Modules & Marking - A Dummies Guide

UCD Horizons

This the name of our academic structure. It is has three features: It is modularised, semesterised and works off a credit earning system.

Modules:

The beauty of UCD Horizons is that you can have more of a choice regarding how your degree is structured in terms of your modules. To put it very simply, there are modules you must do as part of your degree and then you get to pick whatever other ones you want to do. Each module has value in terms of credits, as described below.

There are three types of modules:

Core Modules:

These are the modules that you must do as part of your degree. When registration opens, the modules that are your cores will appear on your SIS Web as pre selected modules. So you do not need to register yourself for your cores, they are chosen for you. Usually you will do 8 modules as cores.

Option Modules:

These are modules that you have to chose yourself. Option modules are relevant to your degree. So you pick your option modules from a pool of around 30 modules. Each module in this pool will have some relevance to your degree area. You must pick 2 option modules, usually one each semester.

Electives:

These are the modules that you also pick. Except unlike options, you pick your electives from nearly all the modules offered across the entire campus. So if your a business student who thinks they would like try their hand at some forensic palaeontology, you can now try it out. You get to chose 2 electives.

Regulations:

Pre-Requisites:

Students must have passed the modules listed as prerequisites in order to enrol for the module, or have achieved the required learning outcomes in approved equivalent modules.

Incompatible Modules :

Students cannot be awarded credit for the module and also be awarded credit for any of the modules listed as incompatible modules owing to the similarity of their learning outcomes.

Exclusions:

Students cannot be awarded credit for a module if they have already achieved similar educational outcomes in higher, further or secondary education as specified by the

Module requirements:

Students must have satisfied these requirements, which could include a minimum overall performance at earlier stages of the programme expressed as a required GPA, or a minimum performance at higher, further or secondary education in a specified subject or subjects.

Recommendations:

Students are recommended, but not required, to have the prior learning specified in the recommendation; this may include a recommendation to take or have taken certain modules or to have achieved the associated learning outcomes in some other way, or a recommendation expressed in more general terms of the prior learning.

More information can be found on your specific area of study, you should consult your programme office. www.ucd.ie/programmeoffices.htm

Semesters:

The academic year is from September to May. The year is broken up into two semesters. The first semester is from September to December and is also known as the Michaelmas term. From January to May is known as the second semester. This semester is made up of two terms. The Hilary Term is from January to March when we get a two week study period. The Trinity Term is from the study period up to the last day of term in May.

Credits:

Every year a student must complete 60 credits. Each module you do usually has a weight of 5 credits. So therefore you must complete 12 modules. These 12 modules, as described above, are comprised of 8 cores, 2 options and 2 electives. Every module you pass will give you 5 credits. The credit of a module is based upon the workload in terms of hours that is associated with that module. If the workload is higher in a module it may be worth 10 credits. When you have earned enough credits at the end of the year you will be able to progress onto the next year.

Majors & Minors:

The proportion of your degree can be divided up and called majors and minors. Each student can configure their degree into different combinations depending on the proportion of credit they allocate to the various subjects they are studying. You may chose a joint major whereby you study two degree areas to the same degree. Alternatively you chose a major/minor combination. A major ill comprise of 30 credits and a minor is made up of 20 credits.

Stage:

UCD is now pretty much completely modularised and works therefore on the principle of credit accumulation. You move through your degree programme as you accumulate the appropriate amount of credits. Normally a degree programme is made up of 3-4 stages.

Marking:

The overall mark awarded to you for a module comes from a mixture of continuous assessment and your final exams grade. Your continuous assessment may be midterms, tutorials, labs or other various assignments. The final mark that is award to you for a module is converted to a grade point.

You are awarded a percentage. The percentage awarded is used to calculate the grade point using the table shown below.

Grade Explanation:

A's, B's, C's and D's are passing grades. These grades are awarded upon the satisfactory completion of the module assessments. Passed modules can not be completed. The points awarded for each module are added together and the average of each semester is obtained. These two figures are then added to get the average for the year. This is known as your Grade Point Average.

E Grades:

E grades are failing grades that have an associated grade point of 1.6. E grades may be compensated when 75% of the 12 modules undertaken have been completed without failing them and provided the total GPA (Grade Point Average) is 2.00 or over. Some modules are not passable by compensation. These modules may be prerequisites for future learning.

E(C) Grades:

E(C) grades are grades that are E grades which have been passed by compensation. The E obtained is converted to a C once the student fits the requirements for compensation.

F, G and NG Grades:

F, G and NG grades are failing grades. If you get awarded any of these grades you will be required to repeat the module in question unless you are otherwise advised by your programme office. Once a repeat has been carried out successfully, the grade point is capped at 2.0, irrespective of the actual grade obtained in the repeat session. You will then be awarded with a grade mark followed by (R). This shows the grade obtained in the repeat but the R signifies the repeat attempt and the capped score.

Re-sit Grades

There are three module grades available for you if you have attempted a re-sit assessment these are as follows:

Exceptional Grades:

There are a number of scenarios that require exceptional grades. Each has a specific set of consequences, which are outlined in the table below.

Your Degree:

Your GPA can be broken down into various categories in order to classify it in terms of our older honours classification module.

The conversion system is shown below: