Units of study
Usually you will be required to choose the majority of your units from the subject area of the department in which you will be registered. If you are an Erasmus or other exchange student, this will be the department where the exchange agreement is held.
Choosing your units
For all departments except the School of Management, you can view the full catalogue of units offered for study to help you choose which units you would like to study (the unit catalogue for 2013/14 will be available from 15 April 2013).
In order to minimise the potential for timetable clashes (since the timetable is not known in advance), we advise you to take the majority of your units from one year of one of your department’s degree programmes. Then when you arrive and the timetable is published, you can select the remainder of your units from those which are compatible.
If you are applying as part of an exchange agreement with the School of Management, find details of the programmes and units available.
Your choice of units must be approved by one of our departmental coordinators, and by your academic supervisor at your home institution.
Using the unit catalogue
Once you have accessed the unit catalogue you will need to select your department. This will take you to the list of programmes offered by the department. By looking at the units which form each year of each programme, you will be able to see how the units which interest you will fit together, and from this whether they are likely to fit together on the timetable.
You can then select individual units to find out details of their content, credit-value, in which semester they are offered, etc.
Make sure that you choose units which take place when you will be in Bath. For example, if you are applying to studying here for Semester 1 only, you can only take units which are listed as running in Semester 1 in the Unit Catalogue.
View the Programme and Unit Catalogue codes.
Available units
Units at the levels Certificate, Intermediate and Honours will usually be available to exchange and visiting students. Some of the main exceptions are:
- units from postgraduate master’s and doctoral degree programmes are not available to exchange and visiting students. These are marked master’s or doctoral and level code 5 or 6 in the Unit Catalogue. (You can take units from undergraduate master’s degree programmes, which are marked master’s level code 4).
- certificate level units taught by the School of Management (codes beginning MN1) are not available to exchange and visiting students unless they are classified as "generally available units" (Unit Catalogue).
- certificate and Intermediate level units taught by the Department of Mechanical Engineering (codes beginning ME1 and ME2) are not available to exchange and visiting students.
- SP30008 and SP30009, Sociology Dissertation 1 and 2, offered by the Department of Social & Policy Sciences, are not available to exchange students.
- EU20424, Introduction to the Teaching of English as a Foreign Languages is not available to exchange and visiting students
- remember that some departments cannot accept visiting students and that visiting students cannot study multiple subject areas.
We will comment on your proposed unit choices after you submit your application form. You will be informed of these on an individual basis after we receive your application.
Special Units in English Language and British Studies
Irrespective of your principal subject of study, you may usually include English Language and/or British Studies units in your academic programme.
English language units for students who are not native speakers of English
A range of English Language Centre units are available.
English language units for students who are native speakers of English
A unit in Effective Writing for Native Speakers of English is available.
British Studies units
These units are offered exclusively for exchange and visiting students. The subject areas covered usually include British History, Society, Literature and Film.
Unit changes
We may make changes to programmes and units in accordance with our normal procedures. It is possible that a unit you have read about may not run - or another unit may become available. We will be advise you about such changes during the application process.
