IMESS Handbook

The International Masters in Economy, State and Society Handbook.

Key Contacts

IMESS Programme Coordinator: Dr Ilias Chondrogiannis 

Room 426, 16 Taviton Street

i.chondrogiannis@ucl.ac.uk

Office hours:

Term 1 and Term 2 - Monday 1-3pm, Room 426, by appointment only.

UCL IMESS Administrator: Svetlana Smirnova 

Education and Student Support Office – Room 341, 16 Taviton Street

ssees-intma@ucl.ac.uk   

tel: +44 (0)20 8138 7027 

After you complete your first year at UCL, you will be joining one of the six partner universities, where you will study during your second year, and most importantly, will complete and defend your IMESS dissertation. Transition to second year university starts in March (you will receive transition packs, attend an induction section, receive information about visas etc.); right now please focus on your first year and practicalities in London. However, if you believe you have urgent questions about the second year, feel free to contact your second year university. Note that you will have a chance to meet and talk to the university representatives in October.

The visa(s) you require will depend on your personal circumstances. IMESS students spend their first year of study in the UK, and so where a visa is required UCL will act as sponsor for a Student Visa during the period of study at UCL in London (Year 1). UCL cannot provide UK visa sponsorship to students during their studies abroad (Year 2). Under current UK visa rules, this means that students on this programme will not be eligible for a graduate visa. Students should seek advice from UCL’s dedicated Student Immigration Advice team about alternative visa options. Depending on your placement for the year abroad, you may require additional visa(s). 

NameRoleUniversityEmail Address
Haris DajcProgramme DirectorBelgradeharis.dajc@f.bg.ac.rs
Isidora JaricProgramme CoordinatorBelgradedorajaric@gmail.com
Jiri VykoukalProgramme CoordinatorPraguejiri.vykoukal@post.cz
Andras TetenyiProgramme CoordinatorBudapestandras.tetenyi@uni-corvinus.hu
Nikolett MenyhartProgramme AdministratorBudapestnikolett.menyhart@uni-corvinus.hu
Laura Ekholm Programme CoordinatorHelsinkilaura.k.ekholm@helsinki.fi
Mikko Puukko Administrative ManagerHelsinkimikko.puukko@helsinki.fi
Zdzislaw MachProgramme Director Krakowzdzislaw.mach@uj.edu.pl
Łucja Piekarska-DurajProgramme CoordinatorKrakowlucja.piekarska@uj.edu.pl
Linda Liis TanniProgramme CoordinatorTartulinda.liis.tanni@ut.ee

Degree Structure

You can find all the information you need about the modules below on the Module Catalogue. 

Year 1: 60 ECTS (150 UCL credits) at UCL

LANGUAGE: 0 OR 12 ECTS (0 or 30 UCL credits)

NOTES:

  • New language unless Intermediate level available.
  • Intermediate, Intermediate Plus, Advanced and Advanced Superior Russian available in most years.
  • If no language taken in year 1, compulsory in year 2.

COMMON PROGRAMME FOR ALL THREE TRACKS

  • SEES0092 Dissertation Preparation (0 ECTS)
  • Optional: LCEN0004 Academic English for writing (0 ECTS)

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students doing their year 2 in Krakow must take ‘European Civilisation’ in Year 2 and three further courses relating to the following six themes over the course of the two-year programme:

•Collective Identities

•Financial Structures

•EU Law

•EU Foreign Policy

•Foreign Policy of Central and Eastern Europe and

Democracy

Further information can be found in each track’s section.

Students doing their year 2 in Tartu must take ‘Methodology of Social Sciences’ in year 2. 

COMPULSORY MODULES: 12 ECTS (30 UCL credits)

Available by track (see below).

CORE and ELECTIVE MODULES: 36 ECTS (90 UCL credits) or 48 ECTS (120 UCL credits) if no language taken in Year 1

Available by track (see below).

NOTE: One elective (max 6 ECTS // 15 UCL credits) may be taken from another IMESS track

Year 2 (60 ECTS/150 UCL credits) at partner university

  • Charles University (Prague)
  • Corvinus University (Budapest)
  • Jagiellonian University (Cracow)
  • University of Belgrade
  • University of Helsinki
  • University of Tartu

DISSERTATION: 30 ECTS (75 UCL credits)*

* 12 ECTS (30 UCL credits) in University of Belgrade  

LANGUAGE: 0 OR 12 ECTS (0 or 30 UCL credits)

  • Language at Intermediate or Beginners level;
  • Optional if language taken in Year 1 at UCL.

ELECTIVES

For an indicative list of electives in year 2 visit the IMESS website. An updated list of electives will be available from partner universities for the Transition meeting to be held in January (TBC) 2025.

18 ECTS (45 UCL credits) if language taken in year 2*

30 ECTS (75 UCL credits) if no language taken in year 2**

* 36 ECTS (90 UCL credits) in University of Belgrade; ** 48 ECTS (120 UCL credits) in University of Belgrade 

Economics and Business

You can find all the information you need about the modules below on the Module Catalogue.

Compulsory Modules (12 ECTS/30 UCL credits)

Core Modules (12 ECTS/30 UCL credits)

If you are going to Krakow in Year 2, you must take at least one of the following modules:

Elective Modules (24(36) ECTS/60(90) UCL credits)

NOTE: One elective (max 6 ECTS/15 UCL credits) may be taken from another IMESS track

Please refer to the Module Catalogue for an up-to-date list of running modules.

 

Politics and the International Economy

You can find all the information you need about the modules below on the Module Catalogue.

Compulsory module:

Core Modules (12 ECTS/30 UCL credits)

AND

* NOTE: SEES0083 Quantitative Methods must be taken by students who are also taking the following Economics modules: SEES0098 Financial Development and SEES0095 Advanced Quantitative Methods. IMESS students taking SEES0107 as compulsory must not take SEES0083 and vice versa.

If you are going to Krakow in Year 2, you must take at least two of the following modules:

Elective Modules (36/48 ECTS/90/120 UCL credits)

At least one module from Section A and at least one from Section B

Section A: Economics

Section B: Politics

NOTE: One elective (max 6 ECTS/15 UCL credits) may be taken from another IMESS track

Please refer to the Module Catalogue for an up to date list of running modules.

Politics and Security

You can find all the information you need about the modules below on the Module Catalogue.

Compulsory module:

TWO of the following Core Modules (12 ECTS/30 UCL credits)

If you are going to Krakow in Year 2, you must take at least two of the following modules:

Elective Modules (36 OR 48 ECTS/90/120 UCL credits)

NOTE: One elective (max 6 ECTS/15 UCL credits)) may be taken from another IMESS track

Please refer to the Module Catalogue for an up to date list of running modules.

History and Society

You can find all the information you need about the modules below on the Module Catalogue. 

The following Compulsory Module:

EITHER:

SEES0052 Historical Methods and Approaches (12 ECTS/30 UCL credits) 

OR

SEES0117 Political Sociology (6 ECTS/15 UCL credits), PLUS one of the following:

If you are going to Krakow in Year 2, you must take at least two of the following modules: 

Elective Modules (36/48 ECTS / 90/120 UCL credits)

NOTE: One elective (max 6 ECTS/15 UCL credits) may be taken from another IMESS track

Please refer to the Module Catalogue for an up-to-date list of running modules.

IMESS Dissertation

Please check the Moodle page for specific deadlines. 

The dissertation forms an essential part of your overall degree and much of the research training you undertake facilitates the writing of a substantive research-based dissertation of 20-25,000 words. The dissertation is worth 30 ECTS of your second-year work (12 ECTS in Belgrade). 

Dissertation Timeline
Year 1

  • Start thinking about your topic, methods and sources: Now
  • Dissertation Introductory Workshop: November
  • Dissertation Proposal Deadline: February (to be submitted on Moodle)
  • Allocation of UCL Advisors: Late March - Early April
  • Consortium Partners Consider Dissertation Proposals: April - May
  • Students contact their UCL advisor: Right after the allocation is announced
  • Students Receive Feedback from Partners and UCL Advisor: May
  • Dissertation Workshop: Mid-May 

Year 2 (indicative submission deadlines, TBC)

Aims

The aims of the dissertation are:

  • to provide you with an opportunity to pursue independent research on a subject of your choice;
  • to enable you to test your analytical skills in producing a substantial piece of written work with a high level of analysis, judgement and clarity of expression;
  • to allow you to undertake some original research or to investigate an original hypothesis;
  • to allow you to illustrate your achievements during the IMESS programme, including your knowledge of appropriate research methods and, if appropriate, language;
  • to contribute at least 25% of the assessment for the IMESS degree;
  • to prepare you for an MPhil/PhD or any research project that might follow in your future careers; and
  • to provide you with experience of designing, managing and delivering a large year-long project

Objectives

You are expected:

  • to choose an original research topic;
  • to make an independent contribution on your chosen subject;
  • to search for existing literature and/or data on the subject, including classic works, up-to-date publications, periodical and internet sources;
  • to demonstrate knowledge of secondary sources on the subject and your ability to assess critically other authors’ views and to structure your own argument;
  • to take into account historical background and theoretical frameworks, where appropriate;
  • to identify, as appropriate, empirically testable hypotheses, research methods strategies, and analytical arguments;
  • to demonstrate skills of critical thinking; and
  • to develop your organisational, analytical and stylistic skills;

Topic, Proposal, Supervisor

The dissertation preparation process will be discussed at an introductory session at the end of the first term. You must choose your dissertation topic while at UCL. The dissertation title should be formulated to establish the topic clearly but without making it inflexible through excessive detail. You are required to submit a preliminary proposal and on the chosen methodology by the middle of the second term of year one. When choosing a topic, you should bear in mind that your primary supervisor will be from one of the Central and East European partner universities. Students will also be assigned an advisor at UCL SSEES who you should contact in early May to arrange one meeting. The aim of this session is to fine-tune the proposal, identify key research questions and discuss preliminary readings. In term three you can submit a more detailed, revised proposal and present it to other students in one of the dissertation workshops. The revised proposals and presentations may be sent to the partner universities if the students so wish. All students should expect to be assigned a supervisor at the partner university before the start of the second year. Students must contact their partner university for any substantial changes or updates in their dissertation topic, since a change in supervisor may be required. 

It is very important that you start to gather materials for your dissertation in year one and during the summer before the second year. The range of available resources varies across the second year partner universities so you are encouraged to gather materials from the UCL library while in London. Ideally, you might also use the summer to begin work on the literature review or background analysis. This will enable you to make the most of the research opportunities in the second year as you will be able to devote more time to the empirical material, where appropriate. However, you will continue to have access to UCL's e-library throughout the second year.

Choosing a Dissertation Topic

There are few restrictions on the topic of the dissertation. To a large extent the choice of your research subject should be guided by your underlying academic interests. The only strict constraints are that it should be relevant to both the Central and East European region and to your study track. Ideally, your dissertation might be focused on economic, political or historical aspects of your year two country but this is not a requirement. Dissertations that draw on local materials include those that: undertake surveys or in-depth interviews; that exploit the materials in local archives; that rely on local media; that use local/regional statistics and so on. In addition, the specialisms of the IMESS partners vary and evolve over time, so you should check the latest information on the IMESS website as you formulate your topic.

In choosing your topic it may help to bear the following in mind:

  • The title should be reasonably broad initially – there is plenty of time to make the specific question clearer as year 2 approaches.
  • The dissertation should address a problem or question, and the problem you address should be related to your study track and to the CEE region.
  • Most interesting research tends to start from problems or from theory. Data gathering and analysis, choice of methodological approach etc. tend to come later. Unless you start from problems or theory, there is a risk that your dissertation will evolve as rambling, descriptive and potentially pointless.
  • As your ideas develop, write down, in one or two sentences, what the problem or question is that you are trying to address. That is, write down what the point of your dissertation is.
  • Read first: in formulating the proposal, you should do some general reading around the topic. This will enable you to start to identify more specific research aims or hypotheses. It is important that you have some understanding of the existing literature before you plan your own study in too much depth.
  • Keep in mind that ultimately you should be working towards using the available sources (primary or secondary) in a novel way, to address a question that has not been directly addressed before. You therefore need to identify gaps in the literature or new ways of analysing/comparing the existing literature. For example, there may be lots of material on the politics of climate change in Estonia but a gap may exist for drawing together equivalent material on the Baltic region more generally.
  • Identify a project that is feasible within the time and language constraints that you face. In particular, if your project will involve fieldwork, you will need to be very organised, and realistic about what you can achieve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose courses from other (non-SSEES) departments in UCL?

You may only choose from the courses listed by the department. Even if a tutor is willing to accept you, it will not be possible to take the course. You can, however, audit a course, if a tutor allows for it.

Can I choose more/less than 60 ECTS in one year?

No. Please make sure that you have exactly 60 ECTS. Portico will not let you proceed with your module registration if you choose more/fewer courses.

How do I decide which courses to take?

You can read about courses on the SSEES website, ask your Programme Administrator or visit your Personal Tutor for more advice.

Can I change courses once lectures have begun?

You are encouraged to find out as much as possible about the courses on offer. Course changes will be allowed only in exceptional circumstances. If you must change a course, please contact the IMESS Programme Administrator immediately – but please note this will not be possible if it is too late in the term.

How many classes should I attend?

On the timetable you will notice that there is more than one tutorial group for each course. You only need to attend one group (in addition to the lecture). Tutorials can take place every week or every fortnight, please check carefully! You will be allocated to a group, please check your online timetable for information. If your tutorial group clashes with another class, you can request to be transferred to a different group to avoid the clash by filling in the online form here. Switching of groups is not usually permitted if there is no timetable clash and would be only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Attendance at classes is monitored!


Can I transfer to another similar SSEES or UCL programme, e.g. MA Comparative Business Economics or MSc Economics?

Prospective students should apply for the programme they are most qualified for and that most aligns with their interests, skills, and career goals. SSEES recruits every year according to academic merit and our capacity to provide an excellent student experience on each programme. The School will only consider transfers between its programmes in exceptional circumstances that students could not have foreseen at the time they made their application. Other UCL departments usually have similar policies. Students considering requesting a transfer should read and follow UCL’s general guidance about programme transfers.

The IMESS Scheme of Award

 - Students who started the programme before 1 September 2022 

The Scheme of Award for the two-year IMESS programme provides for:

  1. an overall IMESS ECTS grade as explained in the table below (A, B, C, D, E, F) and
  2. four UCL-specific classifications – Fail, Pass, Merit or Distinction.

The classification awarded will be based on the performance in each of the required component elements of assessment in both years of the degree. The overall classification will be arrived at by taking the median of the component marks, accounting for the relative credit weighting of each component1. The median defines the EU/IMESS ECTS grade achieved (e.g. a median UCL mark of 57 indicates that an IMESS grade D has been achieved and the UCL degree is classified as pass)2. The mean mark will also be calculated and considered after the median in the event the IMESS Examination Board has discretion (e.g. in considering the nomination of students for prizes).

To obtain a Pass, a student must achieve a mark of at least 50 (E) in all component elements of assessment, i.e. successfully complete 120 ECTS3. To obtain a UCL Merit, a student must pass all component elements and achieve a median mark of 60 (C) or above, including 65 (B) or over in the dissertation. To obtain a UCL Distinction, a student must pass all component elements and achieve a median mark of 70 (A) or above, including 70 (A) or over in the dissertation. Students who obtain a median mark of 70 (A) or above but do not obtain a 70 (A) or above in the dissertation will receive a UCL Pass (A) or UCL Merit (A) as appropriate.

If students fail any element, they are required to retake the assessment in accordance with approved institutional procedures.

The IMESS Examination Board may decide to condone one failed course worth 12 ECTS or two failed courses of 6 ECTS in order to allow a student to pass the degree as a whole, provided that: (a) the course in question is not a compulsory course and (b) the mark of the overall module is at least 40%.

Harmonisation of credits conversion between UCL and partner universities - example

Course NameUCL CreditsEU/IMESS ETC CreditsUCL/UK Credits
New Language: Serbian and Croatian301215
Security, Identity, Polarity: The Contemporary Debates301215
Theories of Social and Political Research301215
Politics of Transition and Integration in Central and Eastern Europe1567.5
Comparative Analysis in Social and Political Research1567.5
Politics of South-Eastern Europe since 19901567.5
Understanding and Analysing Data1567.5
Total Year One at UCL1506075

YEAR 2

Course NameUCL CreditsEU/IMESS ECTS CreditsUCL/UK Credits
Serbian as a foreign language 21567.5
Security system of Serbia1567.5
The Balkans in modern history1567.5
Social history of USA and Asia in modern times1567.5
Dissertation753037.5
Total Year Two at a partner university1506075

1 The overall degree classification is arrived at by taking the UCL median of the component marks, accounting for the relative credit weighting of each component using the EU/IMESS ECTS credit conversion rate of 2.5UCL credits=1ECTS.

2 If any of the second year modules is assessed on the pass/fail basis, the weighted median will be based on all other modules. On the UCL diploma supplement, the pass for the module will be replaced by the weighted median.

3 The total of 120 ECTS reflect the EU/IMESS credit system underlined by the 2.5UCL credits=1ECTS conversation rate, and are equivalent to 150 ECTS, following UCL transition to the UK ECTS credit system based on 2UCL credits=1 ECTS since 2015-16. The 0.8 coefficient is used for backward conversion of partner ECTS credits into UCL credits, as exemplified in the table above. The EU/IMESS credit system should be used for any reference to ECTS credits in this document.

 - Students who started the programme after 1 September 2022  

The final Award is calculated using an Overall Average Mark. Individual Modules are weighted according to their credited value and the overall mark represents the mean average of the 120 ECTS (300 UCL credits) undertaken. (Credit-weighted mean average rounded to two decimals.) 

[Updated November 2024: The overall credit-weighted mean average for Year 2 will be reflected on the UCL transcript against a single ‘shell’ module. Detailed information about individual module marks from Year 2 will only be set out on transcripts issued by the relevant partner university.

Where a student’s marks may be on the border between two classifications, SSEES will review the individual module marks from Year 2, using the information provided by the partners, and assess the balance of credits within the relevant classification ranges to determine the classification that best reflects the student’s performance in the round.]

Numerical Marking SchemeLetter Grade Marking Scheme 
Distinction

A weighted mark greater or equal to 69.5% 

A weighted mark greater or equal to 68.5% AND Modules of at least 70.00% in at least 50% of the credits. 

Merit

A weighted mark greater or equal to 59.5% 

A weighted mark greater or equal to 58.5% AND Modules of at least 60.00% in at least 50% of the credits. 

PassMeets Award Requirements. 

IMESS Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate Award

IMESS students who completed all assessments for the IMESS double degree but did not successfully passed 120 ECTS, and the mark achieved in the failed course(s) did not fall within the condonable range, are entitled to receive a Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate Award, subject to the following criteria:

Students should have attempted the full 120 ECTS. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. serious medical, financial problems) a Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate may be awarded after completion of 60 ECTS in year one.

Students should meet the standard UCL criteria for awarding a Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/chapters/chapter-4-assessment-framework-taught-programmes).

Students who have completed Year 2 of study could be subject to a separate partner university award in line with their national regulations.

Progression to Year 2

In order to progress to the second year of the degree students must normally have passed modules worth 60 ECTS. Students failing modules that do not total more than 12 ECTS may be allowed to provisionally progress into Year 2. Students will then be required to resit the modules during the Late Summer Assessment exam session. If after resitting any failed modules a student has still failed more than 12 ECTS; has failed a compulsory non-condonable module, or has failed any modules with a mark of under 40%, the student will have to exit the IMESS programme

Depending on the timetable of the specific partner institution and the schedule of that year’s Late Summer Assessments, students who are resitting may need to confirm their travel and accommodation plans for their Year 2 destinations before they are sure that they can definitely progress to Year 2 of the programme. In this case, students will need to make a decision about what to do based on their specific circumstances – UCL cannot accept any liability for financial losses incurred by making travel and accommodation arrangements which later have to be cancelled.

Examination Arrangements

In both years of the degree, the normal, quality assured examination processes will apply. The examination processes will be those of UCL in the first year and those of the other Consortium University attended in the second year. Each university is responsible for recording the results of assessment, for making the marks available to the relevant partner institution at the appropriate time, and for collating marks for both years of study. For all coursework and examinations, other than the dissertation, each partner will be responsible for appointing markers in accordance with normal (local) institutional QA practice.

Dissertations will be examined following standard institutional practices and will be jointly marked by an assessor from the second-year university and by an assessor from UCL. The final dissertation mark will be agreed by the first marker (or institutional representative where appropriate) and the UCL examiner, mediated by the relevant IMESS External Examiner if necessary.

The IMESS Examination Board can recommend outstanding dissertations for consortium or institution specific prizes or awards, if available.

Examination Boards

There will be an IMESS Progression Board in June of each year. The Progression Board will be chaired by the IMESS Programme Director and will collate and review provisional UCL marks, make progression decisions and approve the marks to submit provisionally to each Consortium partner. These marks will then be formally confirmed by the next occurring UCL SSEES Examination Board. In October of each year, the final IMESS Examination Board will review the marks from both years of study. Responsibility for the overall degree classification lies with the IMESS Examination Board, which includes representatives from all the Consortium Universities and two IMESS External Examiners appointed by the IMESS Management Board, on recommendation of the IMESS Programme Committee. The final agreed award will be consistent with the classification scheme summarised in the table below.

Assessment Criteria

The equivalence scale and criteria for assessment across the consortium is as follows:

Year 1

 ECTSUCLBelgradeCharlesCorvinusHelsinkiJagiellonianTartu
ExcellentA70+10A 94.0 (5)5 5.091 (A)
Very GoodB65-699        B 88.0 (5)4 4.581 (B)
GoodC60-648C75.0 (4)3 4.071 (C)
SatisfactoryD55-597        D 63.0 (3)2 3.561 (D)
SufficientE50-546E 50.0 (2)1 3.051 (E)
FailF0-495F 0.0 (1)02.00-50  (F)

Year 2

 ECTSBelgradeCharlesCorvinusHelsinkiJagiellonianTartuUCL
ExcellentA 

A

(91-100)

94.0 -

100.0 (5)

55.091-100 (A)70
Very GoodB9B (81-90)

88.0 -

93.9 (5)

44.581-90 (B)65
GoodC8C (71-80)

75.0 -

87.9 (4)

34.071-80 (C)60
SatisfactoryD7D (61-70)

63.0-

74.9 (3)

23.561-70 (D)55
SufficientE6

E

(51-61)

50.0-

62.9 (2)

13.051-60 (E)50
FailF5

F

(0-50)

0.0-

49.9 (1)

02.00-50  (F)0
  • Excellent: ‘Outstanding performance with only minor errors’;
  • Very good: ‘Above the average standard but with some errors’;
  • Good: ‘Generally sound work but with a number of notable errors;
  • Satisfactory: ‘Fair but with significant shortcomings’;
  • Sufficient: ‘Performance meets the minimum criteria’;
  • Fail: ‘Some/considerable more work required before the credit can be awarded’.
  • Note: Condoned passes granted by UCL will translate to ‘sufficient’ on other transcripts.

Student Support

Starting a course at a new university, possibly in a new city or even country can be a daunting experience for anyone, regardless of age or background. The most important thing to remember is that there are many sources of advice and support available for every aspect of your life at UCL from the moment you arrive until you graduate and beyond.

Full details of the support available to you can be found on the Support & Wellbeing pages.

You’ll also find some key links below. Your Personal Tutor will also be a key point of contact for you if you are experiencing any difficulties.

Students with physical or mental health concerns are encouraged to make contact with the available support services as early as possible so that UCL can put in place reasonable adjustments to support them throughout their studies. However there may be occasions when a student’s physical or mental health, wellbeing or behaviour is having a detrimental effect on their ability to meet the requirements of their programme, or is impacting on the wellbeing, rights, safety and security of other students and staff. In such cases UCL may need to take action under the Fitness to Study Procedure.

Further Information

Education and Student Support Office

The Education and Student Support Office (ESSO) is based in Room 341 on the third floor of the SSEES building.   

Contacting the Office

Emailing IMESS Programme Administrator: ssees-intma@ucl.ac.uk  is the preferred and most effective method of communication with the Education and Student Support Office. The ESSO aims to provide a response or an update email to all student queries within 3 working days. While contracts will vary, UCL’s core working hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. You should not expect academic and administrative staff to be available, check e-mail, and/or to respond to non-emergency requests outside these hours. For out-of-hours welfare support, please see www.ucl.ac.uk/students/support-and-wellbeing/evening-and-weekend-support. 

If you need to visit the Education and Student Support Office in person, the front desk is open during the following times: 

10:00 am – 4:00 pm on Monday-Friday

How we contact you

Email Communication

SSEES will mainly use email to contact you about various matters. When you register with Information Systems you will be allocated a UCL email address - this is the address which will be used to contact you. It is very important that you check your UCL email regularly.

Once your email has been set up, please ensure that you have set up a standard signature that shows your name, student number and programme. This will speed responses to your queries up when you email the Programme Administrator or other departments at UCL.

You can also book an appointment in for a MS Teams call with the IMESS Programme Administrator.

Extenuating Circumstances and Reasonable Adjustments

UCL recognises that some students can experience serious difficulties and personal problems which affect their ability to complete an assessment such as a sudden, serious illness or the death of a close relative. Students need to make sure that they notify UCL of any circumstances which are unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond their control, and which might have a significant impact on their performance at assessment. UCL can then put in place alternative arrangements, such as an extension or a deferral of assessment to a later date. The Extenuating Circumstances Panel will determine the nature and timing of the deferral, which may be offered with or without tuition/ attendance. 

More information can be found in the UCL Academic Manual.

You must notify SSEES, no matter which department teaches the module(s) concerned. You can make an EC claim through Portico. For intial enquiries regarding your EC requests should go to the Student Support Officer and sent to the email address ssees-extenuating-circumstances@ucl.ac.uk

You should attach appropriate supporting evidence. Forms of appropriate evidence are set out in the SSEES Documentary Evidence Requirements available on the Current Students website.

The same form should be used to apply for all forms of mitigation for short-term unexpected circumstances, including short extensions to coursework deadlines of up to one week, special assessment arrangements such as extra time in examinations, or other forms of mitigation, including longer extensions, or deferral of an examination to a later date.

Further information is available in the Grounds for Extenuating Circumstances 

Requests for extensions or other mitigations in examinations will only be considered where the circumstances meet the definition of an extenuating circumstance. Guidance is provided (Grounds for Extenuating Circumstances) to help you assess whether an EC claim might be considered – you are encouraged to review this guidance before submitting your claim. You will be contacted once a decision has been made about your request. Wherever possible such requests should be submitted well before the deadline. Please note that routine computer problems such as viruses, disk corruption, printer problems, and short term network problems are not acceptable grounds for an extension. You are expected to take proper precautions and make back-up copies of your work and allow enough time to produce your work in hard-copy.

If you do not present evidence your claim it is likely to be rejected.

Extensions cannot be granted retrospectively or by individual Course Tutors and must be submitted to ssees-extenuating-circumstances@ucl.ac.uk.

Reasonable Adjustments and Special Exam Arrangements. 

UCL will make Reasonable Adjustments to learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that students with a disability are not put at a disadvantage. UCL also provides Reasonable Adjustments for students who might not consider themselves to have a ‘disability’ but who nevertheless would benefit from additional support due to an ongoing medical or mental health condition. It is the responsibility of the student to request Reasonable Adjustments, and students are encouraged to make a request as early as possible. please see link above for more details. 

You can find further information about Reasonable Adjustments in the Academic Manual.

You should request Reasonable Adjustments via Disability Services. You can find further information on Disability Services' website. 

NOTE: We encourage IMESS students to undertake internships during the summer. However, please keep in mind that the academic year in your second year university may start earlier than at UCL.

Key Information 

There are several important documents that include key information relating to your programme, your responsibilities as a student, and the rules and regulations that govern your registration. These can all be accessed via the Current Students page of the SSEES Website.

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook contains key information relating to operation of your programme within SSEES, including details about key dates, coursework submission, penalties that may be applied to your assessment, and contact details.

This document is updated annually to reflect any changes in policy and it is important that you ensure you refer to the handbook for the appropriate academic year.

Timetable

Your timetable is available online.

Please ensure that you check the timetable regularly for any changes, including changes to the location of your classes.

Examination Procedures 

The examinations period is provisionally scheduled from the start of Term 3 until the second week of June. Students must be available to attend examinations throughout this entire period. 

All module registrations must be completed on Portico by the end of the second week of teaching. From this point students must not change the registration of Term 1 modules. The registration of Term 2-only modules may be changed until the end of Reading Week of Term 1.

All students are required to reply to any request, whether from their department or from UCL Registry (via Portico) to confirm their module registration as correct.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Integrity means being honest in your academic work, and making sure that you formally recognise and reference the existing knowledge and ideas on which your work is based. If you do not acknowledge the work or ideas of others, you could be penalised for Academic Misconduct, which is defined as any action or attempted action that may result in you obtaining an unfair academic advantage.

You can find more information on the Current Student pages.

Coursework Submission

Assessed coursework needs to be submitted online via Moodle by the deadline set in order to avoid late penalties. All work submitted for assessment should be anonymous.

Late Submission Penalties

Planning, time-management and the meeting of deadlines are part of the personal and professional skills expected of all graduates. For this reason, UCL expects students to submit all coursework by the published deadline date and time, after which penalties will be applied.

Further information: