Changing Your Mode of Study (full-time/part-time)
Postgraduate research courses
Postgraduate research students can find information about applying for a change of mode of study on the Postgraduate Student Information SharePoint site.
Postgraduate taught courses
A number of taught Masters programmes are only available on a full-time basis due to the teaching and assessment requirements. A small number are only offered on a part-time basis. Before requesting a change to your mode of study you should speak to your Course Director or Administrator to determine if your course offers the mode of study you wish to transfer to.
Before you apply:
- You must apply in advance of the term you want the change of mode to be effective from. Requests to backdate will not be considered.
- You should provide a brief explanation of the reason for the change of mode - this provides useful context for those considering your application.
- The impact of the change of mode in terms of supervision, ongoing support, access to facilities and resources, financial implications and project timeline.
- The mode of study you are requesting to change to – the possible modes of study are full-time and part-time 0.50 FTE. It is possible to request to change mode of study more than once, for example from full- to part-time and then back to full-time.
- The term from which you would like the change to take effect. A change of mode should be from the start of a future term and, if temporary, should be for full term(s).
Assessing the impact of the change
Supervision and support
If you are applying to change from full-time to part-time study, you should ensure that your supervisor will be in a position to supervise you for the longer period, and that any facilities and resources you use (e.g. laboratory and desk space) can be made available to you over the longer period.
Finances
You will need to show that you have sufficient funds for the remainder of your course, taking into account changes to fees and any funding you may receive. When your application is received by Student Registry you will be sent a Financial Declaration Form. Although your overall fee liability will remain the same, the termly fee amounts and the number of terms for which you are liable will change. If you are funded by a funding body or other party, you must contact them in advance of applying and you will need to include evidence of their commitment to fund you for the remainder of your course - you should upload this evidence to your online application. You should bear in mind that maintenance stipends are usually paid on a pro rata basis to part-time students.
College membership
Some Colleges do not offer membership to part-time students. If your College does not currently take part-time students and is not in a position to do so then you will have to be accepted by a different College before you can proceed with a change of mode. It is your responsibility to arrange to change your College membership, and you should discuss this directly with your College. You should also bear in mind that Colleges are under no obligation to provide accommodation for part-time students.
Visa holders
If you are currently studying at Cambridge on a Student visa, your visa will have been issued on the basis that you are engaging with your studies either on a full-time or part-time basis. It is therefore not possible to switch mode and continue studying on the same visa. You may also require new ATAS clearance, if applicable for your nationality and course.
Whether you hold a Student visa, or are studying with a different time-limited visa or immigration permission, you should contact the contact the International Student Office (international.students@admin.cam.ac.uk) for guidance prior to applying to change your mode of study.
Change of mode to take up employment
Part-time students are not subjected to any employment restrictions. However, you should ensure that your employment does not interfere with the standard of your studies. If you struggle to balance work and study, you can withdraw from study.
When starting employment, you should discuss any relevant matters relating to intellectual property with your supervisor and employer.
Submitting an application
You can apply to change your mode of study via your CamSIS self-service. Information on how to do this is available on the ‘Applying for a change in your student status’ page.
Your application will be considered by your supervisor, Department, College and Degree Committee before arriving at the Student Registry for the final decision. As part of the consideration process, your department may interview you to discuss the change. Each party must be satisfied that the change will not impact negatively on your progress, that you and your supervisor will be able to manage the change in workload, and that your funding is secure for the remainder of your course.
It will not normally be possible to change your mode of study until the application has been formally approved by all parties.
Contact
If you have any questions about changing your mode of study, please submit a query to student-registry-help.admin.cam.ac.uk