Change of candidature
Changing circumstances may mean that it is no longer appropriate for a student to remain registered according to his/her original candidature. The most common of these changes are as follows:
- Change of mode of attendance, i.e. from full-time to part-time (and vice versa) or from student candidate to staff candidate
- Changes to a student's scope of research, degree programme or department.
Students must apply for permission from their department and faculty to change their candidature using the Change of Candidature (PGR) form.
Before making an application to change any aspect of candidature, a student should consult his/her supervisor for advice.
Change of mode of attendance
Students may apply to change their mode of attendance from full-time to part-time study and vice versa, but should be aware of the following restrictions:
- Full-time students are not permitted to change to part-time after they have entered the writing up stage of their research. Any change from full-time to part-time student status must take place whilst the student is still fully registered for tuition fee purposes.
- International students who are studying in the UK on a Tier 4 student visa are not permitted by UK immigration rules to study part-time and must therefore be registered on a full-time degree.
- Students are not permitted to change their mode of attendance to Joint Location or Remote Location once they have commenced their research degree. Joint or Remote Location candidature should be applied for from the start of the student's degree.
- Students who wish to change their mode of attendance to university staff candidate must provide a copy of their University employment contract. changes from student to staff candidate cannot be backdated more than 12 months.
Change of research topic, programme, department
Students may apply to make certain changes to their research, programme or department, but should be aware of the following guidance:
- Where a student is moving from one department to another, both the existing and the new departments should confirm that they are happy with the arrangement.
- The University is required to notify the Home Office of any changes to the degree programme being studied by a student studying in the UK on a Tier 4 student visa.
Research Council-funded students
Students who are sponsored by a Research Council should be aware that any changes to their student status will need to be notified to their sponsors and may require their sponsor's approval prior to being considered by the Faculty. This includes requests for the following: leave of absence, time limit extensions, change of mode of attendance, changes in supervisors or research topics, transfers and withdrawals, maternity leave. Students should be aware that this may delay the consideration of their request, which should be submitted in good time. Students are advised to check the Information for Scholarship Holders web pages for further guidance.
ATAS requirements for students changing research topic/degree programme
Non-EU/EEA students who request a change to their research topic or their degree programme may require ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance. If ATAS is required, it must be obtained before the change of candidature can be approved and students are not permitted to commence their new programme or research topic until proof of new ATAS clearance has been obtained and submitted with the change of candidature application. For this reason, students are advised to check if ATAS clearance is required and apply for an ATAS certificate as soon as possible.
Students who require ATAS clearance in order to change their research topic will need to ask their supervisor to provide an official letter with details of their new area of research. A template letter is available for this purpose from the SSiD website.
Students should contact International Student Support & Guidance for further information and guidance on the implications of applying to change their research topic, or refer to the aforementioned SSiD web pages for international students.
Further information on ATAS, including a list of the subject areas for which it is required, is available here.