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Credit Parameters 

This information relates to the minimum or maximum number of credits a student can be registered on for any given academic year. The total credit requirements for each programme are listed in the relevant Common Awards Core Regulations and summarised in our page on Recommending Awards to Durham

These credit parameters reflect national standards and provide students with a set of expectations around their workload and learning time. They also ensure that students are not overburdened, or disadvantaged by extended gaps in their study. The Management Board can consider exceptional requests for specific pathways outside of these parameters, where there is good reason for an unusual pattern, and a good account of how students will not be disadvantaged. Please contact the Common Awards Team if your TEI would like to request a cohort level exemption from these requirements, or see our Concessions page for how to seek an exceptional exemption for an individual student.

Student Type

Programme

Credit Requirements

Full-time undergraduate students 

All programmes 

Full-time undergraduate students should normally be registered on 120 credits per academic year 

Part-time students (undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate) 

 

Part-time students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) should be registered on between 40-90 credits per academic year where the total number of credits to be studied exceeds 60 credits.*

Full-time graduate and postgraduate  students 

Graduate Certificate (V60421) 

Full-time students on the Graduate Certificate should be registered on 60 credits in an academic year. 

Graduate Diploma (V60422) 

Full-time students on the Graduate Diploma should be registered on 120 credits in an academic year. 

Postgraduate Certificate (V60414) 

Full-time students on the Postgraduate Certificate should be registered on 60 credits in an academic year. 

Postgraduate Diploma (V60412) 

Full-time students on the Postgraduate Diploma should be registered on 120 credits in an academic year. 

MA (V60407) 

Full-time students on the MA should be registered on 180 credits in an academic year. 

* Part-time students on 60-credit programmes are exempt from the requirement to be registered on at least 40 credits per academic year, but the programme must be completed within three years.