School of Social and Political Science

Confirmation of marks, feedback and appeals

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Confirmation of Marks

All coursework assessment is reviewed at a formal Board of Examiners held at the end of each semester. All marks returned to students are provisional until ratified by the Board. Provisional component of assessment marks are posted on Feedback Studio and MyEd; once ratified, final overall course marks are recorded as ratified within MyEd, after each semester Board of Examiners.

Feedback

Feedback is part of an ongoing conversation between yourself and those teaching or supervising you about what you have learnt and how you apply it, in order to further your skills and understanding. All our MSc programmes take feedback very seriously, and have been routinely praised by External Examiners for the quality of their feedback.

Feedback takes various forms:

  • Verbal feedback – provided in class discussion or in conversation with your Course Organiser or Programme Director.
  • Written feedback – the main form of written feedback is a standard form you receive electronically when your assessment has been marked. This form will help you to understand your mark, to evaluate your strengths and identify areas for improvement.

How to use your feedback

Feedback is most effective when it is used properly: when you get your coursework back, read the comments and then re-read your paper, as this will provide you with guidance for subsequent assessments. If these comments are somehow unclear or if you would like to discuss your work further once it has been marked, you should consult your Course Organiser or Programme Director.

Feedback is also a two-way process. If you have comments or suggestions for how we can improve our teaching, we would be happy to hear them and they can be raised via the PG student forum or via the online course evaluation surveys at the end of each semester.

Academic Writing Course

The Graduate School runs an online Academic Writing Course in collaboration with the English Language Teaching Centre. This course is open to all and will involve feedback on structuring an essay, critical writing and referencing. It will run in weeks 2-6 of the first semester.

Details of how to sign up will be circulated during Welcome Week.

Appeals

You may not ask for your work to be re-marked, but in certain circumstances can appeal your marks. However, marks cannot be appealed until they are finalised by a Board of Examiners.

Information on legitimate grounds for appeals

Student category
MSc by Research