Overview

Transfer course

If you are unhappy with your current programme of study, you should talk to your supervisor and discuss the options available to you. One option is to transfer to a different programme of study within the University. It is possible to request a transfer at any time.

Advice

Before you apply to transfer to another programme of study it is essential that you get advice and understand all the implications. You should talk with your supervisor in the first instance, and may also find it helpful to talk with a Student Adviser about the financial implications of transferring.

See information about the Student Advisers, including their contact details

If you are an international student, transferring programmes of study may affect your immigration status. You should therefore consult a University Immigration Advisor before submitting a transfer request.

Find contact details for the University's Immigration Advice Service

Students wishing to transfer from another University to a programme of study at York

If you want to transfer from a course delivered by another university to one of our programmes for which you meet the entry requirements, this can be considered through our admissions process. We will take completed credit and other study into consideration as appropriate in line with our policies on recognition of prior learning.

Visit the Credit transfer and recognition of prior learning web page.

Students wishing to transfer from York to a programme of study at another University

If you wish to transfer to another provider, or if a transfer is needed arising from our student protection plan arrangements we will provide you with advice. For example we will confirm what credit you have accumulated, level of study undertaken and your academic achievement through providing you with a student transcript.

Considerations

Academic

You will need academic advice as the change may affect the modules you take. You will need to accumulate sufficient credits to obtain an award (360 for a three-year degree, 480 for a four-year degree and 600 for a five-year degree).

Your career options may also be affected. Your supervisor or another academic in your current department will be able to help as will Careers and Placements.

If your programme is based in more than one department (for example, if you are a joint honours student) you will need to speak to staff in each department.

The further along you are in your programme of study the fewer options you will have. Firstly, there are funding implications associated with changes after completion of the first year. It is also very unusual for a change to be approved after the end of the second year (except to a longer or shorter variant of the same programme).

You should talk to staff in the department(s) you wish to transfer to. You could also talk to students on the programme to make sure that it is the right option for you.

Financial

If you pay tuition fees at the home rate, changing the duration of your studies can affect your entitlement to financial support. The rules are complicated, so it is important to get advice from the Student Advisers at the Student Hub. Go to https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/student-hub/ for further information.

Student Visas

If the transfer of programme changes the length of your enrolment period, you should consult with an Immigration Adviser as you may need to inform UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

The University is required to report changes of circumstances (eg leave of absence and/or changes of programme) for an international student to UK Visas and Immigration.

For more information please see the Immigration Support Service.

Procedure

Additional advice and support on the actual procedure for a transfer is available from your departmental administration team , advisers in the Student Hub or staff in Student Adminsitration and Academic Affairs.

Approval criteria

Criteria and conditions

There is no automatic right to transfer programmes. You can only transfer into a different department or programme if there is sufficient space and they are willing to offer you a place.

The initial decision on whether or not a transfer is possible is made by the Admissions Tutor for the new programme, who will also consider whether or not there is space on the programme you wish to transfer to, whether you meet the entry requirements for that programme, and what your academic standing is on your existing programme.

If you are applying to transfer to a new department, your application must be approved and signed by your original department and your new department.

You will need to complete the academic requirements of the new programme in full. It is possible that previous credits can be transferred in certain cases and the new department will make a decision on whether or not this is appropriate.

If you are transferring to a similar programme, repeat study will be avoided where possible. This means you may need to replace modules you’ve already studied with other modules.

University Special Cases approval is required for any transfer request where you are transferring into a new programme after the first five weeks of that programme, if the transfer would result in any:

repeat study (ie repeating any study/content that you have already studied on your original programme);
exemption from assessment (assessment(s) that were due to take place imminently are now avoided due to the timing of the transfer);
missed essential teaching (essential teaching as defined in the programme specification for the new programme has been missed and will not be repeated);
waiving of credit (you are going to have credit waived as a result of the transfer).

Special Cases approval is normally also needed where the transfer is taking place after the end of Stage 2 of a taught programme, although there are some exceptions to this where the possibility for transfer within your own department is built into the design of the degree programme.

If your transfer case needs to go to Special Cases, the relevant forms will be sent on by your new department for consideration. Special Cases approval is not automatic however so you should not assume the transfer is going ahead until you have had the Special Cases decision confirmed.

It may not be possible for you to start your new programme until the next available opportunity (usually Autumn Semester). In this case, you’ll need to take a leave of absence for the rest of the session or successfully complete the academic year in your current course. You must check if this will affect your entitlement to Student Loans and other funding with the Student Advisers.

Apply

How to apply

Talk to your supervisor about the options and implications.
Contact the relevant departmental administrator for the new programme if you are wanting to move departments.
If your original and new department (where applicable) agree to the programme transfer, you should request the transfer through e:vision.
Your new department will forward the transfer request to the Chair of the Board of Studies or Chair of Graduate Schools Board for approval.
When the transfer is approved, it will be sent to the Student Records team in Student Administration and Academic Affairs to update your student record or, it will be sent to the Special Cases team if Special Cases approval is needed.
Once your student record has been updated, notifications will be sent to your department, the fees office, Student Finance England and the UKVI (where changes to your course may result in your tuition fees or Student Finance being reassessed).

Students studying in the Hull York Medical School or the Centre for Lifelong learning should still use the paper form below:

You must include your current student identification number (which can be found on the back of your student card).

The form must be sent from your York email address.

Until formal approval is given, you will remain registered on your current programme and are expected to comply with all its requirements, including attendance at all classes.

If your application is successful, your e:Vision account will be amended to show the start date of your new programme and any conditions required.

Programme Transfer Form (MS Word , 27kb)