Early completion usually applies to the following scenarios:

• Undergraduate students who have changed course to a shorter programme, for example, from a four-year programme to a three-year variant

• Undergraduate students who are exiting a longer programme early due to an exam board decision, for example, graduating with a BEng after three years rather than an MEng as originally expected

• Postgraduate Research students who are exiting with a lower qualification, for example, being awarded an MPhil instead of a PhD

• Postgraduate Research students who have switched to an MPhil after thesis submission, where the outcome is a downgrade but no corrections are needed (pass straightaway)

• Postgraduate Research students who complete their studies and are awarded their PhD earlier than originally expected

If you are an Undergraduate student on an Integrated Masters you can choose early completion if you wish to exit with a lower award a year earlier than expected.

You will need to make your academic department aware that you wish to take an 'end-of-year course transfer' and request that the exam board at the end of year 3 award you a BSc/BA degree.

There is usually a deadline for you to request this.

Therefore if early completion is something you are considering you should contact your academic department in good time.

No, provided you have met the deadline for registering with the Graduation Team you should be able to attend the next scheduled Graduation Ceremony.

If early completion applies to you and you want to apply for the Graduate Visa, then you must ensure that you are in the UK when your degree is conferred, that you apply for the Graduate Visa as soon as you are eligible and that you remain in the UK until it is granted.

This is because your early completion will have been reported to the Home Office, which will take action to curtail your Student Visa. If you are outside the UK you will not be able to re-enter the UK using your Student Visa, and being in the UK with a valid Student Visa is a key application requirement of the Graduate Visa.

If you are ending the third year of a four-year integrated Masters and believe there is a possibility that your academic performance could result in the exam board awarding a Bachelors qualification, meaning you would exit the course a year early, you should ensure that you are present in the UK at the time this decision is made.

This is to avoid being unable to re-enter the UK on your Student Visa in the event your study is terminated and your visa is curtailed.

There will be no change to your UK immigration permission and rights while you are still studying.

However, as soon as your award is conferred, the University will report your early completion to Home Office UKVI and this will trigger curtailment of your Student Visa - This is because you no longer require a Student Visa once your course of study has ended.

You will be notified by email once the University has reported your early completion; read this email carefully as it provides information about what to do next.

We advise that you exit the UK, or, if you are eligible to do so, switch to another immigration category, within four months of the date of our email notification to you.

This is because we cannot predict when the UKVI curtailment team will take action.

The four-month 'wrap up' period granted to most students after early completion is intended for you to make arrangements to either leave the UK or apply for further permission to stay in the UK, either in another immigration category or will another sponsor.

When you leave the UK, please provide us with evidence of your departure.

Once you have left the UK you should not attempt to re-enter using the same Student Visa even if you have not received official notice of visa curtailment.

This is because the Home Office will deem a curtailment notice as having been served as soon as the email/letter has been sent by them, regardless of whether the recipient receives said notice.

The University does not know whether curtailment action has been taken or not.

You cannot appeal a curtailment and should therefore assume that curtailment action will take place four months after the UKVI are notified of your early completion.