FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Keele has always been committed to giving students the opportunity to gain a broad-based education which prepares them for the challenges of life after University. Many of our degree programmes allow you to choose some of the modules you will study, allowing these to fit with your own ambitions, interests and intellectual curiosity. Here you will find answers to some frequently asked questions.

Sometimes you may decide that one or both of your subjects are not what you really want to do or that you want to change your degree type (Combined Honours, Single Honours).  This is referred to as a ‘course change’. 

Course changes can be requested up until the end of the third teaching week of each semester, However, they may not always be approved.

Firstly, you need to check on this website if the course you want to do study is actually available at Keele.  You then submit an electronic course change request from eVision.

If you would like any advice about course changes, please feel free to speak to the Student Services team  who will be able to guide you through the process.

You may not need to change your modules as it depends upon the Principal subject/s you change to and the modules you originally chose.

A member of the team at the Student Services Centre will be able to advise you on this, once your course change has been approved.

New International students whose first language is not English, as well as those who have been educated abroad (whether or not English is their first language), will be pre-allocated onto an English language module that will assist your studies.  This will count as one of your module choices. Do not change this selection when you select your module choices online.

If you do not need to select any modules for your degree because your compulsory modules total the required 120 credits you will still be allocated an English Language module.  This will be added to an additional course record outside your main degree course. 

On arrival at Keele, as part of the Induction Week you will be given an introduction to the  Language Centre and take a brief language assessment.  The purpose of this assessment is to see if you would benefit from any English language support or English modules to help you succeed with your academic studies while you are at Keele. The assessment will NOT in any way affect your ability to proceed with your course of study.

Based on your needs and preferences and in consultation with English Language Unit staff, you may be moved into a different English language module that will help strengthen the language skills you will need to succeed in your academic studies, or you may be advised that you do not need to take an English Language module and you can replace it with module.

English Language modules will also be available to students in their second and third year of study, should they have failed the module in their first year, or should they need additional tuition.

Yes. In addition to running modules, the Language Centre provides a range of services to international students to help them succeed and get the most of their academic experience at Keele.

The modules website will give you a full summary of each of the modules you are able to study.  Please select your Level / year of study, and the degree type you are studying from the Module Selection page. 

This will then list all of the modules you can take based on your degree and timetable.  You can access each module summary by then clicking onto the module code.  If you need any further information or guidance about the module, please feel free to email the module tutor.  Their email details are also shown on the module summary.

Students who have been allowed to proceed into their next year of study but have an outstanding module or GCP that needs to be passed, can usually either take a re-assessment or choose an alternative module in it's place.  If an alternative module is to be taken, you can access information about all of these elective modules here.

Most student will register for modules in eVision. More details can be found here >

Yes, you can use the online form to submit your module choices

Places are limited and to ensure that you get a place on the modules you would like to study it is advisable to choose your modules before you arrive.

New Keele students will receive a ‘Module Allocation email' confirming the modules to which you have been allocated on by Sunday 22 September 2024.

New First Year International students will receive a ‘Module Allocation email' confirming the elective modules to which you have been allocated on Wednesday 18 September 2024.

Continuing 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students  i.e. students who are not new to Keele in the Academic year 2024/25 will receive a ‘Module Allocation email' in their Keele email address by no later than Monday 23 September 2024.  This email will confirm the modules to which you have been allocated.

Your provisional on-line timetable for your lectures will be made available to you in the student portal from early August.  Tutorial groups and seminars will not be released onto your on-line timetable until mid-September.

You will also be able to see your module details at any time on the student portal.  

You will have access to a weekly timetable from the student portal, which will give you details of the day, time and location of each of your modules. 

Your provisional on-line timetable will be made available to you from early August.  Tutorial groups and seminars will not be released onto your timetable until mid-September.

From the start of the Academic year you should regularly check this timetable.  It is updated with any changes.  If you are still unsure about where and when to go you should contact either Student Services or the School Office responsible for running the module.  Once you are enrolled on a module it will appear on your Keele Learning Environment (KLE) and you will find much of the information about classes there too.  

If there is a problem with the number or type of modules you have been allocated, then you should use the online form to submit/change your module choices.

Once you have been allocated to the correct number and type of modules we strongly encourage you to stick with your choices.  However, if you do wish to change or withdraw from any module you must email or visit the Student Services Centre to see if this is possible.  Please note that this can only be done up to the end of the third week of semester 1 (i.e. until Friday 18 October 2024). 

Changing modules after teaching has started will mean that you will need to undertake additional private study to make up for the teaching you have missed.

The University timetable should ensure that classes in each of your subjects are kept apart.  However, from time-to-time a last-minute timetable change may occur.  You should check your timetable in Week 1.  If you have been allocated to a seminar group which meets at the same time as one of your other modules you should ask at the school office to be allocated to another tutor group straight away.  If you are unable to switch tutor groups, or it is a compulsory lecture which clashes, you should email or visit the Student Services Centre to change modules.

If you are unhappy with any of the modules you have chosen, you can change your mind as long as it is within the first 3 weeks of teaching and subject to availability. Changes after teaching week 3 are NOT permitted.

You should select a new module by looking on the modules webpages, taking care to ensure that it doesn't clash with any of the modules you are already taking.  then use the online form to submit/change your module choices and we'll make the module change for you.

Changing modules after teaching has started will meant that you need to undertake additional private study to catch up on the teaching you have missed.

Global Challenge Pathways are Keele's ground-breaking brand of elective study which eligible students can take alongside their core degree programme to complement and enhance their studies at Keele.

Each pathway is designed over 3 years of undergraduate study, with students engaging with a global issue or challenge which connects them directly to societal issues, often working with staff from different subject areas.  Click here to find out more.

How do I select a Global Challenge Pathway?

You select a GCP in the same way as any of the option modules outlined above.

I have previously taken elective modules do I now need to choose a Global Challenge Pathway?

GCP only applies to students on Level 4 and Level 5 in 2023/24 and students repeating Level 5 programmes.   Continuing Level 6 students will continue to have access to elective modules.

I'm not enjoying the GCP I originally chose - can I change it?

If you are unhappy with the GCP that you have chosen you can change your mind as longs it is within the first 3 weeks of teaching and subject to availability. You should select a new GCP or option module by looking on the modules webpages taking care that it doesn't clash with any of the modules you are already taking.  Once you have made your choice email or visit Student Services Centre to make the change for you.

To receive a GCP award you must complete all 3 years of the pathway.  You cannot swap pathways after the first 3 weeks of teaching.  You can opt out of studying a GCP at a higher level of study although if you do so you will no longer be entitled to obtain the Global Challenge Pathway accreditation.

If you miss the Introductory Lecture (and you should have a good reason for doing so) you will need to contact the School Office responsible for running the module to find what you missed. 

You should click on the module code for the details of which school to approach over catching up. They may put you in touch with the module tutor or point you towards the Keele Learning Environment which, once again, will contain important information about locations and times of lectures, seminars, labs etc, and lecture content and upcoming assessments.

You should be taking 120 credits in each academic year.  This will be made up of compulsory and Option modules and those modules you chose to study.  We will contact you if we think you haven't registered on enough modules to achieve your 120 credits.  However, it is your responsibility to come to the Student Services Centre and register on modules if you are short of credits.  If in doubt, then please do not hesitate to ask us.

Changing a module may mean that you have a lot of catching up to do. The first thing to do is keep going to the classes on your current module. In addition, you need to talk to the module tutor. Ask them for a little time to talk over aspects of the course which are troubling you, and some guidance on how to do well in the assessments. If there's an exam, check the past papers in the library.  If after the conversation with your tutor you still wish to change modules you must contact the Student Services Centre to progress this.

If you have a problem with any module at Keele you should first talk to the module tutor.  If you're not comfortable with this, you can seek advice from the Student Services Centre Team, the Head of the School, the Students' Union or the Student Voice Representative for that subject.  Student Voice Representatives represent the views of fellow students on University committees at Programme and Faculty levels.  They are trained and overseen by the Students' Union to ensure that the representation is completely independent and it may be that you are not the only one to have raised a particular issue.

Yes, but you can only take a modern language module  in addition to your degree modules.  This will not be a part of your degree and you will not be able to swap a successful language module for a module you may have failed in your degree.

If your degree programme already has 120 compulsory credits and you would like to study abroad for a semester in your 2nd year, you can also register for ENL-10043 Intercultural Communication by contacting the Language Centre.  This will be an extra module and is recommended for any students who wish to study abroad for a semester in their 2nd year.

Students who have no module choices available to them should speak to the Language Centre to discuss if they are able to study a language module in addition to your degree programme. 

All modules have some sort of assessment, although the method of assessment will vary across different modules.  All modules form a formal part of your degree programme so you do have to pass the assessment subject to the normal University Regulations about pass marks and progression.

1st and 2nd year students

If you fail a module at either Level 4 or Level 5 you will be given the opportunity to take a re-assessment.  You will need to get the details of the re-assessment from the School that runs the module.  If you take a re-assessment your mark is normally capped at a maximum of 40%.

Re-assessment for Autumn (semester 1) modules is usually in May and re-assessment for Spring (semester 2) modules is usually at the end of July/beginning of August.

If after two attempts at a module you have still failed, your progression into the next year may be jeopardised.  You will receive an email at the end of June/beginning of July, confirming your progression outcome.  If you are required to undertake reassessment in July/August you will receive a revised progression outcome email towards the end of August.

3rd year students

If you fail a semester 1 module at Level 6 you will be given the opportunity to take a re-assessment (usually in the first week of the examination period in May).  You will need to obtain the details of the re-assessment from the School that runs the module.  If you take a re-assessment your mark is normally capped at a maximum of 40%.

If you fail a semester 2 module at Level 6 you will still be given the opportunity to take re-assessment (usually at the end of July/beginning of August), but this will delay your graduation.

I have failed some modules, what happens now?

Depending upon the number of modules you have failed, you will either need to take re-sits in May and/or end of July/beginning of August, or you may be required to repeat the year.

If you have already repeated a year, we may terminate your studies. You will receive an email at the end of June/beginning of July, confirming your progression outcome. If you are required to undertake re-assessment at the end of July/beginning of August you will receive a revised progression outcome email towards the end of August.

Clearly it is in your best interest to pass all of your modules at the first attempt.

Depending upon the number of modules you have failed, you will either need to take re-sits in June and/or August, or you may be required to repeat the year.

If you have already repeated a year, we may terminate your studies. You will receive an email in July, confirming your progression outcome. If you are required to undertake re-assessment in August you will receive a revised progression outcome email in September.

Clearly it is in your best interest to pass all of your modules at the first attempt.