Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery 2025-26

Academic Regulations: Faculty of Medicine

SchoolMedicine
Final Award

BM5 Medicine, BM6 Medicine (final entry 2023/24) and BM(EU) Medicine: 

  • Final Award: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
  • Intermediate Award: Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours) 

BM6 Medicine (first entry 2024/25): 

  • Final Award: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery  

BM5 with Integrated Master in Medical Science: 

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Master in Medical Sciences (Honours) 
    with exit awards of:
    Master of Medical Sciences (Hons)

BM4 Medicine and International Transfer Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor Surgery: 

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery 

With exit awards of: 

  • Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
  • Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
  • Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Ordinary)
  • Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Hons)
  • Masters of Medical Science (Hons)
Programme(s)
  • BM4 Medicine (four-year graduate entry programme)
  • BM5 Medicine (five-year programme)
  • BM6 Medicine (six-year programme designed to widen participation in medicine)
  • BM(EU) Medicine (five-year programme)
  • BM5 with Integrated Master in Medical Sciences (five-year programme with an additional MMedSc year between years 3 and 4)
  • International Transfer Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (three-year programme)
Last modifiedApril 2025

The Academic Regulations apply to and regulate the programme(s) listed above.

On occasion, programmes can be exempted from one or more of the clauses in the Regulations; one or more of the clauses can be varied; and programmes can impose additional requirements.

  • Exemptions are characterised by the omission of the relevant clause.
  • Variations are characterised by the replacement of the clause with alternative wording.
  • Additions are characterised by requirements in addition to those detailed in the Academic regulations.

The programmes listed have approval from the Academic Quality and Standards Subcommittee for the exemptions and/or variations and/or additions to the regulations noted below.

All BM Programmes (unless otherwise stated)

Definitions

The definitions used by the Faculty are as per the University regulations with the following exception:

YearThe Faculty refers to Years in the following regulations. A Year is equivalent to the term Part as referred to in the University regulations.
Progression, Determination and Classification of Results for Undergraduate and Integrated Masters ProgrammesExemption/Variation/Addition
2. Definitions specific to Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes
2.1The University standard Module Pass Mark for undergraduate students taking Modules at all levels is 40. Where professional standards, including but not limited to PSRB requirements, require a Module Pass Mark that differs from the University standard this will be stated in the relevant programme regulations.

Variation

In all years except the MMedSc year: Pass Marks for assessments are standard set as required by the GMC and therefore the pass mark for each assessment varies. The method of standard setting is published in the Student Handbook.

3. Criteria for Progression
3.1In order to progress to the next Part of a programme or to an award, as appropriate, all Modules and each Part must be Passed at the specified Pass Mark except as allowed in paragraph 3.3 below. Each Part must be successfully completed before the next Part is commenced.

Variation

Under specific circumstances students may conditionally progress to the next year of the BM programmes before all modules have been successfully completed. Details of the specific circumstances under which this can occur is provided in the Student Handbook.

Students enrolled on BM5 Medicine (9378), BM6 Medicine (9405) and BMEU Medicine (9989) may progress to the Final Year of the programme without successfully completing MEDI4030 Clinical Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). Students may refer in this module in Final Year and must successfully pass the module to achieve the award of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. 

4. Referral
4.1For students who fail to progress under paragraphs 3.1 to 3.3 on a programme where all Modules in a Part have been designated Core in order to meet the stipulations of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, Referral is allowed in Failed modules in that Part totalling at most 30 ECTS (60 CATS) if permitted by the programme regulations.

Variation

In all years except the MMedSc year: A student who fails to progress under paragraphs 3.1 to 3.3 may take referral assessments in all failed modules.

4.3The actual marks achieved at Referral are inserted into the previous marks profile and paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 are applied again to determine Progression. However, the Referral marks will be Capped at the Capped Mark for all calculations related to degree classification.

Variation

Although the BM programmes are not classified, marks achieved at referral are capped at the standard set pass mark. For students who transfer to the BM5 with integrated MMedSc the referral marks will be capped at the standard University undergraduate pass mark of 40% for all calculations related to degree classification.

5. Repeat
5.1A student who has not progressed to the next Part of the programme at the first attempt, and who has either also not progressed after Referral (where permitted) or who does not qualify to take Referral assessments under paragraph 4 above, may Repeat the appropriate Part of the programme.

Variation

Students are permitted to repeat a maximum of 2 years during their programme of study, including where a repeat year is due to approved special consideration. 

5.3Internal Repeat: A student choosing an Internal Repeat will be required to Repeat all Modules, including those Passed at the first attempt. A student choosing an Internal Repeat is not permitted to change to an External Repeat part way through the year. A student is permitted to select new Option Modules in place of the Option Modules taken at the first attempt. However a student will have no right to Refer in any Modules taken during the Repeat, including Option Modules taken for the first time. The marks achieved at Internal Repeat will be inserted into the marks profile and paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 applied again to determine Progression. Marks for Modules in which the Module Pass Mark was not obtained at the first attempt, and for any new Option Modules substituted for such modules, will be Capped at the Capped Mark for all calculations related to determination of a final degree classification (see Section 8 below). For all other Modules the mark obtained at Repeat will be carried forward.

Exemption

The BM programmes are exempt from clause 5.3 and 5.4 under section 5: Repeat of the Progression, Determination and Classification of Results for Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes as follows:

  • Students who repeat BM year 0 must repeat externally.
  • Students who repeat all other years of the programmes must repeat internally.

Variation

Although the BM programmes are not classified the marks achieved at Repeat for modules in which the module pass mark was not obtained at the first attempt will be shown capped at the standard set pass mark on the transcript. 

For students who transfer to the BM5 with integrated MMedSc the marks for modules not obtained at the first attempt will be capped at the standard University undergraduate pass mark of 40%  for all calculations related to the MMedSc degree classification. For all other Modules the mark obtained at Repeat will be carried forward. 

Variation

Students undertaking an external repeat of any module in BM6 Year 0 will be required to repeat only the component failed at referral, they will not be required to repeat any component passed at the first or referral attempt. If the failed component is no longer available, students will be required to take a set task.
 

5.4External Repeat: A student choosing an External Repeat will be required to Repeat those Modules in which the Module Pass Mark was not obtained at the first attempt or at Referral. The most recent marks for Modules not Repeated will be retained for determining Progression. The marks achieved at External Repeat will be inserted into the most recent marks profile and paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 applied again to determine Progression. The marks obtained during External Repeat and those arising from Referral will be Capped at the Capped Mark for all calculations related to determination of a final degree classification.
9. Classified Awards
9.1

Mark Scheme

The degree classification shall be based on the 100-point Mark Scheme for the final degree average, ie: 

70 and overFirst Class (I)
60 – 69 Second Class, Upper Division (IIi)
50 – 59Second Class, Lower Division (IIii)
40 – 49Third Class (III)
Less than or equal to 39Fail 

These boundaries refer to the Final Average Mark rounded to the nearest integer. In order to meet the stipulations of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, the programme regulations may specify a required Final Average Mark greater than the standard University Average Mark to define the lower boundary for a Pass. Where this applies this will be stated in the relevant programme regulations and will be subject to annual review by AQSS.

Exemption

These programmes are exempt from Clause 9.1 of section 9: Classified Awards of the Progression, Determination and Classification of Results for Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes. The MMedSc award follows the University regulations on classification of integrated masters.

The BM programmes lead to an unclassified degree of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and for the BM5 and BM(EU) programmes an unclassified degree of Bachelor of Medical Sciences.

9.2

Weighting of Parts

Part I work shall be excluded from the final degree classification. A weighting of 0:1:2 shall be used to obtain the Final Average Mark for the three Parts of an Honours degree programme, and a weighting of 0:1:2:2 for the four Parts of an integrated Masters programme. This is in addition to weighting by credit points (for example, where Parts III and IV do not contain the same number of credit points).

Variation

For students who transfer to the BM with integrated MMedSc: The MMedSc programme follows University regulations on the classification of integrated undergraduate masters with a weighting of 0:0:1:2.

  

Addition

The programme is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act [1986]. All students will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on admission. Continuation on the programme is subject to consideration of any criminal convictions, cautions and pending criminal investigations. All students are required to inform the School at the earliest opportunity of all criminal convictions both prior to and throughout their period of enrolment.

  

Addition

A satisfactory Occupational Health assessment is a condition of entry to the programme.  Continuation on the programme is subject to specific health requirements consistent with the provisions of the Equality Act [2010]. Students are required to inform the School at the earliest opportunity of any change in health status that may impact on practice of their studies, throughout their period of enrolment.

  

Addition

Continuation on your programme is subject to you being free from behavioural and conduct problems relevant to future employment as a medical practitioner, as set out in the GMC document  Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students.

  

Addition

For the MMedSc year all modules once selected are core.

  

Additional Requirements relating to the Award of Qualification

  • An award of Distinction is conferred on students showing excellence. The criteria defining excellence are detailed in the Faculty's Assessment Policies which are published on Blackboard.
  • In order to qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery you must have been free from health, behavioural and conduct problems relevant to future employment as a medical practitioner, as set out in the GMC document Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students

These regulations should be read in conjunction with the programme specification.

Disclaimer

As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our programmes to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. As a result, these regulations may be revised during a student’s period of registration, however, any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Please read our Disclaimer to see why, when and how changes may be made to a student’s programme.