London School of Economics
and Political Science (LSE), which is responsible for the academic direction of the programme. The
regulations take account of any associated arrangements at the LSE. Programme Regulations,
together with the Programme Handbook, will provide the detailed rules and guidance for your
programme of study.
In addition to Programme Regulations you will have to abide by the General Regulations. These
regulations apply to all students registered for a programme of study with the University of London
and provide the rules governing registration and assessment on all programmes; they also indicate
what you may expect on completion of your programme of study and how you may pursue a
complaint, should that be necessary.
Programme Regulations should be read in conjunction with the General Regulations.
The relevant General Regulations and the Programme Regulations relating to your registration with
us are for the current year and not the year in which you initially registered.
On all matters where the regulations are to be interpreted, or are silent, our decision will be final.
Further information about your programme of study is outlined in the Programme Specification which
is available on the relevant Courses page of the website. The Programme Specification gives a
broad overview of the structure and content of the programme as well as the learning outcomes
students will achieve as they progress.
Terminology
The following language is specific to the EMFSS Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences
(CHESS):
Course
Individual units of the programme are called courses. Each course is a
self-contained, formally structured learning experience with a coherent
and explicit set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
New course or
new credit
A course which you have never previously registered for.
Attempt
You will be considered to have attempted a course if you register for a
course, make an assessment entry, and submit assessment elements
worth at least 70% of the overall course.
Prerequisite course
A course that you must attempt before you are permitted to register for
another specific course.
Corequisite course
A course that you must attempt either before or at the same time as
another specific course.
Exclusion or
Excluded course
A course which awards credit only if not taken with other courses
specified in regulations. See Appendix C for detail.
Discarded course
A course that you have been registered for or attempted, not available on
your programme structure, which remains on your student record.
MCQ
Abbreviation of multiple choice question. A format of assessment.
Programme Regulations 2024-2025 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social
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University of London 3
To note:
Throughout the Regulations, ‘we’ ‘us’ and ‘our’ mean the University of London; ‘you’ and ‘your’ mean
the student, or where applicable, all students.
If you have a query about any of the programme information provided please contact us. You should
use the Ask a question button in the Student Portal.
Changes to the EMFSS CHESS Regulations 2024-25
1. All courses available to study are now listed in Appendix A.
2. Information about interruption of study is available in General Regulations
3. A course selection section has been added.
4. All information about assessment can now be found in section 4.
5. Course information is available via Programme structure, module and specification on the
programme page. For closing programmes, please refer to the VLE.
6. Terminology has changed to reflect the number of credits required throughout these
regulations. In previous regulations ‘full course’ and ‘half course’ has been used. A full course
is equivalent to 30 credits. A half course is equivalent to 15 credits.
7. Students are only permitted to change their choice of course or to change programme during
continuing registration.
8. The definition of new credit/ new course has been amended.
9. The regulation, previously in the Assessment section of this document, regarding the
requirement to have met attendance requirements at your Recognised Teaching Centre is
now in Section 1.
Assessment
10. Information about assessment elements is provided.
11. Information about Multiple Choice Questions, a new assessment element has been added.
12. The delivery of assessment is detailed in Programme Specifications.
13. You must have completed registration for the academic year during the registration period if
you intend to enter for any assessments.
14. You can assess a maximum of 180 credits across the October exam session and the
following May exam session, with no more than 150 credits assessed in the May session, and
no more than 90 credits assessed in the October session.
15. Sections 4 and 5 have been combined to provide greater clarity on rules for assessments.
16. Calculators are now permitted for assessments in all courses. See Permitted Materials
section for more information.
Withdrawn courses
17. Where courses are withdrawn or revised the assessment will only be available for two
assessment sessions. Information is provided in regulations 3.5.
18. Footnotes have been removed from structures. A list of withdrawn courses is available in
Appendix B: Exclusions as these courses are considered equivalent.
Transfer from CHESS
19. You will be permitted to progress from the CertHE in Social Sciences (CHESS) onto a BSc
programme if you have attempted 120 credits and have passed 60 credits.
20. When you progress from CHESS, you will have to register for any courses failed during
CHESS (possibly replacing courses that are optional on your new degree structure), and
regulations will determine how many new courses you can register for.
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Course changes
21. Notice is served on the following courses
• LA1010 Criminal law
• LA1020 Public law
• LA1031 Legal system and method
• LA1040 Contract law
The final assessment will take place in 2024-25.
22. The following course has been withdrawn:
• FN1024 Principles of banking and finance.
The final assessment will take place in 2024-25 for existing registrations only. All courses will be
succeeded by an alternative version listed below which will be available in 2024-25. Structures have
been updated to show the new course codes.
23. FN1202 Introduction to finance has replaced FN1024 Principles of banking and finance in
Selection group F1
Revised courses
24. The following courses have been revised. Please see the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
for further information.
• ST104A Statistics 1
The final assessment for the pre-revised courses will take place in 2023-24.
25. The following courses are due for revision in 2025-26.
• IR1034 World History Since 1945
• MT105A Mathematics 1
• MT105B Mathematics 2
• MT1186 Mathematical Methods
The final assessment for the pre-revised courses will take place in 2024-25.
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Sciences (CertHE)
University of London 5
1 Programme overview
Qualifications
1.1
The following named qualifications are awarded under the EMFSS CertHE programme:
• Certificate in Higher Education Social Sciences
Qualification structure
1.2
Each course of an Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences (EMFSS) programme
is called a 100 course, 200 course or 300 course.
The Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences (CHESS) is made up of 100 courses only.
In the context of UK higher education, the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK
Degree-awarding Bodies (FHEQ) levels are as follows:
100 courses are equivalent to Level 4
200 courses are equivalent to Level 5
300 courses are equivalent to Level 6
1.3
Each point of your structure is 30 credits. This can either be two half courses (15 credits each) or one
full course (30 credits).
See regulation 4.3 in Appendix C: Scheme of award for information on pairing courses for
classification.
1.4
The CHESS is comprised of 120 credits.
1.5
If you satisfy the criteria in Section 8 you may progress to one of the EMFSS degrees through the
Standard Route and receive appropriate credits. If you want to transfer to an EMFSS degree through
the Graduate Entry Route you will need to meet the additional entrance requirements.
See Section 8: Progression from CertHE in Social Sciences to the degrees for details about
transferring from the CHESS to a degree.
Attendance requirements
Teaching centres recognised to teach the CHESS are listed in the Directory of Recognised
Teaching Centres on our website.
1.6
You must attend a full- or part-time course of instruction at a teaching centre that is recognised to
teach the programme and meet their attendance and coursework requirements, except in the
following circumstances:
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• when you are resitting an examination; or
• where we have waived the requirement in special cases, such as on grounds of illness or any
other cause acceptable to us.
1.7
If you have not complied with your RTC's Attendance and/or Engagement Policy, you may not be
permitted to sit assessment or your assessment entry may be withdrawn.
2 Registration
2.1
Minimum
Maximum
Certificate of Higher
Education in Social
Sciences
One year
Three years (2018-19 onwards)
Five years (2017-18 and earlier)
We will only grant an extension to the maximum period of registration in exceptional
circumstances. Any extension to the maximum period of registration will be our discretion.
Effective date of registration
2.2
Your effective date of registration will be 1 November in the year you first register. This allows you to
sit your first assessment the following May session.
Interruption of study
You are permitted to request to interrupt your studies, this will be considered through the
Requests for Additional Consideration policy published on the Student Portal.
Registration of lapsed or former students
2.3
If you complete an EMFSS qualification and then register for the CHESS programme, you will not
normally be allowed to reregister for a course you have already passed.
If you have failed a course on the previous programme, you will be allowed to take it again with the
full number of attempts.
This regulation does not apply when progressing from the Certificate of Higher Education in
Social Sciences to a degree, as your credits will be transferred across where possible.
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3 Course selection
Course details are available via Programme structure tab on the programme page.
3.1
In your first academic year you may register for a maximum of 120 credits.
3.2
At the beginning of the academic year, you will be registered for all courses that you have previously
registered for but have not yet completed, but you will be allowed replace courses. If you do so, any
replacement course will be treated as a new course.
3.3
If you have registered for a substitute course to replace the course you have failed, you will not be
permitted to return and reregister for the original course at any point during your registration.
3.4
You may change your choice of course provided that you can meet all of the following requirements:
a. you are not yet eligible for the qualification;
b. an alternative course is available and you are eligible to register for it;
c. you can meet the corequisites and prerequisites for the new course (degree students only).
Course availability
3.5
Where a course has been replaced by a new course or is being revised in the next academic year, it
is strongly recommended that you register to the replacement/revised course wherever possible if
you have failed or not attempted the ‘old’ course. A withdrawn course or a course that is being
revised in the next academic year will only be available for assessment in the May exam session at
the end of the last academic year it is being taught and the following October exam session. You
should then register for the replacement or revised course.
In the unlikely event that we recommend you continue with a course that is being replaced, this
will be stated in the ‘Notes’ section of the programme structures in Appendix A.
3.6
Not all courses will necessarily be available for study at all teaching centres recognised to teach the
programme.
4 Recognition of prior learning and Credit transfer
4.1
No recognition of prior learning (RPL) is permitted on the CHESS.
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5 Assessment for the programme
Information on how your course is assessed can be found in the in the Course Information
Sheets, Subject Guides and on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). For courses which are
assessed by multiple assessment elements, each element will carry a percentage weight that in
total will add up to 100%.
If you are taking laws courses you should refer to the Undergraduate Laws Regulations.
5.1
There are two exam sessions. These are referred to as the May exam session and the October
exam session. The name corresponds to the month in which each exam session starts.
5.2
To enter for assessment for either the May exam session or the following October exam session, you
must have been registered on the programme from the start of the academic year and have
registered for the course.
5.3
To receive a mark for a course, you need to enter for assessment of the course at an exam session,
irrespective of the assessment elements of the course. You cannot sit the exam of a course unless
you have entered for assessment of the course in that exam session. You may submit other
assessment elements if you have ever been registered for the course, but you will only receive a
mark when you enter for assessment of the course in an exam session.
5.4
You can enter to assess a maximum of 180 credits (of new or failed courses) across the October
exam session and the following May exam session, with no more than 150 credits assessed in the
May session, and no more than 90 credits assessed in the October session. There is no combined
assessment limit for the May exam session and the following October exam session.
5.5
Subject to the assessment limits outlined in 5.4, you may decide how many, if any, courses to enter
for assessment in each examination session.
You are advised to take first attempts at courses in the first session after receiving their teaching,
subject to the assessment limits outlined in 5.4.
5.6
You will be considered to have made an attempt at a course if you have ever been registered for the
course, have entered for assessment of the course, and have submitted assessment elements
collectively worth at least 70% of the overall course.
5.7
For courses assessed by more than one assessment element, the mark is a weighted average of the
marks received for each element. If you enter for assessment of a course, unsubmitted assessment
elements will receive a mark of 0. You do not need to pass each assessment element to pass the
course overall.
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5.8
If you do not pass or do not submit all assessments element for a course, but pass the course
overall, you will not be permitted to reattempt any assessment element for the course.
5.9
If a course is assessed by multiple assessment elements, you will need enter for assessment of the
course and complete your attempt at the course, as outlined in regulation 5.6, before reattempting
failed assessment elements.
5.10
If you do not pass a course, then the mark for any passed assessment element will be carried
forward and cannot be reattempted.
5.11
You have a maximum of three assessment attempts at each course of a degree. You have a
maximum of two assessment attempts at each course of a Graduate Diploma.
5.12
Absence from an examination will not count towards the number of attempts for that course.
5.13
If you enter for assessment of a new course in an exam session, you must also enter for assessment
of all failed compulsory courses in that session.
5.14
If you fail a course you can choose to either:
a. reattempt assessments for the course in any future assessment exam session within your
remaining period of registration; or
b. register for and study an alternative course.
5.15
If you progress from the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences to an EMFSS degree,
your marks on completed courses and any outstanding attempts at failed courses will be transferred
to your new degree as long as the courses are compatible with the degree you are transferring to.
Assessment elements
5.16
Courses are assessed by one or more of the following methods:
a. Examination
b. Multiple Choice Questions
c. Coursework
Examination
5.17
Irrespective of the number of assessment elements on the course, examinations for full courses will
last three hours and fifteen minutes, while examinations for half courses will last two hours and
fifteen minutes.
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Multiple Choice Questions
5.18
Multiple Choice Question (MCQs) assessment elements, where applicable, will cover only the first
half of the Subject Guide.
5.19
If you are registered on a course with an MCQ element and wish to sit your first attempt at the exam
in the May exam session, you must have completed your MCQ assessment element of a:
• 30 credit course before February 15
th
of the current year;
• 15 credit course before March 15
th
of the current year.
If you wish to do so in the October exam session, you must have completed your MCQ assessment
element of a:
• 30 credit course before August 15
th
of the current year;
• 15 credit course before September 15
th
of the current year.
If you miss this deadline, then your first attempt at the MCQ assessment element will be considered
a mark of 0.
Coursework
5.20
Assessment deadlines for coursework assessment element are advertised on the course information
sheet and the VLE. If you submit your coursework late, you may be issued with a penalty.
Materials permitted
The following regulations may change during the academic year. Please refer to your Admission
Notice for the final confirmed regulations.
5.21
You are allowed to use any standard non-graphing scientific calculator in any assessment element,
but you may not use any computer software or program to obtain or graph solutions. Credit will only
be given if all workings are shown. No other aids or materials are permitted unless otherwise stated
in the Course Information Sheet.
See Section 8 of the General Regulations for information on assessment offences.
6 Mitigating circumstances during the assessment session
See the mitigating circumstances page on our website for details of what mitigating
circumstances are and how to submit a request to us.
6.1
If you experience difficulties immediately before or during the assessment period through illness or
other adequate cause, you should immediately inform the Assessments Office about the course(s)
affected, and provide a supporting medical certificate or other official documentation. The
documentation must be received within three weeks of the last written examination, or before the
final submission date for any other assessment element.
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See ‘Mitigating circumstances’ in the General Regulations for further information.
6.2
If you submit mitigating circumstances for an assessment element on a course, but pass the course
in spite of these, the marks received will stand
6.3
If you submit mitigating circumstance for an assessment element on a course, do not pass the
course, and the evidence you provided is accepted, the Board of Examiners will waive the attempt on
impacted assessment element, or potentially offer further mitigation on a discretionary basis. This will
display as ‘Attempt not to count’.
6.4
For students who intend to transfer to an EMFSS degree without completing the requirements
for the award:
If you have an attempt waived because of mitigating circumstances, you will satisfy the prerequisite
requirements for course registration.
7 Scheme of award (2022-23 and after)
The following scheme of award will be applied to all students who began their studies in 2022-23
or after. If you began your studies in 2021-22 or before please see Appendix C.
The Board of Examiners retains the right to deviate from, or suspend, any part of these guidelines
for good reason and in the interest of academic standards and/or fairness to students.
Date of award
7.1
If your last assessment takes place in May, the date of award will be 1 August in the year of the last
assessment that contributes to the award.
If your last assessment takes place in October, the date of award will be 1 December in the year of
the last assessments that contributes to the award.
7.2
Once you have attempted and passed courses worth 120 credits, you will be eligible for the award of
the CHESS.
7.3
The marking standards for all courses are the same as for campus-based students of the University
of London sitting equivalent degree assessments.
7.4
The Examiners will determine a percentage mark for each course attempted based on the following
scales:
Programme Regulations 2024-2025 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social
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CHESS
Percentage
Distinction
70 – 100
Merit
60 – 69
Credit
50 – 59
Pass
40 – 49
Fail
0 – 39
7.5
Once the award and classification of the degree have been confirmed by the Board of Examiners,
you cannot refuse or decline the award or its classification. The decision of the Board of Examiners is
final.
Failed courses and resits
7.6
Where you have failed and resat a course, marks are based on those obtained at the most recent
attempt.
Award classification
7.7
A final average classification mark will be calculated from the marks obtained. This will be calculated
as follows:
1. 15 credit half courses each produce a single mark. This mark is the percentage mark for the
course.
2. 30 credit full courses each produce two identical marks This is the percentage mark for the
course, used twice for classification.
7.8
Students eligible for an award will have eight classification marks. Students will be awarded the
highest degree classification meeting the relevant requirements:
Degree
classification
Requirements
Distinction
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of
classification marks:
• six distinction marks
• four distinction marks, and an average classification mark of 65
Merit
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of
classification marks:
• six merit marks
• four merit marks, and an average classification mark of 56
Credit
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of
classification marks:
• six credit marks
• four credit marks, and an average classification mark of 47
Pass
Awarded to any other students eligible for the award of a Certificate of
Higher Education in Social Sciences as described in 1.2 above
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8 Progression from CertHE in Social Sciences to the degrees
For entrance requirements, see the Requirements tab on each of the programme pages on our
website.
8.1
You can only progress to a BSc programme if in line with regulations, you can graduate from that
programme.
8.2
You will be permitted to progress onto a BSc programme if you have attempted 120 credits and
passed 60 credits of courses that fit on the degree structure you plan to progress onto.
8.3
You must register for any failed course that is compulsory on the degree structure you plan to
progress to. You will keep the remaining number of attempts for that course. Regulation 3.3 in the
degree regulations will determine how many new courses you can register for.
8.4
You may change any failed course that is optional or which has an alternative named course on the
degree you are transferring to as outlined in regulation 5.15 of the degree regulations.
8.5
You will receive credit for any courses passed that are on the degree structure you are progressing
to. Where multiple passes fit at a single point of your new programme structure, you will receive
credit for the course with the highest mark.
8.6
You will not receive credit for passed courses that do not fit in the degree structure you are
progressing to. These courses will be discarded and not count towards the total number of credits
that you are required to attempt and will not contribute towards your classification, but you will be
able to continue to use these courses to meet the prerequisite requirements of other courses.
8.7
In the year in which you progress onto the BSc, you will be allowed to enter for assessment in the
October session, and the assessment limits outlined in regulation 5.4 of the degree regulations will
apply.
Students progressing from CHESS having passed only 60 credits, are strongly advised not to
register for more than 60 credit worth of new courses. Those progressing from CHESS having
passed only 90 credits, are strongly advised not to register for more than 90 credit worth of new
courses.
Transfer to the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences from a Graduate
Diploma
8.8
If you are registered for a Graduate Diploma you will not be allowed to transfer your registration to
the CHESS.
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8.9
If you want to register for the CHESS, you must cancel your registration for the Graduate Diploma,
apply to register again, and meet the relevant entrance requirements. If you are allowed to register
afresh, you will not be allowed to carry credit for any courses previously passed or carry any failed
attempts at courses from your previous registration.
Transfer to the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences from other
programmes offered by the University of London
8.10
If you are registered for a programme of study other than in the fields of Economics, Management,
Finance and the Social Sciences you may apply to transfer to the CHESS, as long as you meet the
necessary entrance and attendance requirements.
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Appendix A – Structures of the programmes
Course codes are given next to the course title in this appendix of the Programme Regulations.
Course codes show the subject area, course level and the unique course number. It is broken
down in the following example:
ST104A Statistics 1
ST - shows the subject area
1 - shows that this is a 100 level course
04A - shows the number of the course
The subject areas are:
AC - Accounting
DV - Development
EC - Economics
FN - Finance
IR - International Relations
IS - Information Systems
LA - Law
MN - Management
MT - Mathematics
PS - Politics
SC - Sociology
ST - Statistics
All courses listed on the structures are full courses unless indicated otherwise. Rules and
exclusions concerning course choice are given in the syllabuses in the Course Information
Sheets. These can be accessed by clicking the link on the course name.
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Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences
Four full courses (or half course equivalents) to be chosen from the following, with no more than two
courses from Selection group F2.
Selection group F1
1
AC1025 Principles of accounting
DV1171 Introduction to international development
▲ EC1002 Introduction to economics
2
FN1202 Introduction to finance
IR1034 World history since 1945
IR1198 International Relations: Theories, Concepts and Debates
IS1060 Introduction to information systems
IS1181 Digital infrastructures for business
MN1178 Business and management in a global context
MT105A Mathematics 1 (half course)
▲ MT105B Mathematics 2 (half course)
MT1173 Algebra
MT1174 Calculus
MT1186 Mathematical methods
PS1130 Introduction to international political thought
PS1172 Introduction to political science
SC1179 Contemporary sociology in a global age
ST104A Statistics 1 (half course)
▲ ST104B Statistics 2 (half course)
ST1215 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Selection group F2
LA1010 Criminal law
1
LA1020 Public law
1
LA1031 Legal system and method
1
LA1040 Contract law
1
Notes
1
Notice has been served on these courses. Final examinations for this course will be held in 2024-
25.
Corequisites
▲ You can only take EC1002 Introduction to economics at the same time as or after ST104A
Statistics 1 or ST1215 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics and either MT105A Mathematics 1,
MT1174 Calculus, or MT1186 Mathematical methods not before.
▲ You can only take ST104B Statistics 2 at the same time as or after ST104A Statistics 1, not
before.
▲ You can only take MT105B Mathematics 2 at the same time as or after MT105A Mathematics 1,
not before.
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Appendix B – Exclusions
Exclusions are courses that, due to some overlap in course content, may not be taken together in the
same year. Depending on the extent of overlap in course content, additional rules may apply.
The rules governing exclusions are listed below. The table that follows outlines which rules apply to
each pair of exclusions.
1. You are not permitted to register for both courses in the same year.
2. You have a maximum of three assessment attempts at both courses combined. Having
passed a course in one year, you are not permitted to take the excluded course in any
subsequent year, unless transferring programmes and where rule 5 may be applicable.
3. You have a maximum of six assessment attempts at both courses combined. Having passed
a course in one year, you are permitted to take the excluded course in any subsequent year.
4. If you have three failed attempts at a course, you may not transfer to a programme where the
excluded course is a compulsory course. If you have attempts remaining, you may carry
these attempts upon transfer, subject to rule 2 above.
5. If you pass a course and transfer to a programme for which the excluded course is
compulsory you must discard the course already passed and register for the excluded
course.
6. If you pass a course and transfer to a programme for which the excluded course is
compulsory, you do not need to discard the pass and you may receive credit for the passed
course.
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EXCLUSIONS
RULE WHICH APPLIES
ADDITIONAL NOTES
1
2
3
4
5
6
MT105A Mathematics 1
MT1174 Calculus
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed MT105A at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed MT1174 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass MT105A and transfer to a programme for which MT1174 is compulsory, you will not
receive APL for MT1174. (Rule 5)
If you pass MT1174 and transfer to a programme for which MT105A is compulsory, you will
receive APL for MT105A. (Rule 6)
MT105B Mathematics 2
MT1174 Calculus
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed MT105B at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed MT1174 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass MT105B and transfer to a programme for which MT1174 is compulsory, you will not
receive APL for MT1174. (Rule 5)
If you pass MT1174 and transfer to a programme for which MT105B is compulsory, you will
receive APL for MT105B. (Rule 6)
MT105A Mathematics 1
MT1186
Mathematical
methods
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed MT105A at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed MT1186 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass MT105A and transfer to a programme for which MT1186 is compulsory, you will not
receive APL for MT1186. (Rule 5)
If you pass MT1186 and transfer to a programme for which MT105A is compulsory, you will
receive APL for MT105A. (Rule 6)
MT105B Mathematics 2
MT1186
Mathematical
methods
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed MT105B at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed MT1186 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass MT105B and transfer to a programme for which MT1186 is compulsory, you will not
receive APL for MT1186. (Rule 5)
If you pass MT1186 and transfer to a programme for which MT105B is compulsory, you will
receive APL for MT105B. (Rule 6)
MT1174 Calculus
MT1186
Mathematical
methods
x
x
x
x
ST1215 Introduction to
Mathematical Statistics
ST104A Statistics 1
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed ST104A at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed ST1215 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass ST104A and transfer to a programme for which ST1215 is compulsory, you will not
receive RPL for ST1215 (Rule 5)
If you pass ST1215 and transfer to a programme for which ST104A is compulsory, you will
receive RPL for ST104A. (Rule 6)
Programme Regulations 2024-25 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences (CertHE)
University of London 19
EXCLUSIONS
RULE WHICH APPLIES
ADDITIONAL NOTES
1
2
3
4
5
6
ST1215 Introduction to
Mathematical Statistics
ST104B Statistics 2
x
x
x
x
x
If you have failed ST104B at the third attempt, you may not transfer under rule 4 above. If you
have failed ST1215 at the third attempt, you may transfer and are not subject to rule 4.
If you pass ST104B and transfer to a programme for which ST1215 is compulsory, you will not
receive RPL for ST1215 (Rule 5)
If you pass ST1215 and transfer to a programme for which ST104B is compulsory, you will
receive RPL for ST104B. (Rule 6)
Exclusions for withdrawn courses
One of the following two courses has been withdrawn and therefore are considered exclusions. These courses can also be considered equivalent
where one course has replaced a course on a structure. In all cases rules 1, 2 4 and 6 apply.
EXCLUSION 1
EXCLUSION 2
FN1024 Principles of banking and finance
FN1202 Introduction to finance
PS1172 Introduction to political science
PS1114 Democratic politics and the state
IR1011 Introduction to international relations
IR1098 International relations: theories, concepts and debates
MN1178 Business and management in a global context
MN1107 Introduction to business and management
IS1168 Introduction to computer systems architecture and programming
IS1181 Digital infrastructures for business
IS1060 Introduction to information systems
IS2136 Information systems and organisations
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 20
Appendix C – Scheme of award (2021-22 and before)
The following scheme of award will be applied to all students who began their studies in 2021-22 or
before. If you began your studies in 2022-23 or after please see Section 7: Scheme of Award
Introduction
The guidelines presented below show the main characteristics of the schemes used for the
assessment of students within the Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
programmes, and the criteria used when grading students at the end of their studies. This
information is necessarily abbreviated and it does not cover all special cases that the Board of
Examiners may have to consider.
The Board of Examiners retains the right to deviate from, or suspend, any part of these
guidelines for good reason and in the interest of academic standards and/or fairness to
students.
If you last assessment takes place in May, the date of award will be 1 August in the year of the
last assessment that contributes to the award.
If your last assessments take place in October, the date of award will be 1 December in the year
of the last assessments that contributes to the award.
1 Eligibility for the award of the Certificate of Higher Education in
Social Sciences
1.1
Once you have attempted the assessment and have passed all four full courses or the equivalent,
you will be eligible for the award of the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences.
2 Grading scheme
2.1
The marking standards for all courses are the same as for campus-based students of the University
of London sitting equivalent degree assessments.
2.2
The Examiners will determine a percentage mark for each course attempted by a student based on
the following scales:
Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences
Percentage
Distinction
70 – 100
Merit
60 – 69
Credit
50 – 59
Pass
40 – 49
Fail
0 – 39
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 21
2.3
The Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences is only awarded with Distinction or Merit if
they are completed with no more than one resit. If they are completed with more than one resit for
one course, or resits in two or more courses, an overall Pass grade is awarded.
2.4
The minimum requirements for the grading scheme are as follows.
Distinction
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of marks:
• three marks of 70 or above and one mark of 40 or above
• two marks of 70 or above, two marks of 60 or above and an aggregate of
280.
Merit
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of marks:
• three marks of 60 or above and one mark of 40 or above
• one mark of 70 or above, one mark of 60 or above, one mark of 50 or
above and one mark of 40 or above
• two marks of 60 or above, two marks of 50 or above and an aggregate of
240.
Credit
Awarded to students who have achieved one of the following sets of marks:
• three marks of 50 or above and one mark of 40 or above
• one mark of 60 or above, one mark of 50 or above and two marks of 40 or
above.
Pass
Awarded to all students who are eligible for award of a Certificate of Higher
Education in Social Sciences as described in 1.1 above but not eligible for the
award with Distinction, Merit or Credit.
3 Failed courses and resits
3.1
If you are not eligible for the award of the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences you are
required to make a further attempt at all failed courses (provided the maximum number of attempts
has not been exhausted) on the next occasion you take assessments, or to substitute a failed course
with an alternative course where permitted in the relevant programme structure.
The exception to this is if you are progressing from the CHESS to the BSc and are permitted to
select new courses as a result of having entered for reassessment, if you do this you must then
select all remaining failed compulsory course(s) at the following May/June assessment session.
3.2
Once you are eligible for award of the Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences you will not
be permitted to make any further attempts at any failed courses or to substitute any failed courses
with alternative courses, even if you have not reached the maximum number of attempts allowed.
3.3
In all cases, marks are based on those obtained at the latest attempt at the relevant course.
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 22
4 Pairing of half courses
4.1
Half courses are paired and averaged (rounded up to a whole number) to produce marks for grading
purposes.
4.2
A fail in one half course of a pair counts as a half course fail in assessing the number of courses
passed.
4.3
Courses are paired according to the following criteria in the order given.
1. Any two 100 half courses named together at one point in the programme structure are paired.
2. If both have been taken, ST104A Statistics 1 + ST104B Statistics 2 are paired.
3. If both have been taken, MT105A Mathematics 1 + MT105B Mathematics 2 are paired.
4. After the above criteria have been applied, any remaining 100 half courses are paired
according to the marks awarded, as follows: the two half courses with the highest marks are
paired, then the two with the next highest marks.
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 23
Appendix D – Assessment Criteria
Mark
(%)
Grade
Characteristics
90–
100
First class
A comprehensive and deep understanding of the subject.
Mastery of relevant methods and techniques and an ability to deploy
them with flair.
Very extensive range and consistent accuracy of information and
knowledge.
(For qualitative subjects) Exceptional powers of analysis, argument,
synthesis and insight. Considerable evidence of extensive wider reading
of an appropriate nature and its application in context. Lucid and
convincing argument which demonstrates an exceptional degree of
independent thinking and critical insight.
(For quantitative subjects) An outstanding ability to solve unusual and
demanding questions involving application of deep and comprehensive
understanding of the subject and its methods.
Outstanding presentation and structure.
80–89
First class
A deep understanding of the subject.
Mastery of relevant methods and techniques.
Highly extensive range and consistent accuracy of information and
knowledge.
Lucid argument which demonstrates a high degree of independent
thinking or critical insight (for qualitative subjects) or (for quantitative
subjects) an impressive ability to solve more unusual or demanding
questions involving application of deep understanding of the subject and
its methods.
Evidence of a critical approach to essential reading and an ability to apply
this in context with, additionally, some evidence of wider reading.
Excellent presentation and structure.
70–79
First class
A thorough understanding of the subject.
Deft application of relevant methods and techniques.
Extensive range and consistent accuracy of information and knowledge.
Clear argument which demonstrates a degree of independent thinking or
critical insight (for qualitative subjects) or (for quantitative subjects), a
significant capacity to solve more unusual or demanding questions
involving application of deep understanding of the subject and its
methods.
Evidence of a critical approach to essential reading and an ability to apply
this in context with, additionally, some evidence of wider reading.
Excellent presentation and structure.
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 24
Mark
(%)
Grade
Characteristics
60–69
Upper
second
class
A good understanding of the subject.
Competent application of relevant methods and techniques.
Wide and accurate range of information and knowledge deployed.
Evidence of a critical approach to essential reading (mainly for
quantitative subjects)
Clear argument which may demonstrate a degree of independent
thinking or critical insight (for qualitative subjects) or (for quantitative
subjects) some capacity to solve more unusual or demanding questions
involving application of significant understanding of the subject.
High quality of presentation and good structure (mainly for qualitative
subjects).
50–59
Lower
second
class
A reasonably good understanding of the subject.
Knowledge of, and some application of, relevant methods and
techniques.
A standard, and largely accurate, range of information and knowledge
deployed.
May rely more on knowledge than on argument or analysis (for qualitative
subjects) or may (for quantitative subjects) demonstrate ability to grapple
with standard problems but limited capacity to solve more unusual or
demanding questions involving application of significant understanding of
the subject.
Satisfactory quality of presentation, with good structure (mainly for
qualitative subjects).
40–49
Third class
An acceptable demonstration of a basic understanding of and
competence in the subject.
Some knowledge of, and application of, relevant methods and
techniques.
A basic range of information and knowledge deployed, with some areas
of inaccuracy.
Arguments and analysis not fully developed.
Evidence of essential reading.
Acceptable quality of presentation and structure.
30–39
Fail
(For qualitative subjects) Largely superficial coverage of topics that is
overly descriptive with important omissions and/or significant errors.
Some understanding evident, but no ability to grapple with anything other
than routine questions.
(For qualitative answers) Some disorganisation in structure and weak
clarity of expression.
Limited evidence of wider reading of an appropriate nature (for qualitative
subjects).
Limited competence in core basic techniques of the subject or
competence only in part of the material (for quantitative subjects).
Programme Regulations 2023-24 Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences
(CertHE)
University of London 25
Mark
(%)
Grade
Characteristics
20–29
Fail
(For qualitative subjects) Little information or information that is almost
entirely incorrect or irrelevant. Unacceptably poor structure and clarity.
Little understanding evident.
Little evidence of reading of an appropriate nature (for qualitative
subjects).
Very limited competence in core basic techniques of the subject (for
quantitative subjects).
10–19
Fail
(For qualitative subjects) Very little information or information that is
almost entirely incorrect or irrelevant. Extremely poor structure and
clarity.
Misunderstanding of significant areas of the syllabus.
Very little evidence of reading of an appropriate nature (for qualitative
subjects).
No competence in most of the core basic techniques of the subject (for
quantitative subjects).
0–9
Fail
Nothing presented or completely incorrect information or answers contain
nothing at all of relevance.
No evidence of understanding.
No evidence of reading of an appropriate nature (for qualitative subjects).
No competence in core basic techniques of the subject (for quantitative
subjects).
