Change your plan – transferring, leave of absence or withdrawal

There are many occasions when personal circumstances may make it necessary for you to change aspects of your programme. However, the decision to make changes to your programme should not be taken lightly and it is essential that you understand the implications that any changes may have. You should discuss any proposed changes with your personal supervisor.

Transferring to another programme of study

If you are unhappy with your programme of study, you should talk to your personal supervisor and discuss the options available to you. One option is to transfer to a different programme of study within the University. Transfers cannot be guaranteed, and are dependent on you meeting the academic requirements of the new programme and there being space on your preferred programme. If you are considering transferring, you should speak to your supervisor as soon as possible. Guidance can also be provided by the Department’s Student Services team.    

We can also advise you if you wish to transfer from York to a programme of study at another university.

Transferring to another field of practice (Nursing programmes only)

You may wish to transfer to another field of practice. If you are considering transferring to another field of practice you should speak with your personal supervisor as soon as possible. Support can also be provided by the Programme Leader and the Department’s Student Services team.

However, please be aware that transfers cannot be guaranteed and are dependent upon the availability of places in your preferred field of practice, including placement capacity. Should places be available, students will be informed towards the end of the first year of study and have an opportunity to submit an application to transfer to their preferred field. Normally, where possible, opportunities to transfer between FoP are facilitated following your spoke placement, towards the end of Stage 1, at which point students are asked to express an interest in changing FoP. Decisions to grant this will depend upon factors including (but not limited to) student numbers and placement capacity. 

Please also be aware that places in a field of practice, particularly smaller fields of practice such as Child Nursing, cannot be guaranteed following a return from leave of absence.

Leave of absence

If you are away from the programme for more than four weeks, a period of leave of absence will usually be recommended. A leave of absence allows you to take an authorised break in your studies for a maximum of one calendar year in the first instance. This can be for a variety of reasons including medical or compassionate grounds.

You can only apply for a leave of absence if you are able to meet the entry requirements of the proposed programme to which you will be returning (i.e. if your original programme is no longer running or no longer running in the same format in the future). There must be an appropriate entry point on an appropriate programme for you to return to, and sufficient placement capacity to support your return. If you repeat study, there may be repeat fees to pay for your programme and also financial implications to any additional funding.

Any application for leave of absence requires you to provide contemporaneous evidence supporting the reasons for the request.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal is the term used when a student decides to leave the University permanently, prior to completion of the award for which they are registered, whether for personal or academic reasons. Students who withdraw any time after the end of their first year are often eligible for recognition of their earlier achievements through the award of a Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education.