Case Summaries
Back to Case SummariesStudent transfer - CS122404
Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
A former postgraduate student complained to their provider that their degree certificate didn’t include a classification. The provider didn’t uphold their complaint. The student had successfully applied for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and had therefore only completed their 60-credit dissertation at the provider.
The provider explained that its academic regulations at the time required students to complete a minimum of 80 credits of study at the provider to receive a classified degree. It offered to provide a letter to explain to any future employers why a classification wasn’t included on the certificate.
The student complained to us. They didn’t think the provider’s decision was fair because other cohorts of students had since received a classified degree.
We did not uphold the student’s complaint (we decided it was Not Justified). The provider had made some changes to its academic regulations since the student graduated, which meant students in later cohorts would receive a classified degree if they’d completed a minimum of 60 credits at the provider. However, the academic regulations in place during the student’s studies were clearly advertised and had been correctly applied. It was reasonable for the provider to decide not to retrospectively apply the new academic regulations and dismiss the student’s complaint.