Academic progression for new students
New students applying for a Student Visa must show they are making academic progress from any course previously studied in the UK.
Academic progression requirements
Academic progression is required for you to be issued a CAS for your new course and determines whether you can apply in the UK for your new Student Visa.
Your application will meet the academic progression criteria if:
- You’re applying for a course at a higher level than your previous course (eg applying for a Masters after completing a Bachelor's degree).
- You’re applying for a course at the same level as your previous course (eg applying for a second Masters) and both courses are related; both courses combined will support your career goals, or you have exited an integrated Masters or PhD course with the lower level award that formed part of that integrated course (eg your previous CAS was issued to study an MEng but you exited the course with a BEng and now are studying another course at Masters level).
Your application won’t meet the academic progression criteria if:
- You’re applying for a course at a lower level than your previous course (eg applying for a Bachelor’s after completing a Masters).
Exceptions
Where you do not meet the requirements, you may be assigned a CAS in exceptional circumstances if you submit your visa application from outside the UK.
Contact International Student Support, Advice & Compliance (ISSAC) for more information.
Requirements for applying inside the UK
If you wish to start a new course here, you must apply for a new Student Visa using your CAS from the University of Sheffield.
You can only apply inside the UK if:
- You have successfully completed the course your visa was granted to study and can provide evidence of this (eg you have a degree certificate).
This includes:
- Where you have successfully completed part of an integrated course (for example if your CAS issued for a MEng, but you are awarded a BEng in the same subject title)
And
- Where you:
- have changed course from the course your CAS was issued for; and
- you did not need a new visa before you could change to that course; and
- you have successfully completed the course you changed to.
Where you won’t receive the results of your previous course by the time your new course starts (eg Masters to PhD), you can only apply for a new visa in the UK if:
- You can provide an official letter from your University confirming that you’re highly likely to successfully complete your course. This must be stated as the offer document on your CAS.
You can request this letter from The University of Sheffield Admissions Service where you:
- Studied the course for which you are awaiting results at The University of Sheffield; and
- Your next course will also be at The University of Sheffield
Contact The University of Sheffield Admissions Service
You should ask your academic department for this letter where you:
- Studied the course for which you are awaiting results at The University of Sheffield; and
- Your next course won't be at The University of Sheffield
Your department should have been sent a template for this, and should contact ISSAC if they do not have a copy of this.
You can’t apply inside the UK if:
- You did not successfully complete your previous course (eg you withdrew from your studies or did not receive the level of qualifications as expected).
You must return home to apply for your new Student Visa before you start your new course.
Continuing students
If you are a registered student and will be applying for a Student visa to continue your studies, there are different academic progression rules and exemptions you should be aware of. Visit the academic progression page for information on this.