Student handbook
Welcome to the online handbook for all students in Engineering, Product Design and Informatics. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with this resource. It will be your go-to reference guide throughout your time in the School. Information is arranged alphabetically within broad categories. If you can't find the information you need, the School Office team will be happy to help.
Advice & support
- Academic advising
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Academic advising is an integral part of teaching and learning at Sussex. The Academic Advisor’s role is to support your academic progress and offer guidance or referral to appropriate specialist professional services as necessary. You will meet regularly with your Academic Advisor throughout your time at Sussex, either in person or via Microsoft Teams. Find details of your Academic Advisor on your Sussex Direct study pages and see the Student Experience and Advice (Eng/Inf) Canvas page for more information.
- Academic appeals (including Informal Resolution process)
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See the Student Hub for information on the appeals process. Contact the Engineering & Informatics Informal Resolution team here: EngInf-InformalResolutions@sussex.ac.uk
- Referencing & academic integrity
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Make sure you understand about referencing styles and academic integrity. The Skills Hub will help you.
This subject is also covered in Academic Advising session no. 2 and in the following modules:
H1041 Professional & Managerial Skills and G5120 Professional Skills
Lecturers will indicate during lectures, the referencing style that is recommended for each coursework assignment. Information will also be provided, where appropriate, on module Canvas sites.
- Report writing guides
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Engineering students should make full use of the following resources:
- School Office
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The School Office is in Chichester 1 room C1002.
For general enquiries email ei@sussex.ac.uk
Our reception is open Monday to Friday 10.00 to 12.00 and 13.00 to 15.00.
School Office location [PDF 1.74MB]
See also People and contacts for our School inboxes and staff details.
- Skills hub
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The University of Sussex Skills Hub will help you to develop the skills that are essential for academic study. Here you will find a wide range of resources, including expert advice and suggestions from successful Sussex students. See also the Study skills and resources section on the Student Hub.
- Student Experience, Student Reps, Student Mentors, Societies
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Engineering & Informatics Student Experience Canvas page
Students can auto enrol
Student Experience team
The Engineering & Informatics Student Experience Team is here to help make your experience the best it can be. Contact the Student Experience Team at enginf-studentexperience@sussex.ac.uk.
Student Mentors
Engineering and Design Mentors
Peer Assisted Learning (Informatics)
If you cannot access these pages, please try to auto-enrol with this link (Engineering and Design) or this link (Informatics). Please contact us at enginf-studentexperience@sussex.ac.uk if the issue persists.
Student Reps
Student Reps stand for the academic interest of students on their course. They act as a bridge between students and University staff, and represent your voice in decision making on academic issues. They gather student feedback and represent students' views in order to bring about positive and meaningful change.
The Student's Union Website has further information on the Student Reps Scheme, including how to become a Rep.
Student Reps in Engineering & Informatics
Socities
See our canvas page for details of School-based Student Socieities. See the Student's Union web pages for details of all Student Societies.
- Support for students (University level services)
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My Sussex
To access student services please visit My Sussex for any support needs
International student support
See the International students section on the Student Hub
Student Centre
The Student Centre in the heart of Campus is the go-to place for you to access in-person information, advice and guidance services
Student Hub
Go to the Student Hub pages on the website for the latest information, news and events
Disability Advice
The Disability Advice service is a team of specialist Disability Advisors and administrators. We provide confidential information and advice to current and future students on disability-related study support and accessing disability-related funding.
Students' Union
The Students' Union advice team provides advice on University-related issues and housing for every Sussex student. If it’s not an area we cover then we can point you in the right direction to get help.
Assessment & teaching
- Accreditation & professional registration
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Accreditation of Engineering courses
Accreditation of Informatics courses
- Additional requirements for accreditation - Engineering & Product Design students
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Engineering and Product Design students should note the additional assessment regulations that govern their degrees. See Threshold marking, award of compensated credit and condoned credit
Please read the information carefully and contact Ellen Bryant if you need clarification: e.bryant@sussex.ac.uk
- Assessment regulations
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Go to 'Your degree explained' on the Student Hub for an overview. The Examination and Assessment Regulations handbook provides in-depth information. Engineering and Product Design students should note the additional regulations above. If you need any clarification on these regulations, please contact Jackie Gains (Informatics) j.gains@sussex.ac.uk or Ellen Bryant (Engineering & Product Design) e.bryant@sussex.ac.uk
- Attendance
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Attendance at your taught sessions is compulsory and your attendance is monitored by the School attendance monitoring team. We expect all our students to attend at least 80% of their timetabled teaching sessions. For online delivery of teaching, your engagement with online materials will be monitored as proof of attendance.
These sessions include lectures, laboratory sessions, workshops and seminars held in person where a register is taken, or equivalent online sessions. If you are unable to attend a session, you should let the tutor for the session know in advance, if possible. They can then mark your absence as 'notified'.
If you are unable to attend teaching for 6 or more days, you should send an email to enginf-attendance@sussex.ac.uk to explain, giving details of your absence and your expected return date.
Any repeated or unexplained absences will be noted and you may be required to attend a meeting of the School Student Progress Committee, who may then recommend that you withdraw from the University, either temporarily or permanently.
For further detail, please see the Attendance, Engagement and Absence policy.
- Coursework submission support
- Course transfer
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Course transfer guidelines for transferring to a degree in the School of Engineering & Informatics.
- Exam information & support
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The majority of exams for Engineering modules will be in person for 2024-25. See the full list here. Note that the retake exam in August will also be in person.
Computer-based exams: guidance & support
Multiple choice questions: guidance & support
- Exceptional circumstances
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You can make an exceptional circumstances claim if you experience something sudden, temporary and unforeseen, which could have an impact on one of your assessments, exams or coursework.
Outcomes of upheld exceptional circumstances claims are:
Type of exceptional circumstances claim
Outcome (if your claim is accepted)
Late submission. You must submit your work before the final deadline.
Late penalty will be waived. Your submission will show as late but with X7L or X24 on Sussex Direct.
Excused non-submission of an assignment (XNS) .
You will not be able to submit your original work.
An opportunity to retrieve the mark by taking a new assessment in August. Details will be published on your assessment timetable after the end of year exam board has met.
Excused absence from exam, either in-person or online (XAB)
A further uncapped attempt in August.
Impairment for a coursework assessment
An opportunity to retrieve or improve the mark by taking a new assessment in August. Details will be published on your assessment timetable after the end of year exam board has met.
Impairment in an exam, either in-person or online
A further uncapped attempt in August
Important: The mark you get for a resit or sit assessment will be used for progression and/or award purposes, even if it’s lower than your original mark. If you don’t take the resit or sit, your original mark will stand. See: Resitting an assessment
- Global Design Challenge
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Global Design Challenge (GDC) is a unique, core module for all first year students in the School of Engineering and Informatics at Sussex. You will work on solutions to real-world design problems, take part in interdisciplinary teams and increase your international perspective. It takes place during intersession week before the Spring term. Although it is a non credit-bearing module, it is a compulsory requirement of all Informatics and Engineering UG courses. If you do not pass the module, you will be required to retake it in the summer assessment period.
- Module options
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Many of our courses have optional modules. See degree courses and modules for information. Your Academic Advisor can help if you are unsure which optional modules are best for you.
Selection is done on Sussex Direct via the 'Syllabus' tab.
- Postgraduate students and direct entry to second year students will choose in September at the start of the academic year
- All other undergraduate students will choose in March of the previous academic year
It will be announced when the online selection system is live. If you have any issues accessing system, or you need to change options chosen online, contact the Department Coordinator. Note: the deadline for changing optional modules once teaching has started, is the end of week two of each term.
For Informatics, contact Jackie Gains: j.gains@sussex.ac.uk
For Engineering, contact Ellen Bryant: E.Bryant@sussex.ac.uk
- Results information (what happens if I fail a module?)
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Go to: Getting your results on the Student Hub for general information.
If you fail any or all of your modules, you will be offered retakes in the summer assessment period. See term dates
If you fail a semester 1 module, you must wait until after the exam board has met in June, (July for PGT students), before your assessment timetable can be updated. This is because we need your full year's module marks before any retakes can be scheduled. Contact your Departmental Senior Course Coordinator if you have any questions about your results. Engineering: Ellen Bryant E.bryant@sussex.ac.uk Informatics: Jackie Gains j.gains@sussex.ac.uk
- Term dates
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See Term dates and minimum service days
- Timetable & teaching groups
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Go to your study pages in Sussex Direct to view your timetable. Note that each week may be different as some activites such as labs, practicals and seminars will not run every week, and some sessions will start later in the term.
Requests to change teaching groups will be dealt with on an individual basis. Some groups may be full due to differing room capacities. Contact your Departmental Senior Course Coordinator, Jackie Gains, Informatics j.gains@sussex.ac.uk or Ellen Bryant, Engineering e.bryant@sussex.ac.uk
Careers & placements
- Careers & Entrepreneurship
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Careers and Entrepreneurship has lots of resources to help you. Login to Career Hub to access jobs, events and appointments. Use their sector guides to find out more about career areas that interest you and how to gain the experience you need.
- Placements
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Find out about placements and how this could benefit you. You can register your interest for a placement and join the Placements Preparation Programme.
All new students in the School are automatically enrolled on our Canvas sites:
Each department organises events with external speakers from placement providers. The School holds an annual Placement Poster event where students returning from placement display their work and are available to chat about their experiences.
Our UG placment tutors are Dr Dmitrijs Dmitrenko (Informatics) and Dr Menguc Oner (Engineering)
Transferring on or off the placement version of your course: Please email your request to the School Office: ei@sussex.ac.uk
Postgraduate research students
- Information for PGR students
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Go to the EngInf PGR Canvas site for information and resources for current PhD students. New PhD students are automatically enrolled. The site is maintained by the School Office. Please contact us if you have any access issues: ei@sussex.ac.uk
Go to our 'For tutors' page for information about becoming a doctoral tutor.
Other information
- Computer labs & computing support
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Engineering and Informatics teaching labs provide specialist software which is not available elsewhere on campus.
Our labs are maintained by our specialist Computing Support Team.
Log-in access to computers in Chichester buildings 1 and 2 is restricted to students taking EngInf modules. Door codes for the labs can be obtained from the School Office or the Informatics Helpdesk: Chichester 1 room CI-201,
rt-informatics@sussex.ac.uk opening hours: Mon-Fri 9.30 - 12.30 and 14.30 - 17.30
A timetable of sceduled teaching will be displayed on the door of each lab. You are required to work silently if using a lab alongside students in a timetabled teaching session.
- Electronics support drop-in sessions
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Electronics support drop-in session for UG and PG students
The department of Engineering and Design is offering one-to-one technical advice for electronics-based coursework and projects to support students’ learning and improving their technical skills in electronics.
These sessions are available for you to seek advice, if you are an Engineering and Design UG and PG student requiring support in the following areas:
- Getting familiarised with a new piece of equipment
- Get electronics technical support/advise for your modules and projects,
- Further develop your hands-on electronic skills for a project
- Have a particular query with a project/coursework you are working on.
Please bring any questions you have to these drop-in sessions
The drop-in sessions are held in JCW F3 every Wednesday 1 - 3pm. The sessions are delivered by our Electronics Engineering technical specialist, Aidan Carroll (atc27@sussex.ac.uk)
Though students are welcome to attend the drop-in session, it is recommended that you email ahead to confirm your attendance adding a short description of what kind of problem you are facing.
Below are some FAQs on how these sessions are run. If you find that these do not answer your query, please contact Aidan Carroll (atc27@sussex.ac.uk)
What is the service about?
This is an opportunity to bring any practical queries or problems related to electronics projects or coursework to an electronics technical specialist staff member.
Who can attend the sessions?
Any Engineering and Design UG and PG student can attend these sessions though it is primarily for those students with coursework or project queries related to electronics modules and final projects.
Where and when do the sessions will take place?
Wednesdays 13:00-15:00 in JCW (John Clifford West building). These sessions will usually take place in room F3.
I am not an Engineering & Design student; may I attend the drop-in session?
Yes, you can! Although priority will be given to those students on Eng & Design courses. Please email before attending.
- Equipment loans
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As part of your course, some modules will require the loan of equipment/materials for projects or coursework. Some equipment is available on loan.
- Expense claims
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Students must complete the ‘Visitor and Student Expense Claim Form’ to get reimbursed for Out of Pocket expenses.
Please allow approximate 2 weeks for your expenses to be processed.
- ID cards & your candidate number
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You will find your candidate number on your student ID card and on your Sussex Direct study page. This is the 6-digit number that you must put on your coursework and exam submissions. Your ID card is also your library card. If you transfer to a new course with a different end-date, you will need to replace your card.
- Letters
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You can request a letter to prove your status as a student and get forms completed by the University. See Letters and Documents on the Student Hub.
- Library resources
- Meeting rooms
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Meeting rooms 1 and 2 in Chichester Foyer are available for students to use. Contact the School Office to book and to collect the key. ei@sussex.ac.uk
- Minibus hire
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The School owns a minibus that is available for our staff and students to hire for university activites.
Maximum no of passengers: 8 + driver (no special licence is needed to drive the vehicle)
The minimum age for driving the school vehicle is 21.
Drivers need to hold a valid driving licence. UK/European/International licences are accepted.The School Office will need a copy of the licence.
Drivers need to complete a Driver Declaration Form once and a Vehicle Hire Form for each hire.
To book, contact the School Office: ei@sussex.ac.uk
- References
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If your employer requests a character reference you can request this from someone who knows you personally and can vouch for you, though not a relative. This person could be your academic adviser or a module tutor. If you have worked at the University, it could be a previous line manager or supervisor. It could even be a friend in a professional role.
Further information on Job References and Confirmation of Study:
https://student.sussex.ac.uk/careers/apply/job-reference
If you require an academic reference you can seek this from your academic advisor. - Accessibility
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You can find accessible routes for our buildings on the AccessAble webpage.
