Changes to courses

The information below is for offer holders and students starting postgraduate courses at the University of Oxford during the 2027-2028 academic year. 

The University will seek to deliver each course in accordance with the description set out in the Course Information Sheet sent to applicants with their offer of a place. Course webpages found via the Find your postgraduate course page give further details.

However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after you commence your course. There are two main scenarios in which such changes might happen:

1. Normal circumstances (where there is no pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency) (see Changes to courses in normal circumstances); and
2. Circumstances where a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. (see Changes as a result of a pandemic, epidemic, or local health emergency) (‘Local health emergency’ is defined below)

This policy should be read together with the Student Terms and Conditions. 

The provision of course options which depend on the availability of specialist teaching, or on placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed in advance.

There may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after you commence your course. Where desirable or necessary changes are to be made, the University will offer, where possible, appropriate and alternative arrangements for affected students. If you do not wish to accept any alternative arrangements, and your course has not yet commenced, then you will have the opportunity to withdraw from your course without incurring any financial penalty.

The University will not make very substantial changes to courses (for example, a change to the course title, significant restructuring, substantial change in course content, or the introduction of a progression hurdle) which would impact on you once you have started your course. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary for the University to make such a change after you have accepted your Offer. This may be because of academic changes within subject areas, or as a result of low student numbers on a course. This will not normally happen less than three months before you start your course. You will be notified of any such change (as compared to the description in your Course Information Sheet) and offered the opportunity to withdraw from the course before it starts. If your course required payment of a deposit and you decide to withdraw in these circumstances then it will be refunded, along with your application fee.

Other changes could be made to course content, delivery and teaching provision because of developments in the relevant subject, enhancements in teaching or assessment practice, requirements of external accreditation processes, changes in staffing, resource constraints or changes in the availability of facilities. Such changes will take account of the reasonable expectations of prospective and current students.

Once you have accepted your Offer, you will be notified of any material change made before you start your course (as compared to the description in your Course Information Sheet) and you will be offered the opportunity to withdraw from the course before it starts.  Examples of such material changes include, but are not limited to: removing a core paper from a course; changing the title of a whole course; multiple and/or significant changes to advertised course content and/or summative assessment; removing significant advertised experiential elements of a course (eg a field trip). If your course required payment of a deposit and you decide to withdraw in these circumstances then it will be refunded, along with your application fee.

Once you have started your course, changes will only be made if there is a reason the changes should be implemented immediately, rather than delayed.

Where there is a potential for a change after you have started your course to have a demonstrable impact on students, or where such a change has consumer law implications, you will be consulted about any proposed material course change which would affect the part of the course which you have already started studying. Examples of instances when you would normally be consulted include, but are not limited to: changing a summative assessment task (eg changing from an examination to coursework); or significant changes to the advertised content of a paper after students have started the course but before teaching begins on a paper. After consultation any change must be approved by the Education Committee of Council.

Where a change to a course which you have already started does not conflict with existing University policy, causes no demonstrable impact for students, and has no consumer law implications, the change may be approved without the requirement for consultation with students in accordance with the University’s quality assurance processes. Examples include, but are not limited to: removal of a progression hurdle or introducing the option of an exit award/pathway for students who are unable to complete the original award. 

Changes may also need to be made as a result of an emergency, in which case an equivalent service will be provided as far as reasonably possible, although the manner of delivery may need to change (so they are not ‘course changes’ - see Other changes). Any such changes will be communicated to students, but prior consultation is unlikely to be appropriate or practical given urgency/necessity for change. Examples include, but are not limited to: libraries, laboratories or other premises becoming unavailable due to fire/flood or other unforeseen damage (where the University would arrange alternative venues or provision).

Where a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency necessitating measures to reduce risk of infection or illness arises the University may make reasonable changes to comply with government or local authority regulations or guidance, and/or its own health and safety advice and/or to ensure the health and safety of staff, students and third parties and/or to respond to consequential staffing or resource constraints. If it makes any such changes the University will inform you and will also provide broadly equivalent teaching and assessment services, and key University services by alternative means if reasonably possible, although the manner of delivery may need to change. Examples of possible changes under this paragraph include:

1. Providing teaching, assessment or other services wholly or partly online or via other remote means;
2. Moving the location of teaching and/or restricting student numbers permitted to attend any location at one time (including restricting numbers at libraries, lectures, seminars or laboratories);
3. Teaching at evenings, weekends or outside Full Term (Full Term is defined below);
4. Requiring students to comply with health and safety measures the University deems necessary which are specific to particular sites or activities, which may be in addition to any HSI (Health and Safety Instruction - defined below), such as additional social distancing measures, or wearing of face-masks or personal protective equipment.
5. Staggering attendance by students at University so that for part of a term you are not allowed to attend University premises in person;
6. Varying, limiting or cancelling elements of course content, including reducing the number of optional modules available;
7. Varying, limiting or cancelling access to any University services or facilities;
8. Varying, limiting or cancelling any learning experiences that would normally happen face-to-face or in-person (eg work in laboratories, museums, studios, music facilities or via fieldwork or work-placement).
9. Varying, limiting, cancelling or putting in place measures to reduce the risk of any time due to be spent in education or work abroad or on a placement (including varying destinations) as a mandatory or optional component of courses. If a period of study or work abroad, or other placement, has to be cancelled entirely then this includes moving a student to an appropriate degree course that does not include the time abroad or on placement.

Subject to this Policy, and to the Student Terms and Conditions, no refunds, discounts, damages, waivers of course fees or other charges will be payable to you where changes or delays have resulted from, been caused by, or are in relation to a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency necessitating measures to reduce risk of infection or illness. The University will also not be liable for any consequential losses or expenses you may incur (eg travel or accommodation costs) as a result of any such pandemic, epidemic or health emergency measures.

There are currently no restrictions or changes to services at Oxford University because of COVID-19. But if renewed measures are needed in future (eg as a result of a new disease variant, a rise in cases and/or reintroduction of national restrictions) COVID-19 would be treated as a pandemic under this Policy and the Student Terms and Conditions.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include, but are not limited to, illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment. 

The relevant University department or faculty board will take reasonable steps to find an alternative supervisor, including by considering an external supervisor if that is necessary. However, there may be cases where, despite such reasonable steps, an alternative supervisor cannot be found (eg because the research topic studied is in a highly specialised academic field). In such rare cases it may not be possible for the student to continue on the course (or for an offer holder to start the course if the original supervisor becomes unavailable after an Offer is accepted but before enrolment). In that event the University will consider all the circumstances, including whether the behaviour of the student has contributed to the situation, and determine an appropriate outcome (which may include financial redress). For offer holders who have not commenced studies any deposit, and the application fee, would be refunded.

In some circumstances, if you are dissatisfied with a change to a course, you might be entitled to bring a complaint, which may include seeking a financial remedy. The University’s complaints procedure is explained at section 10 of the Student Handbook, and details are also available on the University's Complaints and academic appeals page. In most cases, provided you have completed the University internal complaints and review process, you will have a right to escalate your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) if you remain dissatisfied with the complaint outcome. 

Other changes to facilities, premises or services which do not concern course provision may sometimes need to be made - see the paragraph on ‘Other Changes’ in the Student Terms and Conditions.