Transferring your course

It may be possible for you to transfer to a new course, or change from full time to part time. However, any transfer will be subject to availability of places, entry requirements (where applicable), previous academic progression and transfer requests, and academic approval.

If you are a new international or EU student you will not be able to submit a transfer request to change course during the start of the year period.

Sponsored students will need to provide confirmation from the sponsor that the change of course has been approved. It is your responsibility to contact your sponsor, and you could be liable to pay tuition fees if approval has not been sought.

Please read the guidance below before submitting your request.

Level 3/4 transfers (previously known as Level 0/1 transfers)

Transfers are subject to availability of places and will only usually be permitted for courses which remain open to recruitment. You can check whether your chosen course is open at Courses and applying. You will also need to meet the entry requirements of your chosen course, and fulfil any selection criteria (e.g. interview, portfolio).

All transfer requests must be considered by Admissions in the first instance, for the reasons outlined above, and will then be subject to academic approval.

Level 5/6 transfers (previously known as Level 2/3 transfers)

If your request has academic approval there may still be timetabling constraints that mean the transfer request cannot happen. Your transfer request will only be fully approved once these additional timetabling checks have been made.

Your safety, and the safety of your fellow students and staff, is our first priority so we can only arrange changes where it is absolutely safe to do so. We can only make a change where there is space to accommodate this safely in each teaching space, and the change maintains a safe timetable for you that has no clashes. For this reason, you will not be able to change your mind once a transfer request has been fully approved by academic and timetable staff.

Please carefully consider if you want to submit a transfer request. Returning to your original course and timetable cannot be guaranteed due to the current coronavirus-related timetabling complications.

If you are considering requesting a course transfer and would like to discuss it further, please book a Student Support Adviser appointment.

Important information

From 1 August 2022, the University is using the Framework for Higher Education (FHEQ) descriptors for the different levels of study to align with the HE sector.

Please see the table below that shows how the previous level descriptors used at UWE Bristol align to the FHEQ levels, for example, Foundation level 0 is FHEQ level 3.

Dates and deadlines

You can request to transfer within the same academic year up to 14 calendar days after the start of the teaching period, for example:

If your course does not start in September or January you should contact an Information Point to find out what the deadline will be.

You can still submit a transfer request after these deadlines but if approved it will not take effect until the next academic year.

For Level 0/1 transfers for the 2024/25 academic year we would encourage you to apply as early as possible, ideally by 31 January 2024. Beyond this we cannot guarantee consideration if the course is full and closed to further recruitment.

There could be serious financial implications to transferring courses. If your transfer increases the number of years it will take to complete your course, you may be without fee support for one of your years of study. You may also be without fee support through changing from a September start date to a January one. You must contact your funding body to check your financial support entitlement for your new course. Please read the transferring awards information (PDF).

How to transfer

Please choose the appropriate Infohub form for the level of study that you want to change to:

• Transfer Request for Level 3, 4 or M (login required)
• Transfer Request for Level 5 or 6 (login required)

We will normally process your transfer request within a maximum of 12 working days. If you have not heard back in this time please contact an Information Point.

If you are a new student and not yet arrived at UWE Bristol or registered on your course, you should contact Admissions on +44 (0)117 32 83333 to discuss changing your course.

International students

If you are a new international or EU student you will not be able to submit a transfer request to change course unless its within the same subject area during the start of the year period.

As an international or EU student, you should be aware that making a change to your course may have implications on your immigration status and the completion of your studies. Please contact the Immigration and Student Visa Support Service if you would like to discuss any issues.

Sponsored students will need to provide confirmation from the sponsor that the change of course has been approved. It is your responsibility to contact your sponsor, and you could be liable to pay tuition fees if approval has not been sought.

Students at UK partner colleges

You should follow the same process if you are a student based at one of our UK partner colleges. You can also seek guidance from staff based at your college.