How easy is it to switch courses once I’m at university?
It is possible to switch courses at uni – but not always straightforward. It’s much easier to put the time in now and make sure you’ve definitely made the right degree choice...
If you’re asking this question, you should probably also consider how committed you actually are to your course. Have you researched and explored it in enough depth? Is it something that you’re really interested in doing for the next few years? Before you apply or accept an offer, search for a course to see what you'll study and how students rate it.
It's also not worth taking a course just so you can try and switch onto a more competitive one (like medicine) afterwards - these courses wised up to that trick years ago.
But let’s say you end up really not liking the course you’re doing. Can you switch? We asked a few universities to see how they deal with this.
Can I switch to another course in my uni?
Whether or not this is possible will depend on the programme that you want to take, as well as if there's space.
Switching to an entirely different subject, though, usually requires students to re-commence the degree programme in the first year. There is no guarantee that this will be possible as they will be considered alongside Ucas applicants.
Explore our subject guides: see example modules, job possibilities and more
Can I transfer to another university?
As we run on a semester basis rather than in terms, the timing of transfers can be quite delicate as students will need to present a certain number of credits by the start of the semester.
What this might mean is that if you haven’t done enough work in the semester (equivalent to half an academic year), you might not be able to transfer.
So do your work – even if you’re not enjoying your studies.
Don’t rely on the possibility of switching
Where transfers can be accommodated, the general rule is the earlier the better - there is obviously a point beyond which too much teaching has been missed.
