Thinking of changing or leaving your course at GCU?
During your time at GCU you may have times when you experience difficulties or have concerns that university is not for you. We are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
On this webpage we have information on how we can help if you’re thinking about changing your course or leaving your studies. You will find information below on the support available to:
- Staying in your current studies with support
- Change your programme of study or module classes at GCU (where possible)
- Deferring your studies to start at the next academic year
- Withdrawing from your studies at GCU
- How to possibly transfer to another university to study.
Who can I speak to?
For any of these options, your first steps should be to speak with your Personal Tutor, Programme Leader, or the Careers Team. Regardless of which member of staff you approach, they'll be able to support you in all the options available to you and help direct you to the next stages.
To help you in finding who to contact, you can find out more about these staff, and how you can get in touch with them below:
All undergraduate and taught postgraduate students will have a named Personal Tutor who is a member of academic staff from your department who has knowledge of your programme. Their contact details will have been given to you as part of induction, and some programmes may include this in programme handbooks or on GCU learn.
For postgraduate research students, the role of a Personal Tutor is undertaken by both your Research Supervisor, and a network of departmental postgraduate Research Tutors coordinated by the Graduate School.
Students at all levels of study will have a Programme Leader who works to support the delivery of your programme of study. Their details will be in your programme handbook, which you can find on GCU learn.
There is a Careers Service at GCU which has Careers Advisers who can give you impartial advice and guidance about your options to help you decide your next steps. They can support you with UCAS applications. You can contact them from the GCU Careers Service page.
I want to stay studying at GCU in my current studies with support
GCU students can access support from a range of services that can support you in your student experience. We have highlighted some of the services you may find helpful, but there are many more. You can find all of these support services, and more information at the Student Support web pages.
If you’re unsure where to start, GCU’s talk to someone webpage can help. You'll find information on the support available for your health and wellbeing, study strategy and technique, finances, and meeting other students.
I want to change my programme of study or module classes at GCU (where possible)
You may wish to change your programme of study or in some cases your classes (at GCU these are also called your module options).
This is not always possible and will depend on the requirements of your degree, professionally accredited degree programmes will have more restrictions.
The earlier you talk to programme and course coordinators, your Supervisor or your Personal Tutor the better chance you have of undertaking studies that suit you. It may be possible to transfer to part-time study and your Personal Tutor or Supervisor can discuss this with you. If you are an international student, you need to also discuss this with the VISA Team to ensure you meet your VISA requirements. You can contact the VISA Team at visa@gcu.ac.uk
On occasion a request to change your programme may be unable to be facilitated by a Programme Leader if you do not meet the entry level criteria of your requested transfer course, and in this instance you would need to reapply. If this is the case, the Careers Service at GCU has a number of careers advisers who can give you impartial advice and guidance about your options to help you decide your next steps, including support with UCAS applications.
If you do decide to transfer to another course, you will also need to contact your funding body (for example SAAS) without delay to advise them of your decision. Your funding body may require that you produce a change of programme certificate. If they do, you can obtain one of these by emailing Student Records at studentrecords@gcu.ac.uk
You may also wish to access any number of the support services available to GCU students to help with this process
I want to defer my studies to begin next year at GCU
In some cases it may be possible to defer your studies to begin in a later term at Glasgow Caledonian University, this is known as a suspension of study. If you want to take a suspension of study from your programme, you need to discuss this with your programme leader who will be able to help. While you are on a suspension of studies, you are not permitted to submit assessments (including resits) and will be unable to access GCU learn. Any assessments that you have already submitted and passed cannot be retaken.
If you think this may be an option you would like to explore, there may be implications for your course funding, so it is important that you speak to your Programme Leader about this as soon as possible.
If you are an international student it is important that you also discuss this with the VISA team as this will impact your VISA requirements. You can contact the VISA team at: visa@gcu.ac.uk
I want to withdraw from my studies at GCU
We would be sorry if you decided to withdraw from Glasgow Caledonian University. However, if after reflection, you conclude this is the best course of action for you it’s important not to feel this is a failure; it will have taken a lot of courage to come to this decision.
Before making a decision you should speak to your Programme Leader, Personal Tutor or Supervisor. If you would like to discuss your situation with someone else in confidence, the Student Wellbeing Service and the Students’ Association Advice Centre offers a non-judgemental, independent service.
If you need a visa to study here, you must contact the VISA Team for advice and guidance before you submit your request to withdraw from your programme - withdrawing from your studies will have serious implications to your immigration status, so this needs to be discussed fully before you make your decision to submit your request. You can contact the GCU VISA Team at visa@gcu.ac.uk
Withdrawing from your course will impact your course funding too. If your programme is funded through the Student Awards Agency Scotland, we will notify them of withdrawals throughout the year however you should report your withdrawal to SAAS online. You should do this as soon as possible to avoid overpayment, as you will need to repay any money you were not entitled to immediately. If you are funded by Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales or Student Finance NI, you can email us and we will confirm your withdrawal to them.
If you decide to withdraw from your programme, your programme leader or supervisor will arrange this for you and will process the request once received.
I want to transfer to another university
Consider whether there is a programme of study offered at another university that would be more appropriate for you. On occasion it may be possible to transfer to a different degree programme, or alternatively if this option is unavailable you can withdraw and reapply to this course through UCAS. The Careers Service can help you with this process through an appointment with a Careers Adviser.
You should also read GCU's Refund Policy for information on any tuition fees that may be due if you choose to transfer to another institution.
If you do decide to transfer to another course, you will also need to contact your funding body (for example SAAS) without delay to advise them of your decision. Your funding body may require that you produce a change of programme certificate. If they do, you can obtain one of these by emailing Student Records at studentrecords@gcu.ac.uk
If you are an international student, you will also need to discuss this with the VISA Team as soon as possible and before submitting your request to ensure you meet your VISA requirements. You can contact the GCU VISA Team at visa@gcu.ac.uk