Prepare for module enrolment

Every course is made of different modules.

A module is a unit of study on a subject that is usually completed in one or two semesters. Your course will be made up of multiple modules.

Each module has its own: 

• learning outcomes 
• syllabus 
• assessment schedule 
• unique code (usually four letters and four numbers)

There are three types of modules that you may study. These are compulsory or optional modules, or Discovery modules.
 

These modules may form part of your course and must be taken for you to be able to progress with your course or be eligible for award. Compulsory modules contain the essential parts of your course.

You do not need to enrol on these as you are automatically enrolled on them.

On most courses, you can choose from module options linked to your course.

Your school will give you information about what options you have. For returning students, this may be in a meeting or an email before optional module enrolment opens in May. For new students, you may receive information during Welcome Week or the first week of teaching.

If you have questions about the modules available on your course, you can contact your school.

You can also search for your course in the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue or taught postgraduate programme (course) catalogue to see what optional modules are available to you.

Discovery modules are optional, elective-type modules available on most courses, that give you the opportunity to step outside your chosen subject area. They sit alongside core modules and course-specific optional modules that have been curated to enhance your knowledge and understanding of your chosen subject(s).

You could choose to learn a language, develop new skills or study another subject(s) you are interested in. It’s an opportunity to:

• learn more about something you are interested in from previous studies or outside of formal education
• learn more about challenges that confront the world today and the new insights generated by researchers at the University of Leeds
• get an alternative perspective on some of the questions that you will be addressing in studying your main discipline(s)
• gain skills and insights that might enhance your career prospects.

Not all courses offer the chance to study Discovery modules. To find out if you have the option to select Discovery modules, visit the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue or taught postgraduate (course) programme catalogue.   

As part of the Discovery option within your course structure, you may have the opportunity to select a Structured, Open, Unbounded, Learner-led (SOUL) module. SOUL modules offer flexible learning outside of the classroom enabling you to develop skills and earn credits through real-world experiences. There are four SOUL categories to explore during your time at Leeds: 

• Structured: Tutor-led modules focusing on today’s important topics. 
• Open: Opportunities to work on collaborative projects with approved organisations outside the University, tackling real-world issues locally or internationally. 
• Unbounded: Learning beyond the classroom such as volunteering or mentoring. 
• Learner-led: Design your own learning experience with support from tutors and peers. 

For 2025/26, SOUL will only be available to undergraduate students going into their second year of study. Find out more about SOUL modules and the experiences on offer for 2025/26. 

You can select a SOUL module where your course allows you to take Discovery (and in a limited number of cases, where it is agreed as optional). To find out if you have the option to choose Discovery, visit the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue. 

Module codes are usually four letters and four numbers like ABCD1234. The letters show you which school is offering the module. The first number shows the level of the module. 

HIST1050 is offered by the School of History and is a level 1 module.

Normally students study modules that are at their level, so a first year student would normally only study modules where the first number in the module code is 1.

Each module is worth a number of credits usually between 10 and 60 credits. You need to gain enough credits to continue your course. 

For undergraduate courses you usually study 120 credits each year. For taught postgraduate (Masters) courses you usually study 180 credits. 

Some courses may need slightly different amounts of credits, you can check this on the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue or taught postgraduate programme (course) catalogue.

Some modules have certain requirements, you will see these listed next to the module entry in the undergraduate module catalogue or taught postgraduate module catalogue. 

Some modules have pre-requisites or co-requisites. This means that you can only take some modules if you have already completed a specific module (pre-requisite) or if you study a specific module at the same time (co-requisite).  

Some modules have mutually exclusive modules, which means you can’t study these modules at the same time, or if you have previously studied one of the modules in this list.

Some courses may have specific requirements as to which modules you must pass to be able to continue your studies or complete your course. These are usually marked as Pass for Progression (PFP) in the programme (course) catalogue.

You can find out on the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue or taught postgraduate programme (course) catalogue or by contacting the school your course belongs to.

The teaching year has two semesters with modules in either one semester or across both.

You should try to make sure you don't have too many modules in a semester.

You usually can't take more than 70 credits in a semester. 

If you are doing a Bachelor or integrated Masters degree, your first year module grades count towards passing your first year to continue with your studies. In your second, third, or fourth year, the module grade counts towards your final degree classification. 

If you are doing a foundation degree or diploma of higher education all module grades count towards your classification. 

You must not enrol on a module that you have already completed in a previous year. 

Look up your course in the undergraduate programme (course) catalogue or taught postgraduate programme (course) catalogue to see what modules you need to take in the next academic year for your course. 

You will see your compulsory modules and any available optional modules for your course. The optional modules may be split into different lists you need to choose from. This should be explained in the course details.

You will also see if you can take Discovery modules on your course or not. 

The timetable is a guide to help you make decisions about your modules and let you know if there are clashes. It should be treated as provisional as it gets updated and may change. You should check it regularly for updates. 

If you have questions once the timetables are published you should contact the person responsible for timetables in your School or faculty.

If you are a returning student, when you access optional module enrolment in May, your timetable should display your compulsory modules.

If you are a new student, your timetable with your compulsory modules on it will be available 48 hours after you’ve completed the registration process.

After looking through the modules available to you, you may want to write down the module codes and titles of your preferred module choices.

Some modules are very popular and places can be filled very quickly. You may want to have a list of alternative modules in order of preference, in case you are unable to enrol on your first choice of module.

The online enrolment system will display the available spaces for optional modules. If a module is full, the system will show it as ‘FULL’ and you will not be able to select it.