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Changes to policy and curriculum

Changing Your Study Plans Policy 2018/19

Warning: the content within this page reflects the information available to students in the 2018/19 academic year. As such, this information may no longer be factually accurate.

The Open University published the Changing your Study Plans Policy for the first time, which combines and supersedes the two previous documents:

  • Deferrals and Withdrawals Policy from the Academic Year 2016/17 onwards
  • Cancellation Procedure (updated September 2016 and reviewed February 2017).

The new Changing Your Study Plans Policy document is in two parts:

Part 1: The first part sets out the Open University’s policy about the options you have as a student if you want to change the modules and/or qualification that you’re studying, take a break from study, or withdraw from your studies with the OU.

Part 2: The second part of the document explains the rules and procedures for each option and indicates potential financial or academic consequences.

July 2018

The changes made

  • The policy clarifies that you may suspend study (defer) more than once as long as the module is not nearing its last presentation date and you have sufficient time to complete your qualification within the time limit. Conditions are attached to assessment banking and fee credits.

March 2018

The changes made

  • The Open University will no longer allow you to delay enrolment or registration of a module deferred with assessment banking to the point at which you re-join studying. You now must enrol or register before module start date, unless you receive a late registration approval from your student support team.
  • The Open University will no longer allow you to register or enrol to study additional modules after module start date.

Please talk to your Student Support Team if you need any further information. You can find out how to contact them on Contact the OU.