• A module is a self-contained unit of learning, teaching and assessment. 
• The volume of educational activity is expressed in hours of student effort. 
• This is linked directly to the credit value of the module. 
• Information about a module is contained in the online descriptor for that module.

(General Regulation 1.1)

A module descriptor captures information about a module for the purpose of conveying that information to staff and students.  It will be available online. The module descriptor should, at a minimum, include the following:

• The School and Module Co-ordinator responsible for the module.
• Credit value, level, semester, learning outcomes, curriculum and description of the module.
• The means by which the learning outcomes will be assessed.
• A n indication of the expected student workload.
• Any module dependencies (pre-requisites, required modules, co-requisites, incompatible modules, exclusions, requirements or recommendations).
• Information on remediation opportunities. 

(General Regulation 1.9)

Each module has a credit value.

• This is a standardised way of representing the amount of student effort and educational activity associated with a module .

One credit represents 20-25 hours of total student effort. 

• Therefore, a standard 5-credit module represents 100-125 hours of student effort.

(General Regulation 1.2)

Undergraduate modules are normally 5 credits. 

• Certain types of modules, such as research, dissertations, project-based, clinical or work placement modules, may have credit values of 10, 15 or 20 credits. However, this is usually only permitted at level 3 or above and is subject to approval by the relevant University Programme Board. 
• Undergraduate dissertations and research modules will have multiples of 5 credits up to a maximum of 30 credits.

(General Regulation 1.3)

Graduate taught modules may be 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 or 20 credits. 

Graduate dissertations and research modules will be multiples of 5 credits.

(General Regulation 1.3)

Dissertations and research projects will bear credit in multiples of 5 credits based on total student effort required (20-25 hours student effort merits 1 credit).

The credit value of a research project, dissertation or other assessable research activity should be calculated as follows:

• 15 weeks (one semester) full-time research merits 30 credits
• 45 weeks (one calendar year) full-time research merits 90 credits

Where research is conducted on a part-time basis, or combined with taught activity, the credit value of the research activity must reflect the actual time devoted by the student to research.

(General Regulation 1.10) 

Student effort is all time spent on a module, including: 

• Lecture / tutorial / seminar / laboratory contact hours
• Work required on assignments and projects
• Time spent in independent study or research
• Time spent studying for and taking assessments
• Any additional time and effort expected of a student registered to that module

Time spent on compulsory clinical or professional placements may also be assigned credit subject to approval by the relevant College and review by the relevant University Programme Board.

(General Regulation 1.2)

The level of a module is an indication of the level of difficulty of the learning outcomes and the material that will be encountered.  Levels generally give a broad indication of the stage when a student is likely to take the module, although this is not always the case.  A student, for instance, may take level 2 or level 4 modules as well as level 3 modules in Stage 3. 

(General Regulation 1.4)

• Module level and programme level

The level of the module also corresponds with the level of the programme.  For instance, an Honours Bachelor Degree should consist mainly of level 1, 2 and 3 modules, while a Masters Degree should consist mainly of level 4 modules.  For more information on module levels, including how many modules of each level you can and cannot take, please go to:
http://www.ucd.ie/registry/academicsecretariat/docs/modulelevel_g.pdf

http://www.ucd.ie/registry/academicsecretariat/docs/leveld_g.pdf

A student will progress through an undergraduate programme in stages. An undergraduate stage is normally completed when a student has successfully accumulated 60, 90, 120 or 180 credits.

For full-time undergraduate students, a 60-credit stage will normally be completed in one academic year (two teaching semesters).  Part-time students may progress to Stage 2 after completing 60 credits over a number of teaching semesters.  Programme specifications will define the credit requirements of each stage.

(General Regulation 1.5)

Graduate taught programmes are normally completed in one stage.  However, graduate taught programmes may be designated as two stage programmes with the approval of the relevant University Programme Board.

(General Regulation 1.5)

Module dependencies specify the prior or parallel learning that is required of students in order to undertake the module.  The purpose of dependencies is to ensure that students are likely to be capable of achieving the learning outcomes of the module, and that students do not gain credit more than once for the same learning outcomes.  Types of module dependencies include:

• Pre-requisites
• Required modules
• Co-requisites
• Incompatible modules
• Exclusions
• Requirements
• Recommendations

Registration to a module will not be permitted unless pre-requisites, required modules and co-requisites have been satisfied and any other requirements prescribed by the School or Programme Board have been fulfilled. 

(General Regulation 1.6)

Pre-requisites indicate that a student must pass a particular module, generally in an earlier stage, or achieve the required learning outcomes of that module in an approved equivalent module, in order to register to the module.  Pass means that the student must receive either a passing grade of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D or D- or a pass by compensation PC in order to register to the module.    

Required indicates that a student must have taken, but not necessarily passed, a particular module or have attempted the required learning outcomes of that required module in an approved equivalent required module, in order to register to another module .  Required modules are slightly less restrictive than the pre-requisites as they only require a student to have taken a module. It does not matter what grade they received in the module.

(General Regulation 1.6)

Pre-requisites vs. required modules:  Module coordinators should be careful when designating modules as pre-requisites vs. required modules since the choice could have an impact on a student’s ability to progress while carrying modules.  Where a student fails a pre-requisite in one stage for a module in the next stage, the student cannot register to the next stage module.  Where the module from the previous stage had been designated a required module and not a pre-requisite module, the student would be able to take the next stage module.

The use of pre-requisites and required modules is subject to review by the relevant University Programme Board.

Schools and Programme Boards are urged not to use pre-requisites or required modules unless there are valid educational reasons for so doing.  Such module dependencies are restrictive (i.e. they block registration) and should only be used to signal mandatory learning that the student must have achieved in advance.  Prior learning that is advisable, but not mandatory, should be expressed as a recommendation.

(General Regulation 1.6)

Co-requisites indicate that a student must either have taken or be taking a particular module at the same time as the module (i.e. same semester), or have achieved the required learning outcomes of that module in an approved equivalent module, in order to register to another module.  A co-requisite is meant to identify a module or modules that are interrelated or integrated with a particular module.  Co-requisites should only exist in a unidirectional manner, so that where X is a co-requisite of Y, Y is not a co-requisite of X.   Such interdependence would imply that neither was a stand alone module. 

(General Regulation 1.6)

Incompatible modules have significant overlapping outcomes - students cannot earn credit for both modules.  Where a student has taken a module listed as incompatible, they will not be able to register to the other module. 

(General Regulation 1.6)

Exclusions indicate information about incompatibilities arising from prior learning at higher, further or secondary education, e.g. “This module is for students who have not studied French previously”.  Students cannot be awarded credit for the module where they have already achieved similar educational outcomes as specified in the exclusion field of the module descriptor.  

(General Regulation 1.6)

Requirements indicate the level of prior learning, other than specific pre-requisite or co-requisite modules, required for a module. This could include a minimum performance at second level in a specified subject, e.g. a minimum grade achieved at Leaving Certificate in a particular subject, or a minimum overall performance in the earlier stages of the programme expressed as a required GPA.  Module requirements will be expressed in the module descriptor as free text.   Module requirements do not block registration. 

Recommendations indicate prior learning that is recommended but not required, and may include a recommendation to take or have taken certain modules or to have achieved general prior learning.  Recommendations can be used to provide information to students about the underpinning knowledge that will facilitate the successful completion of the module.  Recommendations will be expressed in the module descriptor as free text.  Module recommendations do not block registration. 

The responsibility for a module lies with the single School that is assigned this responsibility by the College. 

• Within a given programme, Schools remain responsible for the overall design, delivery, assessment, quality assurance and enhancement of individual modules, and the academic welfare of students enrolled to those modules.
  

The School will name a Module Co-ordinator within that School to be responsible for the design, delivery and assessment of the module. The Module Co-ordinator must be a full-time or part-time academic member of staff on a fixed or permanent contract, and acts as principal examiner for the module. The responsibilities of a Module Co-ordinator may not normally be delegated.

• Where a module is delivered by more than one School or has more than one Module Co-ordinator, one of the Schools and one of the Module Co-ordinators must assume primary responsibility for the module.  The Module Co-ordinator should be identified in the module descriptor.
• Where a module is delivered from outside the University, a named UCD Module Co-ordinator will be responsible for liaising with the relevant individual in the institution delivering the module.

(General Regulation 1.7)

The School must specify the number of places available for a particular module, based on the resources available to deliver the module, and subject to the approval of the College.   A module must be able to accommodate all students on any programme that has the module as a core in its programme structure.

(General Regulation 1.8)

All undergraduate modules must make a number of elective places available to students from other programmes unless they are deemed exempt from doing so by the relevant University Programme Board.  Clinical/work placement modules are exempt from the requirements to offer elective places. These modules will normally be in a professional or clinical environment. Modules off-campus* are exempt from the requirement to offer elective places.

A module may also reserve places for students in certain programmes that may want to take the module as an elective. 

Where a School believes that it should restrict the number of places available on grounds other than the availability of resources, they should present their case to the relevant Programme Board and University Programme Board before the end of the session preceding that in which the restriction will operate.

(General Regulation 1.8)

* Please note: campus is understood to refer to Belfield and Blackrock.