Ad personam and ad hoc programme variation processes

Ad personam or ad hoc programme variations must be approved by the relevant Director of Student Education and Pro-Dean for Student Education, acting on behalf of the Faculty Taught Student Education Committee.

The processes you need to go through to make ad personam and ad hoc programme variations are outlined here.

Types of requests

Ad personam requests are needed for the following scenarios:

  • To study part time where a part-time programme variation does not exist. Reasons, e.g. due to pregnancy, ongoing medical reasons such as a mental health issue, short term medical reason, soocial reasons (e.g., home and family commitments), commitment to sport if the student is a Sports Scholar (e.g., training for Olympics etc.). 
  • To replace one module or more compulsory or optional modules. Reasons, e.g. a request to study on the same programme but in a slightly different direction to the validated programme, where a student has already studied a core module on a different programme, where previous experience renders the need to take a core module unnecessary. 
  • To be exempted from part of a programme. Reasons, e.g. previous experience and/or study. 
  • To study an ad personam diet of modules to allow transfer to an alternative programme of study. 
  • To correct an enrolment error. 

If a request is received which doesn’t fall into these categories, then it may not need to be an ad personam but if unsure you can ask the Assessment & Progress Team (A&P) for advice via the e-mail address Examinations@leeds.ac.uk.

Making a case: programme learning outcomes

For both ad personam and ad hoc programme variation, the proposing school should set out how:

  • the proposed revised programme will be structured
  • the revised structure will allow the student(s) to meet the programme learning outcomes.

Note: It is particularly important that any waiver or change to compulsory modules is justified in relation to the programme learning outcomes.

Ad personam arrangements and programmes for individual students

When an ad personam arrangement or programme is required the school should:

The necessary changes will be made in the student record within Banner.

Note: an ad personam programme is approved for the named student only. To use it for other students, you must get permission again from the Faculty Taught Student Education Committee (FTSEC).

Ad hoc changes to a programme

A school proposes an ad hoc programme variation through the Quality Assurance team (QAT).

Use Part B of the apppropriate programme proposal form (undergraduate or postgraduate) to provide details of the new ad hoc programme variation, see the programme proposal forms webpage. QAT will then seek approval from the relevant Pro-Dean/FTSEC.

When the changes have been approved, you need to make them in the programme catalogue entry, so they are implemented for all students in the cohort.

An ad hoc programme will be approved for a specified cohort of students only. To use it for subsequent cohorts, you must again get approval from the Pro-Dean/FTSEC.

Schools must:

  • Complete full documentation for the ad hoc programme, including specifying the rules for eligibility for awards where these differ from the normal arrangements.
  • Ensure that the proposed modules comprise a coherent and logical choice, consistent with the intended programme learning outcomes.
  • Check the acceptability of the arrangement with all participating schools and any external partners.
  • Clear any practical difficulties, such as normal pre-requisites, which might have to be set aside.
  • Discuss, where appropriate, the proposed ad hoc arrangements with the relevant external examiner(s) and keep a record of such discussions

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